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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.

 

This is the chorus in the hymn we all love, His Eyes is On the Sparrow written by Civilla Durfee Martin in 1905. What inspired her to write this hymn was a couple captive by long term physical ailment. Civilla Martin wrote:

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 wheelchair. 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. (Homan,2013)

 

The hymn clearly draws inspiration from Matthew 6:26: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?” Also, Matthew 10:29–31: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” A similar sentiment appears in Luke 12:6–7, reinforcing the message of God’s attentive care. In the second stanza of the song, part of John 14:1 is quoted directly:  “Do not let your hearts be troubled...”—a verse that encapsulates the song’s overall message of trust and reassurance.

 

More than 120 years later, this hymn continues to inspire—especially those of us who find ourselves in  various forms of captivity. Though difficult circumstances may bind us, we can still sing a song of freedom, trusting that God is in control. We rest in the mighty hand of a God who cares deeply for us.

 

True independence is found in being in dependence on our Almighty God. And so, we boldly declare: In God (Alone) We Trust. Happy Independence Day! Happy God’s in Control Day!