Counseling My 8-Year Old Daughter with an Old Hymn
This morning, while getting ready for school, one of my daughters asked if I could help her remember a song we sing at church about God taking care of us. The reason for the question is that the frostbite warnings here in Wisconsin last week resulted in her learning of the physical, life-threatening dangers of exposure to severe cold, which produced a brand new struggle with fear in her heart—a fear that has resulted in occasional nausea. Another morning she asked me to write Psalm 54:4 on a 3×5 card for her to keep in her pocket to look at throughout the day; we had earlier discussed its wonderful truth: “Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.”
But today her mind needed reassurance from an old hymn. So, I instructed her to find our family hymnal and meet me on the couch in front of the wood pellet stove that keeps our house warm on these cold winter days. We opened our songbook to Civilla Martin’s “God Will Take Care of You.” First, I had her read the verses out loud and I defined the old, hard words (like “betide”), then the two of us sang it together, and I prayed for her heart’s need to trust the Lord. The Lord brought much comfort from these words:
Be not dismayed whate’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.
Refrain:
God will take care of you,
Through every day, o’er all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
Through days of toil when heart doth fail,
God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail,
God will take care of you.
All you may need He will provide,
God will take care of you;
Nothing you ask will be denied,
God will take care of you.
No matter what may be the test,
God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon His breast,
God will take care of you.
If you are unfamiliar with this old hymn, here is a YouTube link to listen to.
