HYMN FOR PENTECOST 8 I'd Rather have Jesus
- Gracia Grindal
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
Text: Mrs. Rhea Miller. (1894-1966) Tune: George Beverly Shea (1909-2013)
1 I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold;I
'd rather be His than have riches untold;
I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands.
I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand
R/Than to be the king of a vast domain
or be held in sin's dread sway.
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
this world affords today.
2 I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause;
I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I'd rather have Jesus than world-wide fame.
I'd rather be true to His holy name
R/
3 He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom,
He's sweeter than honey from out the comb;
He's all that my hungering spirit needs.
I'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead
R/
REFLECTION
The parable of the rich man illustrates the truth of this old chestnut hymn. The farmer is not wrong in wanting to increase his holdings and build more barns. It is that he invests only in the things of this world, all of which can be taken away. It is his boast at the end of the tale that shows us where his heart is. St. Augustine said once it isn’t wrong to accumulate riches; but it matters where you invest them.
When we start planning for our funeral and consider the options, whatever we have suddenly takes its place. No matter how fancy the coffin or the service, you can’t take any of your goods with you. The U-haul doesn’t exist that can do that. It will just have to park above your resting place where it will do no one any good.
This is why wills and the like help us take stock of where we want our earthly possessions to go, knowing full well they will not be ours.If we invests wisely we will do good.
Of late I have been hearing talk about how the Christian life is one that thinks across generations, caring for the past and preparing for a future without them. That is why we are told to honor our parents and to raise our children carefully. One who thinks only of this world without any thought for the next generation will leave devastation and ruin about us.
There are many good gifts we have received from our Father in heaven that we should enjoy. But they are not the ends we should pursue. They are only means to a good life. The end a Christian pursues is eternal life through the Savior where life will be wondrous and new. And because it is so wonderful and beautiful, we want all our friends and family to be there with us through eternity. Paul tries to explain in 1 Corinthians 15 how gorgeous it will be, but words fail him. Still, we can hear the prayers our grandmothers who whispered on their deathbeds that their children and grandchildren and later generations would all be gathered with them around the throne of light. Jesus is “all that your hungering spirit needs.”
HYMN INFO
Rhea F. Miller, taught piano to children so they could help in church when they grew up. She was dedicated to that mission. Her father had been a drunkard who had made life miserable for his wife and family. His wife remained a faithful Christian but had to suffer his abuse. Then one day, he saw the light and gave his testimony later, saying, “I’d rather have Jesus than all the gold and silver in the world.” Mrs. Miller wrote down these words, thinking they would make a fine hymn text. That text made it to the piano of the mother of George Beverly Shea, who saw it on the piano and wrote the tune for it. His rich baritone solo on the hymn made it a popular hymn. Mrs. Miller was the wife of a General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene. She wrote several other hymns, but this is her hit.
LINKS
George Beverly Shea, singing and telling about his finding it
George Beverly Shea telling the story of the song
The Gaither Family
Another Gaither version with a basso profundo!
Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir/riffing on the old tune
My latest book is available now as both book and ebook!
