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Stories Behind The Hymns
Throughout her brief life, Miss Havergal was frail and sickly, but always put her best foot forward. She studied music and became a great writer and composer. She was a great student and learned several languages including Greek and Hebrew. In her childhood years, she lived in fear that she would not be counted among God's elect, however during her early years, she had a conversion experience and dedicated her life to Christ and His work and from that point on she was a great witness for the cause of Christianity. She was a natural musician, and had a voice so smooth that she could have had a professional career. She was in demand to sing in secular concerts and was also a brilliant pianist. Despite her musical talents and all the requests she had to perform, she remembered her conversion experience and the promises she made to the Lord and set her life's goals, to write hymns and sing in religious congregations. "Take My Life and Let It Be" was written in 1874. She has left the following account: "I went for a little visit with friends for five days. There were ten persons in the house. Some were unconverted, and had long been prayed for, some were converted but not rejoicing Christians. I prayed and said Lord, give me all in the house. God answered my prayer. Before I left the house, everyone had received a blessing. The last night of my visit, I was happy to sleep, and passed most of the night in renewal of my consecration and the words kept coming to me until before the night had ended, I had finished all four verses of "Take My Life and Let It Be" When we read the third verse: Take my lips and let them be, filled with messages for Thee Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold. We see that she really lived the message God gave her that night. In August 1878, Miss Havergal wrote a friend, "The Lord has shown me another little step and of course I have taken it with delight. 'Take my silver and my gold', now means shipping off all my jewelry to the church missionary house, including a jewel cabinet that is really fit for a countess, where all will be accepted and disposed of for me. I am packing fifty jewels and articles to be used to win the lost, and I can say that I have never packed a box with such pleasure." At the age of forty-two, she was told by her physician that her physical condition was serious and that she did not have long to live. Miss Havergal replied, "If I am really going, it is too good to be true." At the foot of her bed, she had her favorite text placed where she could see it at all times. "The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin. Miss Havergal died in 1879. The tune was written by Cesar Malan in 1823, fifty-five years before the text was written. This was often the case. A tune was written and later verses were matched to it. Mr. Malan wrote over one thousand hymns and tunes, but this is the most popular one written.
Stories Behind The Hymns is written by Warren Shiver of Biscoe,NC. Shiver has been fascinated with the true stories behind the hymns since he was a 12-year old attending East Gaffney Baptist Church in Gaffney, S.C. He began studying the stories behind the hymns in 1957. If you have questions or comments, he can be reached by email at wshiver99@embarqmail.com or by mail at PO BOX 775,Biscoe,NC 27209. |
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