God Will Take Care of You

Civilla Martin was the wife of an evangelistic preacher in rural Georgia named Walter Stillman Martin, both born around the time of the end of the American Civil War. Civilla traveled with Martin often in his work, when her frail health did not preclude her from doing so. Both were active in ministry, and both were accomplished composers and musicians, Civilla being a music teacher prior to marriage.

In 1904, Walter was involved in compiling songs for a hymnal to benefit a local Christian school. He was set to board a train to a distant town for a Sunday preaching appointment related to this, when Civilla woke up very ill. Walter was set to cancel his appearance when their 9-year-old child spoke up saying, “Father, don’t you think that if God wants you to preach today, He will also take care of Mother while you’re away?” Convicted by their child's words, both parents agreed that Walter should go and they should trust in Him.

When Walter returned that evening, Civilla had recovered. While preparing dinner, Civilla handed him the words to a song she had written that day based on their son’s remarks. Walter saw the words and excitedly sat down at the piano. Supper got cold as he spent the next hour perfecting the tune. The couple sang it with friends that evening and made the decision to include it in the hymn-book for the school.

Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you.

Chorus:
God will take care of you. Thro’ every day, o’er all the way,
He will take care of you; God will take care of you.

Thro’ days of toil, when heart doth fail, God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you.

All you may need He will provide, God will take care of you;
Nothing you ask will be denied, God will take care of you.

No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you;
Lean weary one, upon His breast, God will take care of you.

Civilla wrote many other hymns, a couple of the lasting ones include “His Eye is on the Sparrow” and “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power”. She passed away in 1948, 13 years after her husband.

This song has been the inspiration for many to rely on the grace of God to meet their needs. One such man was named James, a son and grandson of Baptist preachers, and who was a successful retail merchant until the Great Depression hit him especially hard. During that time, he took upon himself not only the burden of his own family's well-being, but also that of every one of the families in the employment of each of his stores. James' faith was genuine, but taking on that large of a burden for such a long time had predictable effects: James was eventually placed in a mental institution with severe anxiety and insomnia, and during that time he even developed shingles. He wrote later about that time, “I was broken nervously and physically, filled with despair, unable to see even a ray of hope. I had nothing to live for. I felt I hadn’t a friend left in the world, that even my family turned against me.”

Walking by the little hospital chapel one morning, he heard the words of Civilla’s hymn being sung, “Be not dismayed, whate’er betide, God will take care of you.” He entered the chapel and listened to the full hymn for the first time, the Scripture reading after, and the prayer. He wrote, “Suddenly, something happened. I can’t explain it. I can only call it a miracle. If felt as if I had been instantly lifted out of the darkness of a dungeon into warm, brilliant sunlight.” He realized more than ever how much Jesus cared for him, and was relieved of his worry. James called those moments in that chapel “the most dramatic and glorious twenty minutes of my life.” That man was James Cash (J.C.) Penney, who went on to become one of the retail giants of the 20th century.

Morgan, Robert J., Then Sings My Soul, Nelson Publishers, 2003.
http://www.therestorationmovement.com/_states/georgia/martin.htm
https://hymnary.org/person/Martin_CD