By Pastor Naomi Mitchell
For Carter County Times
Fanny Crosby was a prolific Christian songwriter who wrote over 8,000 hymns during her lifetime. She was born in New York on March 24, 1820, into a family with a strong Puritan heritage. As an infant, she suffered an eye infection that left her blind for life.
In the summer of 1873, Crosby visited her friend, Phoebe Knapp, who was a gifted musician and composer. One day, Knapp played a melody on her piano and asked Crosby what she thought of it. As soon as Crosby heard the tune, she exclaimed, “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!” and began to compose the lyrics on the spot. Within an hour, the hymn was complete, and Blessed Assurance was born.
The lyrics of Blessed Assurance are a powerful incredible testimony to Fanny Crosby’s faith in Jesus Christ and her unwavering confidence in His salvation. The opening lines declare, “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!” The hymn goes on to affirm the believer’s security in Christ, their victory over sin and death, and their hope of eternal life.
We are all on a journey in this life and we all have an incredible story of where we have come from and where we are going. The journey will be much easier when we keep our “eyes” on Jesus.
There’s no doubt that the “dash” called life will be tested and tried. It will make us or break us. Fanny made a choice to turn each of her difficulties over to the Lord. She became a woman of astounding faith. Her faith in an unwavering Lord with all her heart was filled with many challenges, I am sure. Out of her difficulties came a wonderful hymn within an hour that has been a great encouragement to thousands for a hundred and fifty-one years.
The ultimate victory in our stories will come from relying totally on the truth from the Word of God. We don’t deny the “facts” of what we are facing or going through. However, we need to know what the “truth” of the matter is. Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.”
Some days we may feel like a warrior, and we are winning the battle no matter what comes our way. Other days we may feel like a broken mess. But no matter what, we talk to the Savior with childlike faith. Trusting and believing and standing on HIS promises. The promises that will not fail.
However, the story behind Blessed Assurance is more than just a moment of inspiration and musical genius. Crosby’s blindness, while a physical limitation, never hindered her ability to see and experience the beauty and majesty of God’s love. Her powerful testimony reminds us of the Bible verse “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
God’s promise that “I will never leave you nor forsake you” is found in multiple books of the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments. With these promises, we are assured He is with us always.
Charles Spurgeon once said, “You would not pray if you did not have trouble. It is a blessing to be stung to your Faither’s feet. My dear friend, when grief presses you to the dust, worship there. It is a blessed thing when the waves of affliction wash us upon the rock of confidence in God alone.”
Your story is important to walk it out in faith, hope and love. God does not waste anything test or trial in our lives. Keep the faith and stay close to the Lord. He is your strength, and your health. Get into the scriptures and glean from every promise that is for you. Jesus knows all about it and you are never alone! You too, can sing, “This is my story, this is my song. Praising my Savior, all the day long.” Amen! So be it!
JOYFUL House of Prayer, 2519 Quicksand Road, (P.O. Box 856), Jackson, Kentucky 41339. Send Comments/Prayer Requests: Pastornaomi4god@gmail.com. FB: JoyfulHoprayer. Services: 10am Sunday and Joyful Kids Class at 10:30am, 6:30pm Thursdays. Radio Broadcast: WJSN 97.3 FM & WEKG 81.0 AM Sundays 1-2pm.
