Hymns

Day 13 – To God be the Glory

Once again, I will touch upon the work of Fanny Crosby. This dear saint is such an inspiration to me. It is said that at ten she could recite correctly the first four books of both Testaments! This proves to me that a child of ten years old is able to set aside the circumstances of life and allow the Lord to work in her heart!

I discovered that while she was at the school for the blind, she would often read her poetry to visitors and would also meet with presidents, generals and dignitaries. Later, she was known for her mission work – giving most of the money she earned for writing hymns to this work. Her devotion to serve others was also a wonderful inspiration to me.

I will share more about Fanny Crosby as we go along this series. There are so many of her 9,000 hymns that I want to share with you. I guess I could have done a devotional just on her songs alone! Each time I meditate on one of her hymns, I can more clearly see her walk with the Lord.

This particular hymn is a blessing to me. The whole song is a praise directed to Jesus Christ, the Saviour. The beautiful words depict an author who was truly grateful for her salvation. So should we be, amen?

To God be the Glory
Written in 1875

To God be the glory, great things He has 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 has done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Refrain

Great things He has taught us, great things He has 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.

Refrain

Despite her blindness since the age of six weeks old, Fanny Crosby learned to sing praises to the Lord. Her circumstances were not controlling her life – instead she was controlling her circumstances.

There are fifteen verses in Scriptures which use the phrase “sing praises“! In fact 14 out of the 15 were recorded in Psalms. I truly believe that Fanny rested in this Book many a time to have the heart for the Lord that she did. One cannot have a heart full of praise when one is having a pity party.

Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name. (2 Sa 22:50) Sing praises because you are thankful!

Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings. (Psa 9:11) Sing praises to let others know what He has done for you.

Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. (Psa 18:49) Sing praises as a testimony to the unsaved.

And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. (Psa 27:6) Sing praises despite the enemies all around you.

Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. (Psa 47:6) Sing praises to God, your King. He loves to hear from His children.

Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. (Psa 68:4) Sing praises to God and be specific for what you are praising. Let others hear just how much He has done for you!

Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah: (Psa 68:32) When we praise God individually, it spreads to those around us – let the Church sing praises to God!

But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. (Psa 75:9) Sing praises until your last breath here on earth and then continue into eternity.

[A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day.] It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: (Psa 92:1) Sing praises because it is good for us to give thanks!

I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. (Psa 108:3) Sing praises to God to everyone around us. It is a testimony to His goodness!

Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant. (Psa 135:3) Sing praises because it is pleasant to do so. Anything that is pleasant motivates us to look up!

I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee. (Psa 144:9) Sing praises in song – poetry – hymns … Fanny surely took this one to heart!

While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. (Psa 146:2) Sing praises while you have a chance here on earth to be a testimony to the lost. Singing praises amongst the brethren is also a wonderful encouragement in time of need.

Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. (Psa 147:1) Sing praises because it is comely – it is suitable for a Christian – it should be what defines a Christian – it should be part of our nature. The opposite of praise is complaining – this is what the world does. The world is not satisfied, therefore, they are always searching to fill a void in their lives. The satisfied Christian sings praises in all circumstances.

Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. (Psa 149:3) Sing praises and let it “show” in your life – don’t hide your light under a bushel but let it shine brightly for all the world to see.

A believer who spends most of his time praising God has very little time to be unhappy. His eyes are focused above instead of on his problems. Where do you rest your eyes? Where are your thoughts focused? Do you look at life’s circumstances and let them overwhelm you? Are you like Peter when he saw the storm about him?

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. (Mat 14:30)

As soon as Peter took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink. Before you start to judge Peter, remember that he was the only one who was brave enough to step out of the boat to walk on the water! His faith took him part of the way and then fear set in when the circumstances about him were too much. Are you like this in your Christian walk? Do you have enough faith to press forward but then you fall apart when the going gets tough? The world needs to see faith in action – to some, it may be the only Bible they ever see!

The Lord gave us the remedy in His word and Fanny Crosby was able to tap into the Source and apply it to her own life. She could have been bitter. She could even have allowed the world to take care of her because of her disability (as it was common in those days). But instead, not only did Fanny get out of the boat to walk on the water, but she allowed the Lord to keep her afloat by singing praises to His Name.

Won’t you do the same Christian? When you are overwhelmed, sing praises! When you are sad, sing praises! When you are angry, sing praises! When you are joyful, sing praises! Is it not the same Lord who helped Peter who will help you? No matter how difficult the circumstances or heavy the burden, there is always something for which to praise the Lord! We just need to keep our eyes fixed on Him and have a song in our heart.

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 has done.