Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour is a song that we’ve always sung quietly. It’s never been a belt it out at the top of your voice type of hymn. A song that is a call out to the Lord to hear us. It did surprise me though, I did listen to a couple of youtube videos that were a wee bit peppy. It struck me as a bit um… odd? unexpected? different?

Lyrics to Pass Me Not O Gentle Saviour
Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Refrain
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief,
Kneeling there in deep contrition;
Help my unbelief.
Refrain
Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.
Refrain
Thou the Spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in Heav’n but Thee?
Refrain
Author and History
Fanny Crosby wrote this lovely hymn after she ministered at a prison where she was often interrupted by the prisoners calling out to God to “not to pass me by”. She was so moved by their pleas that she wrote this song. As Fanny said, “I wrote the lines with the men’s pleading wail still in my ears.”
Fanny Crosby is also known as the “Queen of Gospel Song Writers”. Over the course of her lifetime, she wrote more than 8000 hymns. A medical treatment when she was a wee child left her blind. She did not let this stop her from writing poetry, working in missions, or composing music.
She met her husband, van Alstyne, at the NYIB. Even though she was friends with her husband, it was not a happy marriage. Their only daughter was lost shortly after birth. For all of her success in writing hymns, Fanny often lived in very poor conditions.
Other Hymns by Fanny Crosby:
Pondering Deeper
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Reading the story of how such a great lyricist often lived a life of poverty saddened my heart. When I think today of how so many people make a living off writing music, and Fanny lived in poverty.
But she maintained her faith in God. She didn’t let the circumstances of her life lead to live in despair. She really understood the meaning of relying on God. The words from Psalm 73 really show the heart of Fanny.
Do they show your heart as well?