Earlier this summer, my 2-year-old grandson had a wood tick imbedded in his belly button of all places. As Grandma, Grandpa, and his Daddy all attempted to hold his thrashing body still, his mommy tried to remove the tick. No success, too much squirming. But then, there was a drastic change. His thrashing immediately stopped. His little body became calm as he looked up into his daddy’s eyes and listened to Daddy sing over him. The power of Daddy’s voice, singing over him, and all was well.
When Daddy, my son, was a little boy, his daddy sang over him every night (or Mommy when Daddy had to work nights). The song was always the same,
Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather
Nestling bird nor star in Heaven
Such a refuge e’er was givenGod, His own doth tend and nourish
In His holy courts they flourish
From all evil things He spares them
In His mighty arms He bears themNeither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord, His children sever
Unto them His grace He showeth
And their sorrows all He knowethThough He giveth or He taketh
God His children ne’er forsaketh
His, the loving purpose solely
To preserve them, pure and holyPraise the Lord in joyful numbers
Your Protector never slumbers
At the will of your Defender
Ev’ry foeman must surrender
That great old Swedish hymn by Caroline Sandell-Berg is packed with rich, deep, biblical truth. From the time our children were babies, they had these powerful truths sung over them by Daddy or Mommy. Yes, we didn’t have the greatest singing voices in the world, but our children didn’t care. There is something powerful that happens when a parent sings God’s truth over his or her children. It serves as a tiny echo of the heavenly Father singing over His people…
Zephaniah 3:17— - The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
So parents, if you aren’t already doing so, sing God’s truth over your children. Consider including it in your bedtime routine. Sing over them when they are fearful and troubled. Sing over them when their hearts seem far from the Lord. Sing over them in times of celebration—always pointing them toward the unshakeable, all-satisfying, unending joy found in God alone, through Christ alone. Sing!
Here are two recommended resources:
Hymns of Grace (hymnal)
