A little boy was walking along a road one day when he met two larger boys. They sought to have some fun with the little boy by teasing him. One began to frighten him by threatening him. The boy was startled at first but in a moment had composed himself. He braced up, looked his tormentors in the face, and said positively, “No you won’t!”
“Yes I will,” said one of the larger boys menacingly.
“No you won’t,” said the little fellow. “My daddy won’t let you!”
There was the secret to his courage. His father was not in sight, but the boy was confident of one thing — his father would protect him and let no ill befall him. This childlike confidence gave him courage to face the danger that seemed very real to him, and to meet it without shrinking.
This little fellow knew the situation was too difficult for him. His opponents were superior to him in strength and could easily harm him, but his courage did not falter. He made no effort to run away. He faced the situation with confidence.
“My daddy won’t let you!” In the same way, every Christian has a Father who is loving, tender, and powerful — infinitely greater than the father of this boy. If only we, with the same simplicity of heart, could meet threatening situations with the same calm trust the little boy showed. Is there not far more reason for us to be confident than the boy? Our God is present — he is not out of sight nor of hearing.
Our God is all powerful and loves us. There is ample ground for our confidence in God’s multitude of promises, every one of which is as safe to trust as his most sacred oath.
“Our Father won’t let you” said the three Hebrew children, and they walked unscathed through the fiery furnace.
“My Father won’t let you!” was Daniel’s confidence in the face of the roaring lions.
The same words in different form were in the hearts of Isaiah and Hezekiah when Jerusalem was surrounded by the armies of Assyria. The leader of the enemies of Judah told them they trusted in their God in vain. He claimed God could do no more than the gods of other nations, who had not saved their countries from Assyria. But these embattled armies marched away and left Jerusalem untouched.
“Oh, it just happened that way. It was just a combination of circumstances,” says the unbeliever. Yes, it was a combination of circumstances, but who combined the circumstances? Isaiah knew; Hezekiah knew; the men of Jerusalem knew.
Nearly eight hundred years later, Jerusalem was again surrounded. This time it was the Roman army. Jesus warned his disciples about the impending destruction of the city and the temple, advising them to flee when they saw specific signs. The Romans were bent on destroying the Jews within the city, but the Christians, looked upon the Roman armies without fear. They knew Jerusalem was to be destroyed and of the famine, pestilence, and bloodshed to follow. With a confidence born of trust in God, they said, “My Father will not let you!” and were saved through their trust in God.
Luther stood calm and bold before his enemies because he believed in God. The weapons of faith triumphed over the weapons of an empire.
Spain sent the celebrated Spanish Armada to conquer England. But that mighty fleet melted away, as it were, like frost before the rising sun, and only a small remnant of it reached home again. God works among the nations and in individual lives. All the resources of his kingdom are behind his promises.
Moses feared not the king’s wrath, for his heart said, “My Father will not let you!”
How many times has that simple trust in the heart of a helpless saint of God been mightier than the armies of kings, more powerful than the wills of monarchs? This is well illustrated in the case of David and Saul.
Saul was a powerful monarch with a large, loyal army which protected him. Yet he was afraid — not of external threats, but of David, a man who meant him no harm. Why? “Because the Lord was with him.” (1 Samuel 18:12)
David trusted in the Lord; that was the source of his faith. His faith protected him against the king’s wrath, struck terror in his enemies’ hearts, and triumphed.
You and I have access to the same God. The power of a living faith in God in us will be the same as in those illustrious examples of past ages. You may find the courage to say, “My Father won’t let you!” and believe it in your heart so surely that you can face whatever threatens with unwavering confidence, knowing that the mighty hand of God will not fail to protect and keep you, whatever may come.
Charles Wesley Naylor is considered one of the most prolific and inspiring songwriters of the Church of God. He was bedridden for much of his adult life but wrote eight books, a newspaper column and over 150 songs. Many of his writings are in the public domain.
