by Daniel Macomber & Gideon Macomber
Civilla Durfee Martin was born August 21, 1869, in Nova Scotia, Canada, and left her earthly body at age 79, March 9, 1948, in Atlanta, Georgia, entering into the one "not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (II Corinthians 5:1). Her husband, Walter Stillman Martin, was born on March 8, 1862, in Rowley, Massachusetts, and entered Heaven at age 73. pm December 16, 1935 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Martin was trained as a minister at Harvard University. Dr. and Mrs. Martin traveled for evangelistic meetings across the United States.
In 1904, Dr. and Mrs. Martin and their nine-year-old son were staying in New York at the Practical Bible Training School, putting a gospel song book together with President John Davis of the School. Before a speaking engagement some distance away, Mrs. Martin became ill and was confined to her bed.
Dr. Martin was going to cancel his speaking engagement that night when their nine-year-old son came in the room and said, "Father, don't you think that if God wants you to preach today, he will take care of Mother while you are away?"
Dr. Martin went ahead to his speaking engagement. At the end of his sermon, many came forward to accept Christ as their Savior. When he returned to the house, he found that his wife had greatly improved, and that God had taken care of her. When he asked how she was doing, she handed him an old used envelope on which she had written words of this song, inspired by their son's faith. He sat down at the small portable organ in the house and composed the melody for the song.
He then called some teachers from the School. They sang the hymn and were all encouraged. President John Davis asked to include this song in their song book, Songs of Redemption and Praise, which was published in 1905.
Sources:
Kenneth W. Osbeck, 101 More Hymn Stories (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1985), pp. 106-107.
Pamela J. Kennedy, Hymns of Faith and Inspiration (Nashville, TN: Ideals Publishing Corporation, 1990), p.104.
