Supported by the Word

lyricist: John Newton, 1779
Composer: John Goss, 1853

Supported by the Word

Though in him­self a worm

The serv­ant of the Lord

Can won­drous acts per­form:

Without dis­may he bold­ly treads

Where’er the path of du­ty leads.

The haugh­ty king in vain

With fu­ry on his brow

Believers would con­strain

To gold­en gods to bow:

The fur­nace could not make them fear

Because they knew the Lord was near.

As vain was the de­cree

Which charged them not to pray;

Daniel still bowed his knee

And wor­shiped thrice a day:

Trusting in God

he feared not men

Though threaten­ed with the lion’s den.

Secure they might re­fuse

Compliance with such laws

For what had they to lose

When God es­poused their cause?

He made the hung­ry lions crouch

Nor dared the fire His child­ren touch.

The Lord is still the same

A migh­ty shield and tow­er

And they who trust His name

Are guard­ed by His pow­er:

He can the rage of li­ons tame

And bear them harm­less through the flame.

Yet we too oft­en shrink

When tri­als are in view;

Expecting we must sink

And nev­er can get through.

But could we once be­lieve indeed

From all these fears we should be freed.

Discover More Hymns

Explore random hymns and find new inspiration