I'd Rather Have Jesus...

Hymn Story

In his autobiography, Then Sings My Soul, 1968, George Beverly Shea share how this tune was premiered in 1939 on an old motorized reed organ in his father’s church in Jersey City: “[Mother] had a habit of leaving little notes—poems, quotations, essays—around the house for her children to read. Her communiqués to me were always left on the piano or on my violin case. One Sunday morning, she placed on the piano a little poem by Mrs. Rhea F. Miller. Mother thought its message beautiful. I did, too. Instead of practicing the hymn I had intended to play that Sunday morning in church, I turned to this poem. Melody just seemed to form around the words. When I played and sang it through for the first time, Mother came in from the kitchen where she had overheard. She wrapped both arms around my shoulders and placed her wet cheek next to mine. In church that morning, I sang for the first time, ‘I’d Rather Have Jesus.’”

No information is available about Mrs. Rhea F. Miller.

Hymn Lyrics (V. 1 and Chorus)

I’d Rather Have Jesus (V. 1 and Chorus)
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.

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.

Well, I finally made it to the start of my ‘hymn blogs!’ Hope you have all had a great week and have walked closer with the Lord through it. May you be blessed as you read the verses of this hymn and the story behind it.

Blessings,

Maree…