October 4, 2005

Have faith in God –
Look up with cheer;
Have faith in God –
He leads us here;
Have faith in God –
Without one fear.
Have faith, dear friend, in God.

I Love to Tell the Story

Arabella Katherine Hankey, 1834-1911

    The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. Proverbs 11:30.

    Sharing our personal faith should be a joyful and satisfying experience, just as it was with Kate Hankey, author of this hymn's text. Although she was born into the home of a wealthy English banker and a member of the Anglican church, Kate early in life developed fervent evangelical concern. She began organizing Sunday School classes for rich and poor throughout London. These classes had a strong influence in the city, with a large number of the young students in turn becoming zealous Christian workers.
    When Kate was only 30 years old however, she experienced a serious illness. During a long period of recovery, she wrote a lengthy poem on the life of Christ. The poem consisted of two main section, each containing 50 verses. The first section of the poem was titled "The Story Wanted", later adapted for another of Catherine Hankey's familiar hymn texts, "Tell Me the Old, Old Story", still widely sung today. Later that same year while recovering from her illness, Kate completed the second part of her poem, titled "The Story Told", which became the basic part of "I Love to Tell the Story".

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true;
It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.
I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.

I love to tell the story; more wonderful it seems
Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story, it did so much for me;
And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee.
I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.

I love to tell the story; ’tis pleasant to repeat
What seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.
I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.

I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
’Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.
I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.

Have Faith in God by H.M.S. Richards, Used by Permission