THE LOVE OF GOD
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
The hymn, THE LOVE OF GOD, talks about the incredible love of God. Parts of this hymn text was inspired and written centuries apart.
Frederick M. Lehman, was born in Germany, but moved with his family to America when he was four. God convicted his heart and drew this 11-year-old boy to Himself. Lehman’s life was never the same.
Frederick studied for ministry and served as Pastor at several churches. Even during his church ministry, he maintained his entrepreneurial spirit and worked as a business man. Through unfortunate circumstances, he lost everything in business and found himself working in a California packing house. Yet his faith never wavered. It was during this time that he began to write a love song to the Lord. He had written many other sacred songs throughout his career.
Frederick had found inspiration for two stanzas but struggled with a 3rd stanza…and everyone knew that a hymn text needed at least 3 stanzas! With the first two verses, he began to work on the tune for his hymn. He was assisted by his daughter, Claudia.
Suddenly he remembered a poem he had recorded on a small card after hearing a preacher use it in a sermon. It apparently was part of a longer poem written by a Jewish songwriter over 1000 years earlier and later translated into German. The part of the poem he had written down was discovered written on the wall of either a patient in an insane asylum or, as some stories say, the wall of a prisoner’s cell. Regardless, these comforting words about God’s love being available to all at all time and in all places had been very meaningful.
Frederick found the words and took them to his piano to see if they would work with the music he had already composed. They were a perfect fit! It was a miracle! God had already provided the third stanza that was needed to finish the hymn. Lehman’s hymn entitled simply, THE LOVE OF GOD, was published in 1919.