Children. What a gift they are! We all began as babies.

A song many children learn around the world is  “Jesus Loves Me.” I read today that the song was a poem inserted into a novel about a little boy, Johnny Fox, who is dying. The little boy’s Sunday School teacher in the story, comforts Johnny by making up a song, “Jesus Loves Me.”

Even if you didn’t attend Sunday School as a child, I’ll bet you know this song. It is known world wide. I’m pretty sure it was the first song I learned…

Once the poem was set to music and made public, it had almost immediate success. Not only was Anna’s generation drawn to its simple Gospel message, but years later Francis Schaeffer declared it his favorite hymn saying that “ultimately, intellectuals and children need the simple message of Jesus.” (www.godtube.com) Missionary Amy Carmichael recounted many times that she was converted after hearing this hymn at a children’s mission in Yorkshire, England. The islanders in the Solomon Islands reported that the surviving Marines from President John Kennedy’s destroyed PT boat sang the hymn with them. Even the theologian Karl Barth condensed his theological perspective into the words of Anna Warner: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” https://christianheritage.info/places/united-states/new-york/orange-county-2/grave-1/anna-bartlett-warner-grave/

All of us will face death as little Johnny did at some point. It’s a comfort to me that the God of the Universe–Jesus–also experienced death. And then he rose from death. We are promised eternal life when we place our trust in Him as a little child–whether we are children or adults.

Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.

Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me! This I know,
As He loved so long ago,
Taking children on His knee,
Saying, “Let them come to Me.”

Jesus loves me still today,
Walking with me on my way,
Wanting as a friend to give
Light and love to all who live.

Jesus loves me! He who died
Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.

Jesus loves me! He will stay
Close beside me all the way;
Thou hast bled and died for me,
I will henceforth live for Thee. (Anna Bartlett Warner August 31, 1827 – January 22, 1915).

Our world is uncertain. There is a hurricane looming over Florida right now. There is devastation from the previous hurricane, Helene. I pray for those people and hope they can be comforted from the words of that memorable children’s song.

Enjoy the medley sung by a children’s choir. I hope you enjoy it and perhaps be comforted as I was by the simple children’s voices.

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