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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This morning one of my pastors taught about coming into God’s rhythm and used a musical analogy. He also shared that praise in song amongst many other things is how we do that And just now you continued to Pastor me with this song and sharing. How amazing Father is ! My praise tends to be pretty gutteral. All the more reason for me to be thankful for you and all those who’s company you are in. You keep a song for Him in my ❤️.
Beth, Isn’t it a hoot when the Lord reaches us from several different directions all around the same time?!? Years ago I got this idea of songs being like the ring that gets left around the tub. Take a nice warm path, dry off, done with that. Then you realize evidence of the bath remains. That’s the advertising jingle’s purpose. I think these songsters are trying to get into our heads and stay there, to which I say, YAY! Thanks for your note! God bless you lots — Dale R.
Good evening Mr Dale and Ms Cathy Greetings to u both Tanks for posting that AMAZING SERMON AND SONG, A JOY TO THE WORLD…”MY SAVIOR HOW I LOVE THEE,”…BECAUSE U FIRST LOVED ME….Rev. Oatman gave us. an amazing opportunity to get to know OUR HEAVENLY FATHER JESUS ,THE ONE WHO DIED SO THAT WE MIGHT LIVE, OUR HEAVENLY FATHER GOD DIDN’T HAVE TO LOVE US BUT CHOSE TO, HE SAID, “I LAID ASIDE MY GLORY AND BECAME A MAN FOR U. ” ” THAT’S HOW MUCH I LOVE U ” .. . So Mr Dale, what’s holding us back from giving him all of our love. Just think about it ..HE DIED SO THAT WE MIGHT LIVE. NOW Mr Dale, THAT’S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE…
Rev Oatman was an awesome teacher, and song writer, NOW LOOK AT OUR HEAVENLY FATHER GOD, WHAT HE DID FOR US ALL..
HIS WORDS WILL LAST A LIFE TIME, IT’S LIKE HIS WORDS. IN THE BEGINNING TO THE ENDING, …Rev. Oatman did an amazing job, and there u are caring out such an amazing SERMON and SONG , to keep THE PASSION OF THE HOLY HEAVENLY FATHER JESUS ALIVE AND THAT AMAZING SONG HAS A LOT OF MEANINGS BEHIND IT …”Word by word …so thanks to u and Cathy, someone will read it and carry it on to the future, thanks again for sharing and posting that amazing Sermon and sermon.
.well spoken…much love and blessings to u both…
Julia, this was a new song to me, and I think it is a treasure. Thanks for sharing your thoughts — your enthusiasm and joy — on the song and, as always, your love for our Father God and His wonderful son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May the Lord keep you in the hollow of His holy hand. God bless you lots — Dale R.