Anyone who has attended church on a regular basis has heard the song, “Blessed Assurance.” What a beautiful hymn of the greatness of God and our relationship with Him as we trust Him.
The story behind the hymn is as inspiring as the hymn itself. Fanny Crosby, blinded at the age of six weeks, heard Phoebe Knapp play the melody asking her what the melody said to her. She responded with the first stanza:
“Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.”
Crosby was a lifelong Methodist who began composing songs at the age of six years old. At the age of 15 she became a student of the New York Institute of the Blind and a member of the faculty at the age of 22. Later she married a member of the faculty, a fine musician who loved literature as much as Fanny.
Authoring more than 8,000 gospel hymn texts, with Blessed Assurance among the most popular, which appears hymnbooks to this day in a number of denominations and evangelistic crusades. Her inspiration was drawn from her own deep and abiding faith.
In this hymn, she captured the poetic essence of the of the understanding of the Christian life. What a grand hymn it is, inspiring us and reviving us as walk the Christ like walk!
This Blessed Assurance comes from three things reflected in this hymn:
First there is this issue of submission. She wrote that it is “perfect delight” and “all is at rest.” As a believer we must submit ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ in all things, all ways, and every day.
Submission means we follow Christ, allowing His will to be done in our lives. In the humanity of his human form, Jesus came to the garden with deep realization He was about to suffer as never before. His heart was heavy as His soul burned within Him, and His word were:
“Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me—nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42 HCSB)
While Jesus knew the pain and sorrow to come upon Him, He also knew He was going to make a way for all mankind to find peace with God. He yielded to the Father. Each day we must do the same for our Blessed Assurance to come shining through. We must lay down our lives and take up the cross and follow Christ.
Secondly, there is the issue of praising God. Paul encourages us with the words:
“See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all. Rejoice always! Pray constantly. Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus…Stay away from every kind of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15-22 HCSB)
Crosby wrote, “This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long.” Every day lifting the name of Jesus, singing the song of the Savior, walking in His presence! “Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!”
Lastly, there is anticipation. “Watching and waiting, looking above, filled with His goodness, lost in His love.” For a believer there is hope and faith of a better life. This is not the best life; the best life is to come! We have a hope, an assurance, of a better place. A place where there is no sickness or sorrow, no pain or death. It is a perfect place which is prepared for us!
“Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places…I am going away to prepare a place for you…I will come back and receive you to Myself…I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:1-6 HCSB)
Fanny Crosby died in 1915 at the age of 95. She was blind when she gave up on her death bed, but the moment the breath of life stopped on this side, she awoke in the presence of Jesus Christ and saw Him with new eyes in a new body to live with Him for eternity. He faith had become sight!