God Leads His Dear Children Along

Nepalese Sherpa mountain climber Tenzing Norgay, 1953

This beautiful rendition of the beloved hymn brought my heart to Acts 14.

1."It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God."

2. "When they arrived, they called the church together and related all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles."

Meditate on these as you face the squeeze.

Notice how, in one breath, he cites a cost, persecutions, to being fully enveloped in a participating in God's government and the Jesus movement. Then, when it is time to report, it is all about open doors and opportunities.

What does this contrast teach you about Paul's attitude?

Acts 14:19-28

But Jews came there from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. Then they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the city.

 

The next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, then on to Iconium and Antioch.

 

There they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, "It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God."

 

And after they had appointed elders for them in each church, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe. Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

 

From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had completed.

 

When they arrived, they called the church together and related all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles. And they stayed there with the disciples for some time.

 

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.

Biography

":Young was an ob­scure 19th Cen­tu­ry preach­er and car­pen­ter who spent a life­time serv­ing 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 Us Along."

Read More Here.

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Art Note

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