“He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”  Psalm 23:3

We are thrilled to be sharing several brief accounts of how some of the great hymns of our faith were written. Each synopsis has been compiled through the research of Jerry Vargo and is shared by permission. It is our hope that these stories will be a help and encouragement to your Christian walk. This week we examine the amazing story of the well known hymn, “All The Way My Savior Leads Me.”

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“All the Way My Savior Leads Me” came from the grateful heart of Fanny Crosby after she had received a direct answer to prayer. The story is recounted in Fanny Crosby’s autobiography:

“The writing of this hymn, ‘All the Way My Savior Leads Me’, was the result of a bit of personal experience. One day, I wanted the modestly substantial amount of five dollars for a particular purpose, and needed it very badly. I did not know, just then, exactly how to get it and was led in mind to pray for it. Somehow I knew the good Lord would give it to me if I asked Him for it – though exactly how, I did not know.

Not long after I had prayed for the money, a gentleman came into the house, passed the time of day, shook hands with me, and went out immediately. When I closed my hand, after the friendly salutation, I found in it a bill which he left there.  A visitor later told me it was a five dollar bill.

I have no way to account for this, except to believe that God, in answer to my prayer, put it into the heart of this good man to bring me the money. My first thought was, in what a wonderful way the Lord helps me!  All the way my Savior leads me!

I immediately wrote the hymn, and Dr. Robert Lowry, the famous preacher and hymn writer, set it to music.”

1. All the way my Savior leads me – 
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His faithful mercy
Who through life has been my guide ?
Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, 
Here by faith in Him to dwell! 
For I know, whate’er fall me, 
Jesus doeth all things well.

2. All the way my Savior leads me –
Cheers each winding path I tread, 
Gives me grace for every trial, 
Feeds me with the living bread. 
Though my weary steps may falter
And my soul a-thirst may be, 
Gushing from the rock before me, 
Lo! A spring of joy I see.

3. All the way my Savior leads me –
Oh, the fullness of His love! 
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father’s house above. 
When my spirit, clothed immortal, 
Wings it’s flight to realms of day, 
This my song through endless ages: 
Jesus led me all the way.

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The hymn was first published in the Brightest and Best hymnal in 1875.  It is considered one of Crosby’s best known hymns and has been published in over 250 hymnals.

When Fanny was about 6 weeks old, her parents realized with alarm that something was wrong with her eyes. The local doctor was away, but the Crosbys found a man – no one afterward recalled his name – who claimed to be a physician. He put hot poultice on the baby’s inflamed eyes, insisting it would draw out the infection. The infection did clear up, but white scars appeared and in the months that followed the baby registered no response to objects held before her. As it turned out, Fanny was not totally blind. Even in old age she could discern day and night. But her vision was gone.

When Fanny J. Crosby wrote “All the Way My Savior Leads Me” she was expressing her own testimony of God’s guidance. Even her blindness, she realized, was part of His plan.  Year later, Fanny viewed her blindness as a special gift from God, believing He had given her a particular “soul-vision” which equipped her for a special work. “It was the best thing that could have happened to me,” she declared. “How in the world could I have lived such a helpful life had I not been blind?”

“Don’t blame the doctor,” Fanny said on another occasion, “He is probably dead by this time. But if I could meet him, I would tell him that he unwittingly did me the greatest favor in the world.”