The Lily of the Valley

Heather Allington

Heather writes for Sunday Song Book on behalf of the The Salvation Army Oshawa. As a lifelong member of the Army, she has loved these familiar - and some less familiar - songs for many years, and enjoys researching and writing about their origins. She is a wife, mother, grandmother and retired elementary school teacher who likes trying her hand at watercolour painting and poetry writing.

I’ve found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;
The lily of the valley, in Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay;
He tells me every care on Him to roll.
He’s the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

He’s the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.(2X)

He all my griefs has taken and all my sorrows borne;
In temptation He’s my strong and mighty tower;
I’ve all for Him forsaken, I’ve all my idols torn
From my heart, and now He keeps me by His power.
Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore,
Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal.
He’s the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

He’ll never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here,
While I live by faith and do His blessèd will;
A wall of fire about me, I’ve nothing now to fear;
With His manna He my hungry soul shall fill.
Then sweeping up to Glory, I’ll see His blessèd face,
Where rivers of delight shall ever flow.
He’s the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

When the Salvation Army began its work in 19th century England, its members were often greeted with scorn as well as with physical abuse. Although William and Catherine Booth and their workers were doing their utmost to help the very poor and needy people of the day, there were others who disliked the threat to the established way of life, and didn’t appreciate these street evangelists with their challenges to reform. Often the Salvationists were accosted with bricks, eggs and other items while trying to minister on the streets.

Often the Salvationists were accosted with bricks, eggs and other items while trying to minister on the streets. Click To Tweet
In the town of Salisbury lived a builder and amateur musician named Charles Fry. He offered, with the help of his three sturdy sons, to act as bodyguards for the Salvationists. The four showed up at the Army’s “Open Air” meeting with two cornets, a trombone and a small tuba. Besides fighting off the hooligans, the Fry family drew crowds who wanted to hear their music. So began the Salvation Army’s long tradition of brass banding, still proudly carried on today.

So began the Salvation Army’s long tradition of brass banding, still proudly carried on today. Click To Tweet

Charles Fry wrote “The Lily of the Valley” in 1881, and it was published in December of that year in the Army’s magazine, “The War Cry”. Charles passed away the following year. Inscribed on his grave were lines of another poem he’d written: