Blessed Assurance

Blessed Assurance:

By Fanny Jane Crosby

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit, wash'd 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. 

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.

Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest:

Watching and waiting, looking above, fill'd 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.

 Frances Jane Crosby was born on March 24, 1820. As an infant, Fanny contracted an eye infection which an incompetent doctor treated by placing hot poultices on her inflamed eyelids. After the infection cleared, scars formed and Fanny became blinded. A few month's later, Fanny's father became ill and died. Mercy Crosby, widowed at 21, was hired as a maid, and Grandmother Eunice Crosby took care of Fanny. Fanny's grandmother took on the education herself and became the girl's eyes, vividly describing the physical world. Grandmother's careful teaching helped develop Fanny's descriptive abilities, she also nurtured Fanny's spirit. She read and carefully explained the Bible to her, and she always emphasized the importance of prayer. When Fanny became depressed because she couldn't learn as other children did, Grandmother taught her to pray to God for knowledge.

 

A landlady of the Crosby's also had an important role in Fanny's development. Mrs. Hawley helped Fanny memorize the Bible, and often the young girl learned five chapters a week. She knew the Pentateuch, the Gospels, Proverbs, the Song of Solomon, and many of the Psalms by heart. She developed a memory which often amazed her friends, but Fanny believed she was no different from others. Her blindness had simply forced her to develop her memory and her powers of concentration more. Blindness never produced self-pity in Fanny and she did not look on her blindness as a terrible thing. At eight years old she composed this little verse:

Oh, what a happy child I am, although I cannot see!
I am resolved that in this world contented I will be!
How many blessings I enjoy that other people don't!
So weep or sigh because I'm blind, I cannot - nor I won't. 

 

One afternoon in 1873, Fanny was visiting with her good friend Phoebe Knapp, the wife of the founder of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Mrs. Knapp was an amateur musician who enjoyed composing melodies. On this occasion, she had a new one she wanted to play for Fanny. She played the tune through once and asked Fanny, "What does this tune say?" Fanny knelt there in the Knapp's parlor and Mrs. Knapp played the melody again. Fanny suddenly rose, smiling, and exclaimed, "It says, 'Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine, Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!" Fanny continued to dictate the verses as Mrs. Knapp wrote them down, joining them to her melody.
If anyone ever had a reason to be discouraged and depressed it was Fanny Crosby. Instead, she used her blindness to glorify God. About her blindness, Fanny said,

"It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me."

If I had a choice, I would still choose to remain blind...for when I die, the first face I will ever see will be the face of my blessed Saviour."

 

May you all have a good and godly week, walking in the steps of the Saviour.

Love in Christ,

Ashley

2 Timothy 1:12
For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.