Robert Harkness (1880-1961) was the music director for the evangelist R.C. Torrey in the early 1900’s. They were conducting evangelistic services in Toronto in 1906. Robert met with a new convert after a service, struggling with the thought of staying faithful to Christ throughout his entire life. He expressed concern that he might be unable to hold out with Christ. Robert had this young man in his thoughts when he appealed to a fellow hymn writer, Ada Habershon, to generate a song that would give, in his words, “a definite assurance of success in the Christian life.” Ada wrote the lyrics to seven different songs that she sent to Robert. Included in the list of would-be hymns were the lyrics, “He will hold me fast.” During an evangelistic campaign in Philadelphia, Robert pulled out the lyrics Ada had sent him while R.C. was preaching. (Let the record show we’re not the only ones whose minds wander during a sermon.) When he read the words, “He will Hold me Fast,” a tune came to him. A few nights later, he introduced the song at the close of a meeting, and people sang it enthusiastically.
In 2013, Matt Merker, worship director at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC came upon the forgotten hymn during a particularly trying moment in his life. As he struggled with doubts and questions, the song resonated deep within him. He updated the tune, added a third verse, and shared it with the pastor. The congregation sang the hymn in worship, and it quickly gained popularity. I was introduced to the song through Keith and Kristyn Getty’s album, Facing a Task Unfinished. The closing words of Jude come to mind, “Now unto him who is able to keep us from stumbling and present you before his glorious throne without faith and great joy…” (Jude 24). If you replace the pronoun “he” with “you,” it doubles as a prayer: