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HYMN STORIES
“AND NOW YOU KNOW….”
We are encouraged, uplifted and sometimes even challenged by some of the songs and hymns we sing so often. You might wonder what inspired the writing and composition of these songs. There is a story behind each one. Most often these stories will give even more meaning to the already powerful blessing these songs are. In this library, you will find reasons and life experiences that God used to provide us with wonderful messages in music. These are historical accounts of hymns and songs used in the programs of Hope Today.
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HE TOUCHED ME
In the early days, not long after Bill & Gloria Gaither were married, they both were active in their teaching careers. On the weekends, Bill directed the music the local church they attended. They were beginning to write songs, often in response to a sermon they heard. Sometimes the song was to give expression to God’s voice as He spoke to them while they studied Scripture. At that time, Doug Oldham had started to attend the Gaither’s church. Doug’s father, Dr. Dale Ol
Mar 5, 2024
HE LIVES
“Why should I worship a dead Jew?”, challenged a sincere young Jewish student who had been attending the evangelistic meetings conducted...
Mar 5, 2024
HE LIFTED ME
The hymn, HE LIFTED ME , was written by Charles H. Gabriel. He is recognized as one of North America’s most influential and prolific gospel songwriters of the twentieth century. He was born in August 1856 in an Iowa prairie shanty. The neighboring settlers often gathered in the Gabriel home for sessions of singing and fellowship, generally lead by his father. These times probably helped Charles develop his love for music. Soon it was evident that he had a gift for compos
Mar 5, 2024
HE HIDETH MY SOUL
The story of Fanny Crosby with her faith, hope and joy even in the burdens of her worldly life, demonstrates a resilience that can only come from one place. That is from a trust in Jesus Christ who is our cornerstone and unmovable rock that we can find shelter behind. Fanny had 3 significant life events that could have caused many to question their perspective of life. The first was her blindness, caused by a careless Doctor when she was only six weeks of age. The secon
Mar 5, 2024
HE GIVETH MORE GRACE
It would seem that Annie Johnson Flint wrote her hymn, HE GIVETH MORE GRACE , sometime prior to 1922 as it was published in a magazine of daily devotions for the month of October that year. Miss Flint was a schoolteacher who became disabled due to severe arthritis. She began writing poems and hymns. One of her most famous poems begins with, “God hath not promised skies always blue…” Maybe you have heard or read that poem!! Her most famous hymn is, HE GIVETH MORE GRACE.
Mar 5, 2024
HE’S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS
Like most of the African American Spirituals, HE’S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS has no verified author. At one time, there was some credit attributed to a couple of writers in the early 20th century. This song has become one of the most widely known and loved spirituals. It is sung by young and old alike, everywhere. Like other songs arising out of an oral tradition, it has many variations in tune, and allows for the creation of other versions of text. The theme rem
Mar 5, 2024
HE’S ALIVE
On Good Friday, we remember the mean, painful death that Jesus Christ willingly endured; He faced it rejected and alone. On Easter Sunday, our minds turn to rejoicing when we contemplate His resurrection from the grave! If Jesus did not rise from the dead…as was prophesied and as He Himself said He would, our faith is futile. The story is not finished until Easter morning. Don Francisco, is a Christian musician, song writer and entertainer. In 1975, he was inspired to
Mar 5, 2024
HAVE THINE OWN WAY, LORD
“ It really doesn’t matter what you do with us, Lord. – just have your way with our lives .”, prayed an elderly lady at a weekly church prayer meeting. She did not pray for God’s blessing and other personal things, but simply petitioned Him for His will in life! In attendance at this little prayer meeting was Adelaide Pollard, who herself was experiencing distress in her soul at that time. Apparently, Adelaide had been sure that God would have her go to Africa to serve as a
Mar 5, 2024
HARK, THE HERALD ANGELS SING
It is not surprising that Charles Wesley wrote the hymn that this story is about. It is one of 6500 hymns that he composed and one that is considered to be among Wesley’s finest. It is thought to have been written approximately a year after his dramatic Aldersgate conversion experience in 1738. There is no doubt that HARK, THE HERALD ANGELS SING , has become a classic Christmas carols. This carol is sung thousands of times every year…all around the world. It first appea
Mar 5, 2024
HALLELUJAH, WHAT A SAVIOUR
Deeply in love, Philip Bliss and Lucy Young were married on June 1, 1859. Philip was twenty years old and exhibited a remarkable talent for music. They were devoted to Christ, and together they often thrilled local church members with their duets. Lucy schemed for ways to afford Philip proper musical training. It was with her encouragement that he began to ride horseback from town to town, carrying his twenty-dollar melodeon to hold singing schools. With some additional
Mar 5, 2024
GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH
The Great Awakening of the 1700’s was a heaven-sent revival to many parts of the world. In North America, God used the preaching of George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards. In England, God used Whitfield and the Wesley brothers. In Wales, God used the electrifying preaching of Howell Harris and his convert, William Williams. Born the son of a wealthy farmer, Williams trained with the intention of becoming a medical doctor. But after his conversion to Jesus Christ, he change
Oct 31, 2023
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
There are many wonderful songs and hymns written today that are added to the inspirational and beloved music from past generations; one such hymn from a recent generation is a poem written by Thomas Chisholm. Thomas passed away in 1960 at the age of 94. Born in a humble log cabin in Franklin, Kentucky... he grew up without the benefit of high school or advanced training, yet he began a career as a school teacher at the age of sixteen. He became the associate editor of the
Oct 31, 2023
GRACE GREATER THAN OUR SIN
Julia Johnson was born in Saline Ville, Ohio of good stock. Thirteen of her immediate relatives had been in pastoral ministry. Both her mother and Grandmother were poets. When she was six years old, her family moved to Peoria, Illinois where her father became the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church. Julia remained in Peoria for the rest of her life. She spent 4 decades as the Superintendent for the younger children in Sunday School and worked as a teacher in the nurse
Oct 31, 2023
GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU
The faith of a child is so innocent and their understanding is so basic and simple. Because of this child like faith, we have the hymn GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU . The text of spiritual encouragement was written in 1904 by Mr. and Mrs. W. Stillman Martin. The Martins were guests at the Practical Bible Training School, where Mr. Martin was helping prepare a song book. Stillman Martin was also a well-known Baptist Evangelist. He had been invited to preach at a church some di
Oct 31, 2023
GIVE OF YOUR BEST TO THE MASTER
The hymn, GIVE OF YOUR BEST TO THE MASTER , was written by Howard B. Grose. It could never be said that Howard gave God the second-best or only the left-over parts of his life; he gave the best to Jesus Christ, his Master. He was an ordained Baptist pastor, served several churches, was the president of the University of South Dakota, taught at the University of Chicago, was the assistant editor of a newspaper in Boston, was the editorial secretary for the American Baptist
Oct 31, 2023
FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH
At the age of twenty-nine, Folliott Pierpoint was mesmerized by the beauty of the nature around him in his birthplace of Bath, England. He was entranced by the countryside with its winding Avon River in the distance. As his heart welled up with emotion, he expressed with the pen his feelings of gratitude within. Folliott had written 8 stanzas for his hymn, FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH . One verse not often included gives thanks for God Himself, Who, of course made all of th
Oct 31, 2023
FILL MY CUP LORD
His parents were Methodist missionaries in China when Richard Blanchard was born in 1925. The Family soon returned home to the United States and Richard grew up in Indiana and North Carolina. When he was a senior in high school, the Blanchard family moved to Tryon, North Carolina. Richard worked at a local bank and invested most of his income in war bonds. This financial tactic eventually enabled him to buy Lakefront property in Orange County, Florida later in life. After
Oct 31, 2023
FAITH IS THE VICTORY
In 1 John 5:4 we read, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.” This truth inspired the hymn text of FAITH IS THE VICTORY . The author was a shoe salesman who eventually became a Baptist pastor in upstate New York. John Henry Yates was born in Batavia, New York, November 1837. After attending school, he became a shoe seller and later in 1871 he became the local department manager for a hardware fir
Oct 31, 2023
FAIREST LORD JESUS
Our Hymn today came from Roman Catholic Jesuits in Germany and originally had six verses. Although it appeared first in the Jesuit hymnbook of 1677, the text of the hymn was found in a manuscript dating back 15 years before in 1662. The origin of the words remains a mystery. Who translated it into English too is largely a mystery. The first three stanzas are the work of an anonymous translator. The fourth stanza was translated by Joseph Seiss and it first appeared in a Lu
Oct 31, 2023
DRAW ME NEARER/I AM THINE O LORD
Fanny Crosby, the blind, prolific poem and hymn writer collaborated often with musician and song writer, William Doane. William was a very successful business man and inventor. Music was considered a hobby for him, but when you consider how many hymn tunes, he wrote, music was much more than a hobby. Fanny Crosby would often visit the Doane family home and it was during one of these visits that she and William were talking about the nearness of God. How great it was to fee
Sep 22, 2023
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