It’s a fact of life that bad things do happen to good people. The challenge is to find the Lord, through the experience, and where He might be leading. Many times, our stubbornness and pride block the leading of the Lord in our lives. A crisis has a way of redirecting our steps, reorganizing our priorities, and giving us the opportunity to pave the road of life with lessons that might guide others who follow. Many hymns that we enjoy today were born out of the sorrows of yesterday.

In 1903, a song was published by preacher George Young entitled, God Leads Us Along. In the chorus, Pastor Young revealed the catalyst for the writing of the song when he wrote these words, “Some thru the waters, some thru the flood, some thru the fire, but all thru the blood, some thru great sorrow, but God gives a song, in the night season and all the day long.”

After many years of sacrifice, this country preacher and his wife had saved enough money to build a home of their own. Pastor Young was handy with a hammer as well as with a Bible so, in short time, a new home was completed. The many years oflow pay and thankless hours would be but faint memories now. A dream that often seemed impossible had come true. The Young’s loved their new home, but loved the Lord all the more; and because of this, they continued their ministry of traveling and sharing the good news. It was during one of these trips that disaster struck. Someone, not in favor of Pastor Young’s ministry, set fire to the family’s home while they were away. When George returned, he found a pile of ashes. All his earthly possessions were now gone. Then Pastor Young remembered the priceless things that fire cannot destroy. In his suffering, he could see God’s leading and a greater appreciation of what really counts. A bad thing had happened to a good person because of someone else’s sin. Like Job, this was an attack of Satan. Yet God was still leading, leading Pastor Young to write a song that has comforted untold thousands for over 100 years:

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.

Tho sorrows befall us and Satan oppose,

God leads His dear children along;

Thru 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.

Chorus

Some thru the waters, some thru the flood, Some thru the fire, but all thru the blood;some thru great sorrow, but God gives a song, In the night season and all the day long.

by Bill Dagle Hymn Stories