This is one of the 14 hymns that poured forth from the pen of Carolina Sandell Berg (1832-1903; see SDAH 101) right after the tragic death of her father in a boating accident. She found comfort in putting her thoughts into verse, expressing an unswerving faith in the love and protection of a caring heavenly Father.

Several of Carolina’s poems were set to music and made popular by Oscar Ahnfelt, a “singing evangelist.” Ahnfelt traveled all over the Scandinavian countries, singing these hymns to the accompaniment of his guitar. Once while visiting in the home of the famous soprano Jenny Lind, the “Swedish Nightingale,” he told her he would like to publish a book of Carolina’s songs. Lind was glad to finance the project, and soon Andeliga Sanger, 1850, was published.

In his book The Story of Christian Hymnody, Ernest Ryden tells this story regarding the opposition encountered by Ahnfelt and Carl Rosenius, the Pietist preacher with whom he worked:

“At one time King Karl XV was petitioned to forbid Ahnfelt’s preaching and singing. The monarch refused until he had had an opportunity to hear the ‘spiritual troubadour.’ Ahnfelt was commanded to appear at the royal palace. Being considerably perturbed in mind as to what he should sing to his monarch, he besought Lina Sandell to write a special hymn. She was equal to the occasion, and within a few days the song was ready. With his guitar under his arm and the hymn in his pocket, Ahnfelt repaired to the palace and sang: Who is it that knocketh upon your heart’s door In peaceful eve?
Who is it that brings to the wounded and sore The balm that can heal and relieve? Your heart is still restless, it findeth no peace In earth’s pleasures;
Your soul is still yearning, it seeketh release To rise to the heavenly treasures.

The king listened with moist eyes. When Ahnfelt had finished, the monarch gripped him by the hand and exclaimed: ‘You may sing as much as you desire in both of my kingdoms!”

Ahnfelt, born at Gullarp, Skane Province, Sweden, was the son of a Swedish pastor. He grew up in a home full of music and good literature. He studied for the ministry at Lund University but lost interest and went to Stockholm to study music. After meeting the great preacher Rosenius, he devoted the rest of his life to music evangelism. He died October 22, 1882.

Andrew Skoog, who translated the poem from Swedish to English, was born December 17, 1856, in Varmland, Sweden, but immigrated with his folks to St. Paul, Minnesota, at the age of 13. Although educated formally only through the sixth grade, he became successful in many different lines- teaching, selling, writing, publishing, printing, photography, directing the choir and playing the organ, editing, and composing music. At one time he served on the Minneapolis City Council and was superintendent of the largest Sunday school in that city. He edited seven hymnals and assisted with the first three hymnals published by the Evangelical Covenant Church of America. He died October 30, 1934.

BLOTT EN DAG, the first words of the hymn in Swedish, literally means, “Only a Day” or in the context, “Day by Day,” as translated. The arrangement of this tune is by Melvin West (1930- ; see Biographies).

📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.