“Watch against yourself, my soul, lest with grace you trifle; let not self your thoughts control nor God’s mercy stifle. Pride and sin lurk within, all your hopes to shatter; heed not when they flatter.” – LSB 663:4

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2). The scriptures frequently warn against pride and admonish us towards humility. Pride and arrogance is one of the chief vices we can fall into. While today we have blatant displays of pride, in which people celebrate their perverse sins and refuse to feel any shame over their lewdness, this pride over sin has been a common element of worldly living by the heathen since the fall into sin.

While we should rightly feel disgust and abhorrence over the world arrogantly celebrating their sin, we would do well to reflect upon our own sins and see where pride lurks in our souls, so that we may repent of it in all humility. This hymn by Lutheran layman Johann B. Freystein recognizes the dangers of sin that dwell within one’s own soul. So the encouragement to the Christian is the same as what Christ instructs His apostles to do shortly before being arrested in the garden: “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Matt. 26:41).

Satan’s snares are set, the wicked world composes lies, and even within our own selves pride and sin lurks to shatter our hopes of an everlasting day. So guard against the evils outside of us, for sure! Nevertheless, don’t let your guard down against your own heart and mind. Remember that the evils are not only in the world around you, but evil lies close at hand. BUT! Don’t only stare at the evils around you in despair! Rather, also pray unceasing, for the Lord promises to always hear you and bless you.

Even though the evils of this world lie close at hand, the Lord promises to work good for us and bless us. So, the original hymn had ten stanzas, and the original final stanza closes on the following encouraging note: “Therefore let us watch and pray, Knowing He will hear us As we see from day to day Dangers ever near us, And the end

Doth impend—Our redemption neareth When the Lord appeareth.” Truly, our Lord says “I am coming soon.” So take heart! Watch and pray! The Lord is near.

Pastor Koopman

 

1. Rise, my soul, to watch and pray,
   From thy sleep awaken;
   Be not by the evil day
   Unawares o’ertaken.
   For the Foe,
   Well we know,
   Oft his harvest reapeth
   While the Christian sleepeth.
2. But first rouse thee and awake
   From secure indiff’rence;
   Else will follow in its wake
   Woe without deliv’rance.
   O beware!
   Soul, take care!
   Death in sins might find thee
   Ere thou look behind thee.
3. Wake and watch, or else thy night
   Christ can ne’er enlighten;
   Far off still will seem the light
   That thy path should brighten;
   God demands
   Eyes and hands
   Open for the offers
   He so richly proffers.
4. Watch against the devil’s snares
   Lest asleep he find thee;
   For indeed no pains he spares
   To deceive and blind thee.
   Satan’s prey
   Oft are they
   Who secure are sleeping
   And no watch are keeping.
5. Watch! Let not the wicked world
   With its pow’r defeat thee.
   Watch lest with her pomp unfurled
   She betray and cheat thee.
   Watch and see
   Lest there be
   Faithless friends to charm thee,
   Who but seek to harm thee.
6. Watch against thyself, my soul,
   Lest with grace thou trifle;
   Let not self thy thoughts control
   Nor God’s mercy stifle.
   Pride and sin
   Lurk within
   All thy hopes to scatter;
   Heed not when they flatter.
7. But while watching, also pray
   To the Lord unceasing.
   He will free thee, be thy Stay,
   Strength and faith increasing.
   O Lord, bless
   In distress
   And let nothing swerve me
   From the will to serve thee.
8. Yea, He bids us pray indeed,
   Promising to hear us,
   E’er to be our Help in need,
   Ever to be near us.
   Ere we plead
   Will He heed,
   Strengthen, keep, defend us,
   And deliv’rance send us.
9. Courage, then, for all things must
   Work for good and bless us,
   If we but in prayerful trust
   To His Son address us;
   For He will
   Richly fill
   And He Spirit send us,
   Who to Him commend us.
10. Therefore let us watch and pray,
    Knowing He will hear us
    As we see from day to day
    Dangers ever near us,
    And the end
    Doth impend—
    Our redemption neareth
    When the Lord appeareth.