Have No Fear, Little Flock (ELW 764)
1 Have no fear, little flock;
have no fear, little flock,
for the Father has chosen to give you the kingdom;
have no fear, little flock!
2 Have good cheer, little flock;
have good cheer, little flock,
for the Father will keep you in his love forever;
have good cheer, little flock!
3 Praise the Lord high above;
praise the Lord high above,
for he stoops down to heal you,
uplift and restore you;
praise the Lord high above!
4 Thankful hearts raise to God;
thankful hearts raise to God,
for he stays close beside you,
in all things works with you;
thankful hearts raise to God!
Devotion
Every time I hear the words from Luke 12, “Do not be afraid, little flock,” the words of this hymn begin running through my head. I was first introduced to this song in the 1970’s as a choir director. It was a part of the roll out of the LBW (green hymnal). My boys were preschoolers and I taught it to the Sunday School and the adult choir. It became a favorite of folks in many of the congregations I went on to serve as pastor.
This simple hymn sums up the readings for this week and the promises of God to all of God’s children no matter their age. God has chosen us and promises to give us a home with him in his kingdom forever. This promise is the heart of our faith in God’s steadfast love and promises. God stays beside us and works with us to live as God calls us to live our lives of faith.
Prayer
God of Steadfast Love, draw us closer to you as we seek to live as faithful children of God. Keep us from fear and danger as you work with us to live our lives as you intend. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.