The Cyber Hymnal ‎#2735

2735. I Belong to the King

1. I belong to the King; I’m a child of His love,
I shall dwell in His palace so fair,
For He tells of its bliss in yon Heaven above,
And His children in splendor shall share.

Refrain
I belong to the King; I’m a child of His love,
And he never forsaketh His own.
He will call me some day to His palace above;
I shall dwell by His glorified throne.

2. I belong to the King, and He loves me I know,
For His mercy and kindness so free
Are unceasingly mine wheresoever I go,
And my refuge unfailing is He. [Refrain]

3. I belong to the King, and His promise is sure:
That we all shall be gathered at last
In His kingdom above, by life’s waters so pure,
When this life with its trials is past. [Refrain]

Text Information

• First Line: I belong to the King; I'm a child of His love
• Title: I Belong to the King
• Author: Ida Lillard Reed (1896)
• Refrain First Line: I belong to the King; I'm a child of His love
• Language: English
• Source: Public Domain
• Notes: This text by Ida L. (Reed) Smith was in­spired by a sto­ry she read as a youth. En­ti­tled "A Prin­cess in Cal­i­co," it told of a lit­tle girl who re­mained hap­py al­though her life was full of mis­for­tune. When asked how she could smile through her trou­bles, she re­plied, "Oh, it’s be­cause I be­long to the king!" Ida Smith’s life was al­so one of tri­als. She was sick, lone­ly, im­pov­er­ished, and bed-rid­den for years. From a hos­pi­tal bed she wrote the words of this hymn. Hustad, p. 106

Tune Information

• Name: [I belong to the King; I’m a child of His love]
• Composer: Joseph Lincoln Hall
• Key: G Major
• Copyright: Public Domain
• Notes: Some hym­nals show the com­pos­er as Mau­rice Clift­on, Hall’s pseu­do­nym.