"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee" (Isaiah 43:2).
How often are you discouraged? It is probably fair to say that most of us have become discouraged at some point. Sometimes we experience great calamity, and other times, not so great. Regardless if the circumstance is life-altering or if it is just a nuisance, many of us lose sight of the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel.”
More than a century ago, the pauper preacher George A. Young received a meager salary shepherding his congregation and doing carpentry work as well. In fact, his wife and children also served the Lord alongside this priest of their family.
Time passed, and after a number of years, this family was so happy to finally build a new house for themselves. Their joy was short-lived, however. After holding meetings in another town, Pastor Young and his family returned to discover their home in a pile of ashes. Arsonists, immature men who did not appreciate the message of God from the humble preacher, burned the house to the ground.
Instead of being discouraged about this awful predicament, Pastor Young praised God that his family was unharmed. Then he turned to the Scriptures to find hope and encouragement. He clung to the promises of God, despite the enormous hardship. In 1903, after reading Job 35:10: “None saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night,” he penned the music and lyrics to the following hymn.
“God Leads His Dear Children Along”
1. In shady, green pastures, so rich and so sweet,
God leads His dear children along;
Where the water’s cool flow bathes the weary one’s feet,
God leads His dear children along.
Refrain:
Some through the waters, some through the flood,
Some through the fire, but all through the blood;
Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,
In the night season and all the day long.
2. Sometimes on the mount where the sun shines so bright,
God leads His dear children along;
Sometimes in the valley, in darkest of night,
God leads His dear children along.
3. Though sorrows befall us and evils oppose,
God leads His dear children along;
Through grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes,
God leads His dear children along.
4. Away from the mire, and away from the clay,
God leads His dear children along;
Away up in glory, eternity’s day,
God leads His dear children along.
The Young family may not have seen any of God’s miracles that day; nevertheless, they still continued to trust in His leading. Years later, Pastor Young’s widow was living in a poor house. What a witness she was even then. She is believed to have said, “God led me here! I’m so glad He did, for you know, about every month someone comes into this place to spend the rest of their days. So many of them don’t know my Jesus. I’m having the time of my life introducing them to Jesus! … Isn’t it wonderful how God leads! How thankful I am that God brought me to this place to minister to so many in need.”
Call to Action
When Joshua became the leader of the Hebrew people after Moses’ death, God gave him this counsel: “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9).
What about you? No matter the unknown future, or even because of perceived difficulty, will you still trust God even if you cannot see any evidence of a resolution to a problem or challenge? Will you choose to look for a blessing in all circumstances?
All scripture taken from the King James Version.
