The lyrics for Blessed Assurance were written in 1873 by gifted and passionate hymn writer named Fanny J. Crosby. Even though she was physically blind, her vision of the kingdom remained unhindered. The music was written and composed by her friend Phoebe P. Knapp in the same year.
The words envisions the faithfulness of our God, the beauty and splendour of His coming kingdom, and our place in His glorious reign. Furthermore, the fact that the writer was blind adds to the potency of lines like;
vision of rapture now burst on my sight
watching and waiting looking above
… Captivating. Fanny was obviously looking through spiritual lenses, hence she could capture these prophecies in such words.
This hymn remains relevant through the ages because it gives worshippers vision, faith and hope in-spite of all the challenges that life throws at them. It provides spiritual shock absorbers through the good, bad and ugly seasons of life, so we can feel the warm embrace of His love through the Echoes Of Mercy, And Whispers Of Love we feast upon as we study from the Holy Writ.
One of My Mum’s favourite hymns!
~ Sabali
Healingsprings fellowship 