One of my favorite George Beverly Shay songs is a song titled “I’d Rather Have Jesus”. Tonight, as I was leaving work, I thumb through a hymnal and saw this great hymn. It is a reminder of how precious Jesus is, by just being Jesus—who he is and the grace he provides.
The words were written by Rhea F. Miller and put to music by George Beverly Shay. These words read:
“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”
Right above the hymn the writers of the hymnal placed this verse:
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”
(Philippians 3:8, ESV)
As we grow in Christ, it is a precious time of growing to have his kind of love for Jesus. There is much more to religion than showing up at Church and singing songs and listening to the preacher. We are to grow in him. He wants us to love him this much. He wants us to know the blessings he can give us. Not by anything that we have done, but by his own grace that he gives to us.
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The hymnal information is from: The Celebration Hymnal, Word Music. 1997