Hymn of the Week: To God Be The Glory

This is perhaps one of the most famous and best-loved hymns, and it was written by one of the best-known and most prolific hymnwriters of all time: Fanny Crosby. It probably seems odd that a person who was blinded by an incompetent doctor at a very young age would then live a long life of abundant praise to God. She is quoted as saying (see source here):

It seemed in­tend­ed by the bless­ed prov­i­dence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dis­pen­sa­tion. If per­fect earth­ly sight were of­fered me to­mor­row I would not ac­cept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been dis­tract­ed by the beau­ti­ful and in­ter­est­ing things about me.

The circumstances of life are irrelevant when it comes to this command: Give glory to God! Blindness doesn't matter; old age and infirmity do not matter; trials don't matter—what matters is that we have a great God Who has done great things for us! Focus on Him—His salvation, His teachings, His blessings, His glory—instead of your burdens, and it will be so much easier to say, To God Be The Glory!

Fanny Crosby wrote over 8000 hymns; cyberhymnal.org alone lists 450. The tune was written by W. H. Doane. It was first published in 1875.

To God Be The Glory

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