Scripture Verse

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1

Introduction

portrait
J. Lincoln Hall (1866–1930)

Words: Ida L. Reed, 1896.

Music: J. Lin­coln Hall (🔊 pdf nwc). Some hym­nals show the com­pos­er as Mau­rice Clif­ton, Hall’s pseu­do­nym.

If you know where to get a bet­ter pho­to of Reed,

portrait
Ida L. Reed (1865–1951)

Origin of the Hymn

This text by Ida L. (Reed) Smith was in­spired by a sto­ry she read as a youth. En­ti­tled A Prin­cess in Ca­li­co, it told of a lit­tle girl who re­mained hap­py al­though her life was full of mis­for­tune.

When asked how she could smile through her trou­bles, she re­plied, Oh, it’s be­cause I be­long to the king!

Ida Smith’s life was al­so one of tri­als. She was sick, lone­ly, im­pov­er­ished, and bed-rid­den for years. From a hos­pi­tal bed she wrote the words of this hymn.

Hustad, p. 106

Lyrics

I be­long to the King; I’m a child of His love,
I shall dwell in His pal­ace so fair,
For He tells of its bliss in yon Hea­ven above,
And His child­ren in splen­dor shall share.

Refrain

I be­long to the King; I’m a child of His love,
And he ne­ver for­sak­eth His own.
He will call me some day to His pal­ace above;
I shall dwell by His glo­ri­fied throne.

I be­long to the King, and He loves me I know,
For His mer­cy and kind­ness so free
Are un­ceas­ing­ly mine where­so­ev­er I go,
And my re­fuge un­fail­ing is He.

Refrain

I be­long to the King, and His pro­mise is sure:
That we all shall be ga­thered at last
In His king­dom above, by life’s wa­ters so pure,
When this life with its tri­als is past.

Refrain