Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:22–23)

No series on hymnology would be complete without recognizing Fanny Crosby. Blinded from infancy, she could have easily chosen to live a life of self-pity and bitterness. Instead, she considered her blindness to be a blessing that kept her from distractions and allowed her to focus on glorifying God. She rejoiced in the thought that the first face she would see would be the face of her Savior in heaven.

She went on to become one of the most prolific hymnists ever, authoring over 8,000 songs, as well as over 1,000 secular poems and several books. A great number of her hymns are still frequently sung today, including such favorites as “Praise Him, Praise Him,” “All the Way My Savior Leads Me,” “To God Be the Glory,” and “Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It!”

“Blessed Assurance” provides a glimpse of the focused joy Fanny experienced in God. Though blind, she describes her assurance in Jesus as providing “visions of rapture.” Truly, this was the story of her life—praising the Savior all the day long.

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

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 blest;
watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

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.