God Will Take Care of You

The Story Behind God Will Take Care of You

Civilla Durfee Martin was a schoolteacher with simple musical experience. She and her husband, Walter Stillman Martin (1862-1935), often wrote gospel songs for revival meetings. “God Will Take Care of You” is an example of their teamwork.  

Hymnologist Kenneth Osbeck explains the circumstances of the hymn’s composition:

“It was composed while the Martins were spending several weeks as guests at the Practical Bible Training School at Lestershire, New York, where Mr. Martin was involved in helping the president of the school, John A. Davis, prepare a songbook. The Reverend W. Stillman Martin, a well-known Baptist evangelist, was invited to preach at a church some distance from the Bible school. That Sunday morning, Mrs. Martin became suddenly ill, making it impossible for her to accompany her husband to his speaking engagement. Mr. Martin seriously considered cancelling his speaking assignment, since it would be needful for him to be gone from her for a considerable time. Just then, however, their young son spoke up 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?’”

Civilla Martin describes creating the composition after inspired by the words of her son:

“’God will take care of you’ was written on Sunday afternoon while my husband went to a preaching appointment. When he returned, I gave the words to him. He immediately sat down to his little Bilhorn organ and wrote the music. That evening, he and two of the teachers sang the completed song. It was then printed in the songbook he was compiling for the school.”

That songbook seems to have been Songs of Redemption and Praise (1905), curated by Walter Martin and the President of the school, John Davis.

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