April 24, 2018 (Tuesday)
From Gaffney.com: The beautiful hymn, “God Leads His Dear Children Along,” was writteng by George Young. After his death, his widow said, “My husband and I were married while we were very young. God gave us a wonderful life together. He led us from day to day. We prayed together, we worshiped together, and God moved through the Holy Spirit, and put a song in my husband’s heart that has helped people all over the world to deal with tragedy in their lives. The text was probably taken from Isaiah 43:2. ‘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’. Psalm 24:4 tells us that David had experienced these tidal waves of grief, and had God not been on his side, the waters would have overwhelmed his soul.”
George A. Young was an obscure 19th Century preacher and carpenter who spent a lifetime humbly serving the Lord in small rural communities. Often his financial support was small, and it was hard on his family. But through all the ups and downs his faithful wife never wavered in her loyalty to God and to her husband. After a long struggle, the family was able to move into their own small home (which George built himself). But then, on an occasion when George was away preaching, some local thugs-who didn’t like his Gospel preaching- -set fire to the house, and it was totally destroyed. It was out of that experience that Young reaffirmed his faith in God by writing God Leads His Dear Children Along.
George A. Young
1903
CHORUS:
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
VERSES:
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
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
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
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