All of us have enjoyed and have been touched by the many words written by the great blind hymn writer, Fanny Crosby. The themes for her hymns were often suggested by visiting ministers who wished to have a new song on a particular subject. It is amazing that, especially for a blind person, someone could write on this variety of spiritual truths and experiences with such proliferation. For a considerable period during her life, while under contract to a music publisher, she wrote three new hymns each week. She used over 200 pen names. Many of her original texts are still being uncovered and perhaps might be found and published in the future. About 500 of her hymns were accompanied by the music of an amateur musician, Mrs. Phoebe Knapp, the wife of the second president of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. She attended the same church as Fanny and kept a pipe organ in her apartment to help her compose. One day Fanny was visiting her friend Phoebe as the Knapp home was having the large pipe organ installed. The organ was incomplete so, using the piano, Phoebe played a new melody she had just composed. "What do you think the tune says?" she asked. "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine", answered Fanny Crosby. And with that inspiration, Fanny penned the words of this great hymn of testimony which is still being sung today in many churches. And what a powerful message it contains. We have the assurance that Jesus is ours and His praise should be on our lips all day long. I also marvel at how a blind person can talk about sight as she does with the phrase "Visions of rapture now burst on my sight." Then later she says that she is "watching and waiting, and looking above". Then she ends with the testimony "filled with His goodness, lost in His love". What a joy to have this blessed assurance in your life, that Jesus, your Savior, is yours for eternity.
(1) Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.
(2) Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.
(3) Perfect submission, all is at rest
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.
Listen to it here ASSURANCE
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