O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go | story behind the hymn | hymn history | lyrics

A touching song written by a blind man in a time of sadness. His words show his wonderful faith in looking to Jesus as the source of love, light, joy - and crosses to bear.
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Sources I used for this video:
- Frank Colquhoun. Preaching on Favourite Hymns. 1986. Mowbray: London
- John Mclelland. The Ambassador Book of Great Hymn Stories. 1994. Ambassador Productions Ltd: Belfast
- Kenneth W. Osbeck. 101 Hymn Stories. 1985. Kregal Publications: Grand Rapids
- Ian Bradley. The Penguin Book of Hymns. 1989. Penguin Group: London
LYRICS:
1. O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.
2. O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.
3. O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.
4. O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.
#hymns #hymnhistory #hymnsofthefaith

[@sharingjesusloveministry1941]

This is my favorite song..His love never let me go despite all my follies and stubbornness. He never gives up on me, and His love has led me to repentance. Only Jesus could love us more than we could imagine! Thanks be to God

[@bmbinney9613]

My memory of this song was 30 years ago on July 2, 1994. My husband and I had a friend sing this song at our wedding. Through my husband's love for me, I have learned that God will never let me go, and my husband has stayed by my side through sickness and health. This song is still a blessing to me.

[@marysusanmeyer7994]

We asked for this hymn at our wedding in 1966. The next year we left for the Middle East and our years of ministry among Muslims.

[@odalisolive1269]

My memory immediately went back about 20 years. I was married to a very abusive man, and I didn’t think I could keep going anymore. As a pianist, I would sit at the keyboard, and just go through the pages of the hymns. This was a new hymn for me, but it really helped me, every verse had a special meaning. I remember I sang it in church, I remember it was hard to get through the lines, but it was at that time of my life that that this hymn became very special to me. And now, here all these years later, at a very dark time of my life, as it was then, I came across your video. I sang through this song with you today, and as before, it was hard to get through the lines, but once again, this hymn has been very special to me. Thank you!

[@timothysobina6777]

I am just learning this hymn, and I'll be playing it next Sunday on the pipe organ. After reading your comment, this hymn has a special meaning to me, knowing now, that the melody and the message has been so supportive to you during a rough time in your life. Not knowing you, yet your comment has brought an enhanced meaning. Playing music and singing has a personal and wonderful effect on many lives. May you find comfort and strength and please know your comment has touched my appreciation towards this hymn. I will play it next Sunday, and think of your comment as well. Blessings to you....

[@suedixon2799]

Do not worry God is always with us and will never allow to suffer more than we are able to bear. When we are unable to walk through our difficulties He carries us through. He loves us with an everlasting love and He our true husband who daily pursues us. And He will never leave us or forsake us, that's His promise to us...to you. God bless you through it all. Things will get better...You will be better. 🙏🙌

[@odalisolive1269]

@@timothysobina6777 I’m sorry, I tried to respond to you sooner, but the message would not go through for some reason. I’m not very phone savvy, I think I have that’s the reason. Anyhow, I’m thankful for your message, and hope you’ve did well playing the song. Knowing that you were affected in a good way, through my experience, even if it were in the slightest way, makes it all worth going through what I did. May the Lord continue to use you and bless you.

[@christopherruthe2525]

This is one of the greatest hymns ever written

[@Clfike]

I’ve known and sung this song all my life and I’m 84! I love the verse that begins “Oh, cross that liftest up my head…” What a comfort!

[@patriot4amer]

I'm 82...and this song is so spirit inspired...so blessed...

[@phillyboylaboy]

"I yield my flickering torch to thee" 🙏

[@waitingfordaybreak8485]

all 4 verses are so beautiful and divinely powerful.

[@eloisapaje4073]

O joy that seekest me through pain. … … … that morn shall tearless be.

[@adelacarrazana7770]

One of my favorites since childhood.

[@duduzileboemah6722]

We sang it at my brother's funeral many years ago as a family choir conducted by my late father.❤

[@conniewright1113]

verse 3, seven months ago my friend went missing. I was lead to a picture on the internet that had Heaven meets Eugene Mountain. Two searches on Eugene mountain yielded nothing. This week, my dear friends body was found on the mountain range. In the picture it had a rainbow coming Vertical down from heaven to the mountain. God was with my friend during her time. I trace the rainbow through the rain, And feel the promise is not vain, That morn shall tearless be. He promises never to leave us.

[@lovingjesus7031]

This is beautiful. OUR FATHER CARE'S ❤

[@Antares451]

Sorry for your loss. ❤

[@Subarna-pr9dh]

I like that verse which says I trace rainbow in rain,I can't close my life to thee.Thank you for this wonderful song

[@christinekoester2050]

This WHOLE SONG is profound!! I never heard it before, but what a TREASURE! Thank you so much for this song! Wow.✨Glory to God Most High!✨So moving. What an encouragement!

[@patriot4amer]

So spirit inspired...truly a treasure....holy spirit is the same thru the ages...

[@notimpressed100]

I love the joyful rendition by Indelible Grace 😊

[@annexton3795]

Hello (from a fellow Saffer😊). I find the last verse most moving. The cross can also be the cross of Jesus. We are compelled to look up at it and accept that Jesus died for us, admitting our sinfulness. The love that drove Him to bear my sin (and the sins of all of us as well) overwhelms me. O love that will not let me go, indeed! Thank you, Luke, for sharing your talents.

[@Ancient-Paths]

A beautiful piano arrangement of a wonderful hymn - thank you Luke and God bless you.

[@marycallard5141]

This lovely hymn is pictured in a stained glass window in the Church I attended as a child. Streetly Methodist in Staffordshire. One of my favourite hymns it brings much joy every time I sing it. Thankyou for the memory and the meaning!

[@julianadavies76]

I love this song ❤

[@natSH1982]

I fell in love with this hymn instantly as a new Christian many years ago. It was on an old tape and I struggled to make out the words, It took quite a while. Imagine my joy as I "accidently" found your channel and this song again. Thank you for the beautiful rendition of it!

[@Janestjohns]

My fav 💖

[@sheilaoneil18]

I have always loved this hymn. I am a true lover of Jesus. He is so good to me and has brought me through so much and saved me. Oh Jesus I love you with all my heart and soul and body. Thank you for your love Jesus. Amen.

[@godschildincanada5926]

This hymn was just sung recently at my late husband's funeral in Wales.

[@hilogearhart3759]

Excellent hymn! Each line rich with Bible truths.

[@wesplybon9510]

This song is absolutely amazing and I've led it before our congregation a number of times. I love the whole song, but verse 2 is frequently a favorite for those times I'm feeling run down and in need of restoration.

[@Sharon-on7tf]

Thank you for the history of this beautiful hymn. I never heard the history of this one and you graciously taught me about him that I always thought of as beautiful, not sung often in church, but what we did it was part of our regular worship hymns through the church year. God bless you in the work that you do.

[@Sharon-on7tf]

That was taught me about the hymn...

[@mrnoedahl]

Just found you. What a blessing to learn and hear the wonderful hymns that I grew up singing and loving and enjoying. Thank you so much.

[@user-zt9ry6er7m]

A beautiful hymn, sang it at my husband’s funeral 18yrs ago, it always brings tears to my eyes when I hear it sung. Thanks so much for giving us the background of the composer. Gods blessings to you 🙏🏽

[@owlfethurz8377]

My favorite verse is verse 1. I love the way God's love is compared to the ocean's depths, as in Psalm 42:7. Oh may I give Him back the life I owe.

[@ginar.3732]

Verse 3..there is hope on darkest days, a promise of comfort and salvation, all because of God's love for us!

[@diannhall7564]

Thank you so much for sharing the background of this beautiful hymn 🎶✝️

[@hjmack7388]

I love the Indelible Grace version of this. Thank you for the story behind it.

[@rachelchandran6631]

This hymn is usually sung at funerals in my family circles . The words seems to be apt also for such an occasion.

[@kathrynnewton8721]

Thank you! I was reminded of this song this morning, it’s always been a favourite and I was overwhelmed by Gods love again. Love the history and your precious summary. Bless you.

[@Kathy54767]

I think the verse that speaks to me the most is the one about joy. It reminds me that even though I mourn my husband death - he suffered and died of cancer in God’s time -joy does come in the morning. God has taught me to lean on Him and come to Jesus as it instructs us in Matthew 11:28-30. I have found that many women who are struggling with their spouse’s illness can use the encouragement from what I’ve learned, to help and support them on this journey. This is a common experience. Thank you for your work on this hymn. It really touched my heart today.

[@ginar.3732]

How thoroughly uplifting! Thank you..blessings.

[@marychadeka5597]

I have known this today 😭😭😭😭 Hymns are just special. ❤❤❤❤

[@sherriejohnson508]

Thank you this song is so encouraging

[@bontincoluvme]

Oh may God bless your soul! I got a message from a church brother who said I should pick up a song, narrate how the song came about, the writer and lead others to sing along with me during church service on Sabbath Day. "O Love That Will Not Let Me Go", just came to my mind.

[@robert22618]

The rejection of his former fiancé would have played a role in his mental state. How could he not have remembered that rejection more clearly on the eve of his sister’s wedding? He had a lot to process, as we all have as mortals. Isolation leads to a lot of questions as to why, when we should be asking what God is teaching us. SD Gordon used these lyrics in his commentary on John’s gospel. That’s where I first read them and then learned the song. I put a version of it on my channel.

[@evadnelayton4073]

I remembered in primary school the vice principal always sung and play this song on the piano i was eleven at that time laugh she played it so often that it never leaves my head it was in the 70s and now I'm hearing the full story of it THANK YOU GOD BLESS.

[@caroldonaldson5936]

I've always adored this hymn and have fond memories of singing it growing up in the Church of Scotland here in Glasgow in the 50s + 60s - it never gets old!

[@dennislee5582]

One of my long time favourites. Verse four "O cross that liftest up my head" brings to mind this verse in the Gospel of John (John 12:24 [KJV]) Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. It is when we die to self, when the "I" and "me" is no longer the reason for living but the Lord Jesus, that we can bring forth much fruit for His glory. It is only when life's glory is dead that "...from the ground there blossoms red Life that shall endless be". Then we can say with the apostle Paul (Gal 2:20 [KJV]) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. This hymn has become more precious since I lost my twin (sister) to cancer at the start of the COVID lockdown in April 2020 and eight months later my older sister also to cancer. Looking forward to "that tearless morn". [Edit] By the way, the tune that this hymn was performed in is called "St. Margaret" in the Believers Hymn Book.

[@igieronaldvillancio9508]

I cried tonight just by listening to you reading the lyrics of the hymn. I just felt that peaceful presence of God overwhelming me. Hallelujah!

[@terryhowell9786]

Hi Luke, Jenny here thanks so much for doing this. I loved it. The whole hymn is special

[@pseudotonal]

So far I am familiar with all the hymns I've seen you talk about. All of them are deeply meaningful to me. I grew up with them and have sung them numerous times throughout my life. The music of these hymns is extremely high quality. The melodies are beautiful. The harmonies are dynamic and forward moving. From a musical standpoint, these are just as great as any classical music. That is why they endure. As poetry, they would have been forgotten, regardless of the fact that the lyrics are equally awesome. Words and music together they will endure forever.

[@gladys763]

I LOVE this song. Thank you for sharing this us. I like the 3rd verse, best.

[@stephaniehenderson6631]

This hymn that I have known since childhood, is rarely sung in the modern church. It is a beautiful thing and I am so grateful to be able to hear it here. I affirm all styles of worship music, but I do love the old hymns sung in a simple way, thank you Luke for your work on this channel, I pray the Lord blesses many people through it, bringing comfort, hope and renewed faith.

[@louisebrislane6607]

It is a well known & sung hymn in my church circles in NSW, Australia & I grew up on it & we still sing it from time to time. All the verses touch me but I think I now understand the last two much better now especially the line about the blossom turning red, so thank you for singing this old hymn. It reminds me of the hymn that I love called, The Love of God by Fredrick Lehman, also the song I think you have already done called, There is a Place of Quiet Rest. After all being near the heart of God is bathing in His love.

[@shazinoz]

Thank you for your hymns and backgrounds. 😊 Your insights through research are a great blessing. I'm blessed to have been amazingly and wondrously saved at 12yrs in a unsaved family. God used very hard things to grab hold of my heart in my teens. I'm not able to attend our church now due to poor health, so your videos and others are my music now. We do have sermons online but not the music. I love to sing praises. My favourite is vs 3 O Joy that seeketh me through pain... In meditating upon Jesus in the garden before His depth of suffering to come, saying not My will but Thine be done, I remember He alone understands the length depth of breadth of our human suffering in this life. This makes us what Gods purposed.. glorifying to Him. I pray that is always and in all ways so. God's richest blessing and see you in the Heavenly Jerusalem... worshipping at Jesus' nail scarred feet.

[@ccdg1066]

Thank you for such a fine interpretation.

[@rooksi55]

I loved this song since I learnt it at school more than 50 years ago. I was not even a believer then but used it as a prayer over the years. Now it means even more to me . Thank you!

[@simuljustuset_peccator]

God be with you always Br.Shon! 🙏

[@hilarypeinke1554]

Such a heart cry, so encouraging , thank you

[@Empress4Dragon]

That song very dear to my heart as It was comforting to me after my mom died. I think that God’s love cannot died even though my dear mother was now merged into the arms of my divine mother . I sing it whenever i need to reconnect with my Mama

[@edithofmo3171]

Excellent presentation of this beautiful, classic hymn! In the last verse, though, I would interpret red as describing the last line, "Life that shall endless be." ❤🎵🎹

[@jgonzalez101]

All the verses touched my heart and soul! ♥️🙏🎶

[@grahammccallum9592]

My all-time favourite hymn. I grew up singing this hymn in church and at home and have always felt some deep connection and emotional attraction to the moving melody and the poetic lyrics. For me the melody has the quality of the ebb and flow of the ocean to it, which is beautifully mirrored in the words... "that in Thine ocean depths it flow may richer fuller be. I have visited this hymn many times in moments of grief and peril, especially at my piano, and it's Spirit-breathed words always bring me to tears and then gently soothe and restore me. Thank you for the post.

[@wcw1949]

I rest my weary soul in Thee…

[@Tawene]

Thank you for introducing this hymn. I have never heard about it. It's lyrics are rich though. Will add it to my playlist. Thank you.

[@liubaporcel8880]

Thank You ! ❤️🕊️🙏

[@pipbruce]

Thank you so much for this video. My name is Pip and I’m on a Facebook group supporting a lovely South African woman who tragically killed her three girls while the balance of her mind was lost. We post scenes from nature, and I’d just posted today’s rainbow when I thought to accompany it with this lovely Matheson song, which I know well. I found your KZbin clip to enable those not knowing the hymn or the story to find out about it. I’m praying it totally blesses all who listen and watch.

[@patriot4amer]

The words of song...so spirit inspired...I can relate

[@colleenmitchell5003]

Loving how you are bringing these old songs to life and showing us the gospel through song. This song is mournfully beautiful..the last line has me curious and blessed. Thank you brother Luke. Wish my pastor could play and sing.

[@kayehartfield9892]

I believed George Matheson wrote the words to the hymn by painful inspiration , just by looking at the words. I loved this hymn since my teenaged years, and consider it the most beautiful of hymns.

[@terrimobley6067]

I've sung this many times but never really fully attended to the lyrics. Just stunning! Thank you!!

[@rosalindjohnson7778]

Amen 🙏 🙏 🙏

[@homeworshipwithmartyandamy7754]

Thank you. That was a new hymn to me.

[@davidedwinhoneywill2611]

O wow, Luke! This is one of my favourites! Sang many times at St Lukes Welkom. Love "That morn shall tearless be". O how I cling to this line. I pray it may touch many.

[@yvonnesouth5501]

sung at my Mother's funeral, her favourite. But so sad

[@mikenixon2401]

I don't know why but this hymn is always difficult for me to physically sing -- and all the while appreciating these words. I thank the Heavenly Father for those gifted to generate such works that have stood the test of time because they glorify our Creator.

[@beverlypuckerin8275]

Thank you for your wonderful interpretation 🙏🏾🌻

[@lakeishas242]

Beautiful ❤

[@olivierfonte2999]

Thanks!

[@duanejones2973]

All the verses .

[@sr.sarahburdick3815]

Thank you for the background on this beautiful poem. Also, have you heard Elaine Hagenberg's tune to this poem? So beautiful!

[@carolyndaly9368]

This song was part of a very popular book in 1910 called The Rosary by Florence Barclay.

[@nivek944]

Thank you for the info. I have always thought it was inspired in a way similar to Handel with ;Messiah' I sang this as a Male voice choir piece at church until T left to study for Ministry.

[@markbowman2890]

The group '4 Him' include this song on their album of hymns.

[@leannelengerich6812]

My commentary says "this pain was not caused by a broken engagement, as that happened about 20 years earlier, but it might have been a bereavement or his concern over the inroads that Darwinism was making in the church." I can see that being quite distressing to a man of God! Interesting addition to what you researched.

[@Zappaiti]

using it this coming Sunday - though I have "contemporized" and "pluralised" the lyrics I'm afraid

[@nildabridgeman8104]

🙌✝️🔥💔🙌

[@songofsongs21]

i need the music score/sheet/chord chart for the song O LOVE THAT WILL NOT LET ME GO.... thank you.

[@markferwerda7968]

Luke could you please correct the title of this video? Change the word "My" to "Me."

[@LukePowellMinistries]

Thanks so much for pointing that out!

[@mzmiller52]

This must be the original music put to these inspiring words…though i prefer the melody of elaine Hagen berg.