It is No Secret (What God Can Do)

Hear it through the velvety voice of our Mr. Gentleman, Jim Reeves.

“It Is No Secret” by Jim Reeves

The Songwriter

Carl Stuart Hamblen (October 20, 1908 – March 8, 1989)

He was dubbed the first singing cowboy on the radio in 1926. Though raised in a Christian family and the son of a Methodist preacher, his handling of fame got out of hand. He became an alcoholic, a brawler, and had been in and out of prison.

Come 1949, Billy Graham held the historic Los Angeles Crusade where 3000 made professions of faith to Christ. That was on Hamblen’s show. Naturally, Hamblen was invited to participate. Graham’s preaching and the sight of people responding to faith convicted Hamblen to follow.

Soon, his colleagues noticed significant changes in his lifestyles and decision-making. He stopped gambling and even turned down projects about alcohol ads. Consequently, he lost his job. It was not much of a loss to Hamblen though for he soon had another radio program called The Cowboy Church of the Air. His show ran until 1952.

How the song came to be.

John Wayne was friends with Stuart Hamblen. He’d heard a lot about Hamblen’s conversion and sought to talk to him about it. Hamblen said something of value that to John Wayne, might be good to turn into a song. What he said became the lines to the chorus of  what became his signature song, “It Is No Secret.”

It is no secret what God can do,
What he has done for others,
He’ll do for you.

Believe it or not, this song with religious wordings transcended and topped the charts of Gospel, Country, and Pop in that era! True! There can be no limit to what God can do and they’re no secret. His purpose? That more may come to Jesus and he will not turn anyone away. Instead, they’ll be received with ‘arms wide open.’