31 Days of Hymns - Day 3

My Jesus, I Love Thee

Interestingly, this hymn was written by a teenager who had recently come to faith. It's thought that William Ralph Featherston wrote “Jesus, I Love Thee” as a poem sometime when he was 12-16 years old. Little is know about William who died young at the age of 27. Years later, Adoniram Judson Gordon set these words to music and published this marvelous work as a hymn. As a devotional hymn, the words beautifully express deep love, gratitude, and praise for Jesus and all that He has done and continues to for us.

Listen here to some of my favorite versions:
Red Mountain Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0dAOR2ljk8
Paul Baloche: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAqaOXqW1gI

My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine;
for thee all the follies of sin I resign;
my gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.


I love thee because thou hast first loved me
and purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;
I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.


 I'll love thee in life, I will love thee in death,
and praise thee as long as thou lendest me breath,
and say when the deathdew lies cold on my brow:
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.


 In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright;
I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow:
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

More about this hymn:

Hymn Stories by Tim Challies: http://www.challies.com/articles/hymn-stories-my-jesus-i-love-thee 

http://www.hymnary.org/text/my_jesus_i_love_thee_i_know_thou_art_mi