He Will Hold Me Fast
He Will Hold Me Fast
When I fear my faith will fail
Christ will hold me fast
When the tempter would prevail
He can hold me fast
He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast
(Ada Habershon/Robert Harkness 1906-07)
This beautiful old hymn has become one of my favorites in recent times. It seems almost on a daily basis we are confronted by bad news, difficult prospects, and personal tragedy. The world, the flesh, and the devil conspire to attack our joy, shake our faith, and subvert our confidence in a Holy God and the sufficiency of His Word.
I could never keep my hold
He will hold me fast
For my love is often cold
He must hold me fast
We must always remember that even when our love for Him “cools,” perhaps because of the “cares of life, the lusts of the flesh and the deceitfulness of riches”; His love for us remains ever fervent. Why you may ask? Because…
I am precious in His sight
He will hold me fast
Those He saves are His delight
He will hold me fast
This hymn has its roots in three continents. American evangelist, R.A. Torrey, and his music director, Charles Alexander, were holding an evangelistic campaign in Australia in 1902. There they met a new young pianist named Robert Harkness.
Harkness was invited by the local organizing committee to play the piano for the meetings. During the campaign, Dr. Torrey asked Harkness, “Are you a Christian?” Harkness replied, “No, I’m here to play the piano!”
Charles Alexander shortly thereafter led Harkness to faith in Christ. Harkness then served with Torrey’s ministry team for several years.
The team traveled to Tasmania, New Zealand, India, and eventually to London where they came in contact with songstress, Ada Habershon.
In early 1906, the team was in Toronto, Canada. Harkness met a young convert there who “expressed the fear that he would not be able to hold out.”
Harkness wrote to Habershon in England to request more texts to address this sentiment. At a mission in Philadelphia later that year, Harkness pulled out some slips of paper that Ada Habershon had sent him. Among the lines written down was the phrase, “He will hold me fast.” Harkness immediately worked out the music for the verses and chorus then and there.
The following summer in 1907, the song was introduced at the Moody Bible Conference in Northfield, Mass. Later that year in an evangelistic campaign led by Dr. Charles Gordon, assisted by Charles Alexander (and probably Harkness) in Kansas City; He Will Hold Me Fast was sung and regarded by many to be the “highlight of the experience.”
“The climax of the service of song came when Mr. Alexander united choir and audience – 6,000 strong – in singing Mr. Harkness’ new hymn, He Will Hold Me Fast. The people were electrified by the vast volume of melody, such as was probably never before heard in the building, and by the thought of Christ holding us fast amid all of life’s temptations.”
May we, across the span of time, join our hearts and voices with that “audience of 6,000 strong” as well as many thousands of others who have sung these words amidst the trials and tribulations of their lives.
He’ll not let my soul be lost
Christ will hold me fast
Bought by Him at such a cost
He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my savior loves me so
HE WILL HOLD ME FAST!
