Here is another song by Rev. Johnson Oatman, Jr. He was born a few years before the Civil War and lived just past the end of WW I. Hymnary.org reports “His father was an excellent singer, and it always delighted the son to sit by his side and hear him sing the songs of the church.” Oatman lived in New Jersey and for many years worked with his father in the mercantile business called, appropriately enough, “Johnson Oatman & Son”. He was ordained to the Christian ministry and served as a local preacher. After his father died he took charge of a prominent life insurance company in Holly, New Jersey. On top of all that, he wrote over three thousand hymns. Hymnary says, “no gospel song book was considered as being complete unless it contained some of his hymns.” Probably best known is “Count Your Blessings”. “My Savior How I Love You” is yet another of Oatman’s songs expressing his joy in … and love for … the Lord Jesus. Give it a sing along listen, then come back and we’ll spend a little time with Oatman’s lyric ideas and enjoy the Lord right along with him.
Another song about Jesus!?!
Now there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if every one should be written, I suppose not even the world itself to have space for the books to be written. (John 21:25 BSB)
This song’s title seemed familiar, so I checked the table of contents of our song site (the “A-Z Song List”) to see if I could find another song or two with similar titles or subjects. Here are some that popped up:
My Jesus I Love Thee
More About Jesus
Jesus Loves Me
He’s A Wonderful Savior To Me
Isn’t He Wonderful
There’s No Friend Like Jesus
Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus
Since Jesus Came Into My Heart
Softly And Tenderly Jesus Is Calling
Freedom In Jesus
What A Friend We Have In Jesus
Jesus Saves!
The Very Same Jesus
The Light Of The World Is Jesus
Tell Me The Story Of Jesus
Tell Me The Stories Of Jesus
Oh How I Love Jesus
… and now we have one more… “My Savior How I Love You”.
How many songs are there about Jesus!?! Lots more on this site, tons more in hymn lists, and it is impossible to count how many more we don’t know of — and, as John suggests in his gospel, the number of things that might be written are more than the world could contain. Stunning!
A better question is, “WHY are there so many songs about Jesus?” For you and me, this question is both easy and deep. We have tasted how this question leads to the greatest treasures, a grander find than any hidden gold or silver or diamonds. Oh, so many wonderful stories to tell!
Rev. Oatman gets us started
This song coaxes our noggins to consider a lot of amazing blessings. Look where it takes us, at the springboards of light and life it touches:
♫♪ Since all my sins you did forgive,
Sin separates us from God. Jesus reconnected us.
♫♪ Since in my heart You came to live,
Think what it means to have “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Think!
♫♪ My heart is glad, my soul is well.
Is there anyone or anything anywhere that can make our hearts so glad and our souls so well?
♫♪ I know that you did die for me, …When I remember Calvary … Your love’s so big, how can that be?
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
(John 15:13 BSB)
♫♪ From fear of death you rescued me
“and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”
(Hebrews 2:15)
♫♪ And when I reach that home on high, I’ll shout and sing while ages fly,
In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? (John 14:2)
A pocket size treasure chest
Our song is tiny sampling of the greatest treasures, put in a form we can share as a musical prayer with our Lord and Savior during quiet moments throughout the day.
It also gives us a nudge to action. When those quiet moments seem few and far between because people are all around, maybe — just maybe — there will be someone nearby, and a light will come on, and that last line of the chorus will come alive right before our eyes. Remember that line?
“♫♪ To all who’d hear, I’ll gladly tell
My Savior, how I love you. ♫♪”
God bless you lots
-Dale R.
LYRICS – My Savior, How I Love You
TEXT: Johnson Oatman Jr.
TUNE: R. H. Cornelius (1925)
1. Since all my sins you did forgive,
My Savior, how I love You;
Since in my heart You came to live,
My Savior, how I love You.
Chorus:
Such love for you does in me dwell,
My heart is glad, my soul is well.
To all who’d hear, I’ll gladly tell
My Savior, how I love you.
2. I know that you did die for me,
My Savior, how I love You;
When I remember Calvary,
My Savior, how I love You.
3. From fear of death you rescued me
My Savior, how I love You;
Your love’s so big, how can that be?
My Savior, how I love You.
4. And when I reach that home on high,
My Savior, how I love You;
I’ll shout and sing while ages fly,
My Savior how I love You.
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