He Hideth My Soul

Heather Allington

Heather writes for Sunday Song Book on behalf of the The Salvation Army Oshawa. As a lifelong member of the Army, she has loved these familiar - and some less familiar - songs for many years, and enjoys researching and writing about their origins. She is a wife, mother, grandmother and retired elementary school teacher who likes trying her hand at watercolour painting and poetry writing.

He Hideth My Soul

A wonderful Saviour is Jesus, my Lord,
A wonderful Saviour to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.

Chorus:
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life in the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand.
Jj
A wonderful Saviour is Jesus, my Lord –
He taketh my burden away;
He holdeth me up and I shall not be moved;
He giveth me strength as my day.

Here’s another hymn by Fanny Crosby, speaking of her resilience and trust, in spite of three serious hardships in her ninety-five-year life. First there was her blindness, caused by a careless doctor when Fanny was only six weeks old. Next was the dissolution of what had seemed a beautiful, ideal marriage to a man who shared her keen interest in song-writing. Apparently most devastating to Fanny was the loss of their infant child, a grief she suffered privately all her life.

People who knew Fanny spoke of her joy, energy and zest for life. She once said, “How long am I going to travel and lecture? Always! There is nothing that could induce me to abandon my work. It means nothing to be 84 years of age, because I am still young! What is the use of growing old? People grow old because they are not cheerful, and cheerfulness is one of the greatest accomplishments in the world!” The truth of He Hideth My Soul tells us something of the secret of her amazing life.