Growing up in a small rural church in Illinois, I remember the pianist sitting on the old upright piano playing “I’m Thine, O Lord.” It was a congregational favorite. As a baby, I memorized the words, but it surely wasn’t until I used to be an adult that I got here to understand the deep meaning of the hymn.
As you and I sing stanzas and the chorus of “I Am Thine, O Lord,” we want to keep in mind that God wants us to attract nearer to Him. One of my favorite passages in Scripture is James 4:8 (NKJV): “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” What a gorgeous promise! This might be why some publishers selected the refrain, “Draw Me Nearer,” for the title of this hymn.
Who Wrote “I’m Thine, O Lord?”
When I take into consideration Fanny J. Crosby, I am unable to help but marvel at such a unprecedented woman. She is often called America’s Hymn Queen and “Mother of Congregational Singing in America,” writing over 8,000 hymns. Publishers thought it was sensible for her to make use of pseudonyms. They wanted the general public to consider they published several writers, not only Fanny. She used Mrs. Yan Alstyne, Grace J. Frances, Lizzie Edwards, and Leah Carlton. These are only a couple of of her names.
Frances Jane van Alstyne (Fanny J. Crosby) was born on March 24, 1820, to John and Mercy Crosby in Southeast New York. At six weeks old, Fanny was treated for an eye fixed infection, which left her blind. In November of that 12 months, her father passed away.
Along along with her mother Eunice Paddock Crosby, Mercy Crosby took on the complete responsibility of raising the young child. Mercy worked through the day as a maid while grandmother Eunice provided take care of the kid, which included reading the classics and difficult Fanny to memorize Scripture from a young age.
Fanny began attending the New York Institution of the Blind at age 15. She learned to sing and play the piano, organ, guitar, and harp there. At age 27, she became a teacher on the institute, teaching grammar, speech, and American History classes. In 1858, she married a former student, Alexander Van Alstine. They only had one child, a daughter, who passed away while only an infant.
Despite the hardships she faced in life, Fanny J. Crosby became often called a poet, lyrist, composer, and mission employee. She submitted her work to William B. Bradbury, owner of a publishing company. He hired her to jot down, and it is claimed they composed several hymns a day. Other composers who set her hymns to music were:
- Phoebe Palmer Knapp – “Blessed Assurance”
- Robert Wadsworth Lowry – “All the Way My Savior Leads Me”
- Silas J. Vail – “Close to Thee”
- George C. Stebbins – “Jesus is Tenderly Calling You Home”
- John R. Sweney – “My Savior First of All” and “Tell Me the Story of Jesus”
- Chester G. Allen – “Praise Him, Praise Him”
- William J. Kirkpatrick – “Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It”
- Sylvester Main, publisher, opened the door for Fanny to jot down for Ira Sankey, soloist for Dwight L. Moody
Now, let’s take a moment to concentrate on how the hymn “I Am Thine O Lord” was written. In the book Ira D. Sankey, My Life and the Story of the Gospel Hymns, the writer says that Fanny was visiting the house of W.H. Doane, a composer, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Their conversation focused on the nearness of God. Sankey wrote, “The subject so impressed the well-known hymnwriter, that before retiring she had written the words to this hymn, which has change into one of the vital useful she has ever written. The music by Mr. Doane so well fitted the words that the hymn has change into a special favorite wherever the Gospel Hymns are known.”
As you study her life, you realize that one among the things that made Crosby extraordinary was her phenomenal memory. She memorized the books that comprise the Pentateuch, the 4 Gospels, variety of the Psalms, all of the Proverbs, and other portions of the Bible. Her knowledge of Scripture answers the query of how she could write so profusely; she drew from the deep well of the Scriptures and her relationship to Jesus Christ. Is it any wonder that she said, “I feel 100 hymns in my head! The Lord has given me purpose in my life.”
In addition to her prolific profession as a author, Crosby also worked in Christian rescue missions. She shared the Gospel message wherever she went, witnessing personally and thru her hymns. Fanny Crosby met presidents and testified before a joint session of Congress. She passed away in 1915 on the age of 94.
What are the Lyrics to “I Am Thine, O Lord”?
1) I’m Thine, O Lord, I even have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy like to me;
But I long to rise within the arms of religion,
And be closer drawn to Thee.Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.2) Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will probably be lost in Thine. [Refrain]3) Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend! [Refrain]4) There are depths of affection that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I could not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee. [Refrain]
Pat Boone singing, I Am Thine, O Lord.
What is the Biblical Context of “I Am Thine, O Lord?”
In Then Sings My Soul, 150 of the World’s Greatest Hymn Stories, Book 2, writer Robert J. Morgan wrote, “I Am Thine, O Lord,” was first published in 1875 within the little hidden treasure of hymns called Brightest and Best. Underneath the hymn was this Scripture quotation: “Let us draw near with a real heart” (Heb. 10:22). The verse ends with “in full assurance of religion brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
An vital thing to notice regarding this hymn is that it’s written in the primary person. When you are taking a more in-depth have a look at the lyrics you’ll notice how often the primary person pronouns of I, me, and my are used. The hymn is concerning the individual, not one other person or a bunch, drawing nearer to God, which speaks to a private relationship with Christ.
In the primary stanza, there may be a declaration as to who the author belongs to. “I’m Thine, O Lord,” shows salvation found only through Jesus (John 14:6). How can we hear His voice? We achieve this when saturating our minds and hearts with the Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We know His love because He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins (John 3:16). Do you long to rise within the arms of religion? We achieve this by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17).
Next is the stanza about grace. What does it mean to consecrate oneself to the Lord’s service? The word consecrate means to be set apart. We can’t do that on our own, only by the ability of God’s divine grace (Ephesians. 2:8-9). We have steadfast hope present in Christ (Romans 8:24-25). There is the give up; my will probably be lost in Thine (Matthew 26:39, 42).
The thirty words written for the third verse are all about prayer. Because of God’s work on the Cross, we will go boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:15-16). Note the posture, physically and spiritually—a humble heart. And isn’t it wonderful that as we commune with God, we will achieve this as a “friend with friend?”
The final stanza is a few believer’s heavenly home. We won’t ever fully comprehend the enormity of God’s love until we’re in His Presence. “Depths of affection, heights of joy,” and peace comes once we rest in Him (Ephesians 3:18, 1 Peter 1:3-4).
In the gorgeous words of the chorus Crosby takes us back to the cross because all the pieces: faith, grace, prayer, and heaven, is on the market due to Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, shedding His blood (Hebrews 10:1-18).
Can you say with Fanny Crosby, “I’m Thine, O Lord,” and is your prayer, “Draw Me Nearer?”
For Further Reading
10 Things You Need to Know About Fanny Crosby
Fanny Crosby Blind Hymnwriter
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain
Laura Lee Leathers is a author and speaker. Imagine Lois Lane, over sixty-five, and living on a farm. Her metropolis is the realm of freelance writing. Her primary love interest is the Word of God. She digs for information, interviews fascinating people, offers a cup of biblical hospitalit-tea, encourages, and helps others with the ‘how-to’s’ of life. To enroll for her newsletter, connect along with her at http://lauraleeleathers.com – – – “Helping You Flourish in Faith & Finish Well by His Word”
