"Fear Not, O Child of God"

Day 18

Fear Not, O Child of God


1. Fear not, O child of God,
What-e’er the trouble be,
The grace divine He will supply
To keep, to keep thy spirit free.


Refrain:
Trust God without reserve,
The best is yet to be
To share with Christ His home above,
To reign with Him eternally.

2. Fear not, O child of God,
Temptations cannot harm
If we but look to Him for aid,
And trust, and trust His mighty arm.


3. Fear not, O child of God,
When sorrow rends thy soul,
The healing balm He will supply
To make, to make thy spirit whole.

Text: A.H. Ackley
Music: John C. Hallett
© Copyright 1960, by The Rodeheaver Company.
International Copyright Secured. All rights reserved.

Fear binds. Fear paralyzes. Fear does everything opposite of “keeping your spirit free.” Fear can eventually destroy.


The scriptures are filled with admonitions to “fear not,” “don’t be afraid,” “do not fear.” Read the text of this song, which happens to be the last song text written by A.H. Ackley and given to his friend, John Hallett a short time before Ackley passed away. A.H. was a prolific songwriter, who wrote over 1,500 gospel songs and hymns.. One of his most sung and well-known pieces is “He Lives” (“I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today.”)

The song text instructs us to: 

Fear not…trouble
Fear not…temptation
Fear not…sorrow

Let God’s eternal Word speak to your heart as you see that we need to Fear Not, O Child of God.

1. Fear not…trouble

There are many contexts in which people experience trouble. Listen to these instructions. To see the “trouble,” read the context.

Isa 35:3-4: “Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart, ‘Take courage, fear not.’”

Jer 30:10 “ Fear not, O Jacob My servant,' declares the Lord, 'And do not be dismayed, O Israel; For behold, I will save you from afar And your offspring from the land of their captivity. And Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease, And no one will make him afraid.”

Isa 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isa 41:13 “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. “

Jer 30:10 “do not fear, O Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, O Israel,' declares the Lord.”

Zep 3:16-17 “On that day they will say to Jerusalem, "Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

1 Pe 3:13-15 “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened."

Lk 1:30-31 “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.”
And, behold, thou shall conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS.”

Lk 8:50 (Jesus speaking to the father whose daughter had died) “But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.”

Lk 12:7 (Admonition not to fear the circumstances of life) “But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

Mt 14:27-29 (Jesus walking on the water in the midst of the storm) “But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said.”

Refrain:
Trust God without reserve,
The best is yet to be
To share with Christ His home above,
To reign with Him eternally.

We are encouraged to trust God without holding back. God promises that our troubles, sorrows,
will not last forever. In fact, He has promised eternal life to those who trust in Him.

2. Fear not…temptation.

Jesus will help you through any type of temptation.

Jesus taught His disciples to pray: “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.” (Matthew 6:13)

The apostle Paul reminded his readers that “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

And Peter reminds his readers that “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation” (2 Peter 2:9)

Jesus is faithful to protect and pray for each of us. He will guard, come to our aid, and ever lives to pray (intercede) for each of us!

“For I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12-13)

“Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.” (Heb 2:17-18)

“He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)

3. Fear not…sorrow.

Isa 51:11-13: “The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing;everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. "I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass, that you forget the Lord your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, that you live in constant terror every day because of the wrath of the oppressor, who is bent on destruction?"

In the midst of our sorrow, God provides comfort!

2 Co 1:3-7 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.”

2 Corinthians 7:6 “God, who comforts the downcast,”

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.