MY SAVIOR'S LOVE

I really could not find any background on the writing of this week's choice, but I did find a few things about the author, Charles Gabriel. Growing up on an Iowa farm, he taught himself to play the family's reed organ. Hed began teaching singing in schools by the age of 16 and soon became known as a teacher and comoser. He served as the music director of Grace Methodist Episcopal Church in San Francisco in 1890-1892. He is known as the most prolific and popular gospel song composer during the height of the Billy Sunday - Homer Rodeheaver evangelistic crusades. He edited more than forty hymnals and helped publish more than eight thousand gospel songs during his lifetime. In 1912, Gabriel joined the Rodeheaver-Hall-Mack Company as its editor and maintained this position until his death in 1932. He often wrote using the pseudonym of Charlotte G. Homer. This hymn first appeared in 1905. Those of us who have been redeemed can join in singing of our amazement that Christ would love us enough to die for us. It is amazing that he would take our sins and our sorrows and make them his very own. The hymn concludes with a triumphant final verse that reminds us of the day when we shall sing His praises around His throne in heaven. How marvelous and wonderful that will be.

(1) I stand amazed in the presence

Of Jesus the Nazarene,

And wonder how He could love me,

A sinner, condemned, unclean.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

Is my Savior's love for me!

(2) For me it was in the garden

He prayed: "Not My will, but Thine."

He had no tears for His own griefs,

But sweat drops of blood for mine.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

Is my Savior's love for me!

(3) In pity angels beheld Him,

And came from the world of light

To comfort Him in the sorrows

He bore for my soul that night.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

Is my Savior's love for me!

(4) He took my sins and my sorrows,

He made them His very own;

He bore the burden to Calvary,

And suffered and died alone.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

Is my Savior's love for me!

(5) When with the ransomed in glory

His face I at last shall see,

Twill be my joy through the ages

To sing of His love for me.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

Is my Savior's love for me!

Listen to this hymn here with a very beautiful rendition sung by four men. LISTEN