To God Be the Glory

Celebrated songwriter Fanny Crosby wrote over 9,000 hymns in her lifetime, often writing as many as 6 or 7 songs a day. Despite being blind from infancy, she also played harp, piano, guitar, and other instruments, as well as singing soprano. She wrote the lyrics to many well-known hymns and while she did compose music to accompany a few of her songs, she partnered with many talented composers to write the music that accompanied her words.

She used as many as 200 pseudonyms to publish her work, with a goal of maintaining humility. The author was admired for both her poetry and her music during her lifetime, but she wasn’t motivated by personal fame.

Fanny Crosby was so well known in her day, that musicians often came to her for lyrics. One day, musician William Doane dropped by for a surprise visit, begging her to put words to a tune he had recently written and was set to perform at an upcoming Sunday School convention. The only problem was that his train to the convention was leaving in 35 minutes. He sat at the piano and played the tune.

“Your music says, ‘Safe in the Arms of Jesus,’’’ Fanny said, scribbling out the hymn's words immediately. “Read it on the train and hurry. You don't want to be late!” The hymn became one of Crosby's most famous.

Fanny Crosby could write very complex hymns and compose music with a more classical structure, but she preferred to write sweet, simple verses that could be used for evangelism. She sought to share Jesus at every turn, and to use her talents for God’s glory.

Let’s pray.

Dear Lord, thank you for the beautiful gift of music. We are so grateful for your love, and for the opportunity to praise your name through song. Amen.