Kept for the Master's Use (ePub)

Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879) was a distinguished English religious poet and hymn writer. She was born on December 14, 1836, in Astley, Worcestershire, England, into an Anglican family with strong evangelical convictions. Her father, William Henry Havergal, was a clergyman and a hymn writer himself, no doubt influencing Frances's early love for music and literature. Well-educated and accomplished in languages and music, Havergal devoted her life to religious work and writing, embodying the Victorian era's ideals of devout Christian faith and service to God. Her literary output, characterized by its fervent piety and elegant simplicity, includes several hymn texts, religious tracts, and devotional books that were widely read in her time and continue to influence Christians today. Havergal is best remembered for her devotional text 'Kept for the Master's Use' (1879), which encapsulates her theological beliefs that Christian lives and possessions should be wholly consecrated to Jesus. Her writings often echo her personal spiritual journey and dedication, as she was known for her commitment to prayer and the memorization of scripture. Havergal's hymns, such as 'Take My Life and Let It Be' and 'Like a River Glorious,' are among the most enduring in English hymnody, their timeless messages inspiring generations of the faithful. She died at the young age of 42, on June 3, 1879, but her legacy as a key figure in Christian literature endures.