To God Be the Glory

In this series, this is another hymn of one of my absolute favorite hymn writers, Fanny Crosby. Born in 1820, Crosby has written many of the cherished hymns of the faith over the past 150 years. While in junior high, I learned from my Uncle Henry how to lead music. I would often lead in youth rallies and other church events. As I recall many fond songs that I led, this one was probably one of my favorite ones to lead.

This text by Fanny Crosby was first published in William H. Doane’s collection, Songs of Devotion, in 1870. Most hymnals contain the original three verses and chorus. Of particular importance to me is the last line of the third stanza, in which Crosby, blind from birth, writes, “But purer, and higher, and greater will be my wonder, my transport, when Jesus we see.”[1]

Although a popular hymn in the past, it has grown in greater popularity over the past twenty years. I trust you will enjoy this great hymn as you read the lyrics. Be sure to check out the YouTube videos below as well where you can sing along.

To God Be the Glory Lyrics

The Theology

The theology in this song is rich. As followers of Jesus Christ, our goal is to bring God glory by becoming like Jesus Christ. This song reflects the theme of the glory of God. In it, Fanny Crosby highlights the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as one of the key memories we can look back upon to bring God glory. Reflections upon the incarnation, the redemption, the atonement, the promise of life, the forgiveness of sins, and the open invitation to the vilest offender, all crescendo in the refrain, “Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father thro’ Jesus the Son, and give him the glory — great things He hath done!”

The final verse reflects upon that future day when, as follower of Jesus Christ, our faith transitions to sight. In that moment the great things we have learned through His Word and the great things we have seen at His hand in life will fade into the purer, higher, and greater wonder of seeing Jesus. For this, we long; for this, she anticipated seeing Jesus as one of the first sights she would ever see.

The Author

Fanny Crosby, author

The author of To God Be the Glory, Fanny Crosby (sometimes spelled Fannie), was born March 24, 1820. She became blind at the age of six weeks from maltreatment of her eyes during a spell of sickness. At the age of fifteen she entered the New York Institution for the Blind, where she received a good education. She became a teacher in the institution in 1847.

She began to write Sunday-school hymns for William. B. Bradbury in 1864. As the years went on, she spent regular hours on certain days at the office of The Biglow & Main Co., the firm for which she did most of her writing, and for whom she has composed over four thousand hymns. Fanny loved her work, and was happy in it. The secret of this contentment dates from her first composition at the age of eight years. “It has been the motto of my life,” she says. It is:
“O what a happy soul am I!
Although I cannot see,
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be;”

She said that had it not been for her affliction she might not have so good an education, nor so great an influence, and certainly not so fine a memory. She knows a great many portions of the Bible by heart, and had committed to memory the first four books of the Old Testament, and also the four Gospels before she was ten years of age.[2]

 

Enjoy This Media

Some groups singing the song from YouTube:

You will love this congregational presentation from Royal Albert Hall in London.

Classic congregational singing of all verses.

Here is the earliest published copy of the song from Book of Praise for the Sunday School, song #5 from 1875 [4]:

 

Here is a more modern version from Favorite Hymns of Praise #127, the version I grew up leading [6]:

 

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Link to Other Blogs in this Series