“Blessed Assurance” is, perhaps, one of Fanny Crosby’s most popular hymn texts, and favorite of many across denominational lines. The website Hymnary.org states it has been published in over 1100 hymnals. Timeless, in its own way, contemporary Chrisitan musicians like Big Daddy Weave (“My Story”) and the group CAIN (“Blessed Assurance”) have given the text and tune a modern flair. I remember learning this one at my grandmother’s Lutheran church at Vacation Bible School as a boy. I still can picture Mrs. Grimm (a kind, sweet, elderly lady who led the music) in my mind and her face lighting up whenever we sang this one.
Usually, a melody is written to accompany a poem or set of lyrics. Sometimes between lyricists and composers it happens in the opposite way (Fun Fact: the famous Christmas favorite “Sleigh Ride” was written in this manner – Leroy Anderson wrote and premiered the music in 1948 and Mitchell Parish furnished the lyrics in 1950). This is the case for “Blessed Assurance” – Fanny’s dear friend and composer Phoebe P. Knapp gave her the melody and asked her to come up with lyrics.
Fanny writes in her memoirs
Sometimes a tune is furnished me for which to write the words. The hymn titled “Blessed Assurance” was made in this manner. My dear friend Phoebe Palmer Knapp (Mrs. Joseph), so well-known as a writer and singer of most excellent music and as an aid and inspiration to all who knew her, had composed the tune; and it seemed to me one of the sweetest I had heard for a long time. She asked me what it said. I replied, “Blessed assurance.” I felt while bringing the words and tones together that the air and the hymn were intended for each other.
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.Refrain:
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.Perfect submission, all is at rest.
I in my Savior am happy and bless’d,
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with his goodness, lost in his love.
Prayer
God of Assurance, thank You for giving us Jesus. Thank you for the assurance of Your perfect love. Like Fanny, thank You for this Story and this Song. May we keep a song in our heart and praise our Savior all day, and life, long. Amen.