Be Not Afraid

Be Not Afraid

1.
You shall cross the barren desert,
but you shall not die of thirst.
You shall wander far in safety
though you do not know the way.
You shall speak your words in foreign lands
and all will understand.
You shall see the face of God and live.

Refrain:
Be not afraid.
I go before you always.
Come follow me,
and I will give you rest.

2.
If you pass through raging waters
in the sea, you shall not drown.
If you walk amid the burning flames,
you shall not be harmed.
If you stand before the pow'r of hell
and death is at your side,
know that I am with you through it all.

3.
Blessed are the poor,
for the kingdom shall be theirs.
Blest are you that weep and mourn,
for one day you shall laugh.
And if wicked men insult and hate you all because of Me,
blessed, blessed are you!

This hymn has been in my head for the past couple of days. We use to sing it all the time at church when I was little, and I recently heard it for the first time in a long time at mass. My favorite part of the whole song is the refrain, as if God were speaking to us, saying, Be not afraid. I go before you always. Come follow me, and I will give you rest.

I know it’s almost Thanksgiving, and I should be counting my blessings, and I am, but I am also aware of the grace that God has bestowed upon me when the blessings are hard to see. He is always there. He is always able and willing to lead me through the fight. What a beautiful love to be thankful for!