His Eye Is On The Sparrow | Hymn25

1905 | Civilla Mar­tin

Gospel hymns have been a driving force in worship liturgy for over a century. Though the genre is hard to define in simple terms, gospel songs tend to convey a personal testimony and gratitude for salvation. Early in the Gospel movement, American Cevilla Martin penned one of the most influential and often-recorded gospel hymns of the 20th century.

I will let the author Cevilla Martin describe the origins of His Eye is on the Sparrow in her own words:

“Early in the spring of 1905, my hus­band and I were so­journ­ing in El­mi­ra, New York. We con­tract­ed a deep friend­ship for a cou­ple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doo­lit­tle—true saints of God.

Mrs. Doo­lit­tle had been bed­rid­den for nigh twen­ty years. Her hus­band was an in­cur­able crip­ple who had to pro­pel him­self to and from his bu­si­ness in a wheel chair.
Despite their af­flict­ions, they lived hap­py Chris­tian lives, bring­ing ins­pi­ra­tion and com­fort to all who knew them.

One day while we were visit­ing with the Doo­lit­tles, my hus­band com­ment­ed on their bright hope­ful­ness and asked them for the sec­ret of it.

Mrs. Doo­lit­tle’s re­ply was sim­ple: “His eye is on the spar­row, and I know He watch­es me.”
The beau­ty of this sim­ple ex­pres­sion of bound­less faith gripped the hearts and fired the ima­gi­na­tion of Dr. Mart­in and me. The hymn His Eye Is on the Spar­row was the out­come of that ex­pe­ri­ence.”

– Civilla Mar­tin

Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely
And long for heav’n and home,
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

I sing because I’m happy—
I sing because I’m free—
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled.”
His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness,
I lose my doubt and fear.
Though by the path He leadeth,
But one step I may see:
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

Jon Lilley | Worship Arts Pastor