Scripture Verse

He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom. Isaiah 40:11

Introduction

portrait
Fanny Crosby (1820–1915)

Words: Fan­ny Cros­by, in Roy­al Dia­dem, ed­it­ed by Ro­bert Low­ry & How­ard Doane (New York and Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Big­low & Main, 1873), page 90. Some hym­nals give the au­thor as El­la Dale, one of Fan­ny’s pseu­do­nyms.

Music: Dor­dogne W. How­ard Doane, 1873 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

  • Tromsø Dan­ish tune, ar­ranged by Charles L. Nay­lor. Ap­peared in The New Ca­na­di­an Hym­nal, ed­it­ed by J. M. Sher­lock (To­ron­to On­tar­io, Ca­na­da: Will­iam Briggs, 1916), num­ber 449 (🔊 pdf nwc) (no re­frain)

Lyrics

I am Je­sus’ little friend;
On His mercy I depend;
If I try to please Him ever,
If I grieve His Spir­it ne­ver,
O how very good to me
Will my Sav­ior always be!

Refrain

I am Je­sus’ little friend;
On His mercy I depend.

Very young and weak am I,
Yet He guides me with His eye;
In a pleasant path He leads me,
With a gentle hand He feeds me,
Chides me when I’m doing wrong,
Listens to my happy song.

Refrain

He is with me all the day,
With me in my busy play;
O’er my waking and my sleeping,
Jesus still a watch is keeping;
I can lay me down and rest,
Sweetly pillowed on His breast.

Refrain

I am Je­sus’ little friend;
On His mercy I depend;
Jesus will forsake me ne­ver;
He will keep me safe for­ev­er;
How I wish my heart could be,
Loving Sav­ior, more like Thee!

Refrain

illustration
Jesus Blessing the Children
Bernhard Plockhorst (1825–1907)