TO GOD BE THE GLORY

Fanny Crosby dedicated her life to God. Never once did she blame God or pity herself for her blindness. In fact, she was known to say, in response to her blindness, “If I had been given a choice at birth I would have asked to be blind… for when I get to Heaven, the first face I will see will be the One who died for me.”

Although Fanny never saw the paper and ink she used to write her lyrics, she left us a legacy of hymns of the faith that are unmatched by any other hymnwriter. Of her over 8,000 hymn texts, (some scholars argue as many as 9,000), she far surpasses the hymns of such popular writers as Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, and Martin Luther. Sadly, many of her texts remain silent and have never been set to music. Our last hymn this week is one of her more popular songs – although it didn’t start out that way.

Crosby penned the words to “To God Be the Glory” in 1875. Initially ignored in the United States, the hymn was sung in British churches after its publication in Ira D. Sankey’s “Sacred Songs and Solos” in 1903. It wasn’t until the Billy Graham Crusades of the 1950s, however, when it gained popularity in America. Now, it’s hard to imagine a hymnal that doesn’t contain “To God Be the Glory.” An unusual hymn for Crosby, the text directs our attention away from personal experience to the glory of God. Pay close attention to the last phrase of the final verse. Undoubtedly a personal attribution for Fanny, as she longs to finally see Jesus on that day.

To God be the glory, great things He hath done,
so loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
and opened the life-gate that all may go in.

Refrain:

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son,
and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
to ev’ry believer the promise of God;
the vilest offender who truly believes,
that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,
and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
but purer, and higher, and greater will be
our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Prayer

God of Glory, we cannot thank You enough for the gift of love You’ve given us through Your Son. Help us to always give glory to You in all that we do and say. May we, like Fanny, not be in want. May we, like Fanny, be a light in this world. May we, like Fanny, anticipate the wonder and transport on that day when Jesus we see. Amen.