Category Archives: Hymns

I’d Rather Have Jesus ~ Hymn

I’d Rather Have Jesus

I’d rather have Jesus then silver or gold;
I’d rather be His then have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus then houses or lands;
I’d rather be lead by His nail pierced hands;

Than to be a king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread sway,
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

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.

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He’s sweeter than honey from out of the comb;
He’s all that my hungering spirit needs,
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead.

I just heard the history behind this old favorite hymn of mine and I wanted to share it with you. I sang this song for my final in an elementary voice class I took in college.

I’d Rather Have Jesus is a song written by Rhea F. Miller with the tune written by George Beverly Shea. This poem, written in 1922, was left on a piano in the Shea home by Bev Shea who wanted her son to find it and change the course of his life.

The words, I’d rather have Jesus, moved George so much and spoke to him about his own aims and ambitions in life. He sat down at the piano and began singing them with a tune that seemed to fit the words. Shea’s mom heard him singing it and asked him to sing it at church the next day.

George’s life direction did change. He was offered a popular music career with NBC, but a few years later chose to become associated with evangelist Billy Graham and sang this hymn around the world.

ht: All About God



From the Cross to the Crown ~ Hymn

From the Cross to the Crown

Be strong and courageous whate’er may befall,
We know our Redeemer will answer our call;
Tho’ sorrow and trials are weighing us down,
Yet hope looks away from the cross to the crown.

Refrain

From the cross to the crown let us follow our Lord,
From the cross to the crown let us cling to His Word;
Tho’ sorrow and trials are weighing us down,
Yet faith leads us on from the cross to the crown!

His cup of affliction was filled to the brim,
And are we not willing to suffer for Him?
The robe of His glory for us He laid down,
To show us the path from the cross to the crown.

Refrain

This life is a conflict, a battle with sin,
Yet trusting in Jesus thro’ grace we shall win;
The world may oppose us, the tempter may frown,
Yet faith leadeth on from the cross to the crown.

Refrain

Tho’ friends that are dearest have gone from our sight,
’Tis only to enter the mansions of light;
Their warfare is over, their burdens laid down,
How short was their path from the cross to the crown!

Refrain

Words by Fanny Crosby

Thanks to God ~ Hymn

Thanks to God

Thanks to God for my Redeemer,
Thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a memory,
Thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,
Thanks for dark and stormy fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten,
Thanks for peace within my soul!

Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
Thanks for love beyond compare!

Thanks for roses by the wayside,
Thanks for thorns their stems contain!
Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,
Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!
Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,
Thanks for heav’nly peace with Thee!
Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,
Thanks through all eternity!

Words:  Au­gust L. Storm, in the Swed­ish Sal­va­tion Ar­my pa­per Strids-Ro­pet, 1891; trans­lat­ed from Swed­ish to Eng­lish by Carl E. Back­strom, 1931.

Rock of Ages ~ Hymn

Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
[originally When my eye-strings break in death]
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

Words by: Augustus M. Toplady, 1776

ht: Cyberhymnal

Bless This Hour of Prayer ~ Hymn

 

Bless This Hour of Prayer

Come in our midst, O gracious Lord,
Unveil Thy smiling face,
Distil in every waiting heart,
The dew of heavenly grace;
From earthly scenes we turn aside,
On Thee we cast our care;
We worship in Thy holy Name;
O! bless this hour of prayer.

Come in our midst, O gracious Lord,
Thy promise we believe,
That bids us seek and we shall find,
Ask and we shall receive;
We gather at Thy mercy seat,
Our only hope is there,
We plead the merits of Thy blood;
O! bless this hour of prayer.

Come in our midst, O gracious Lord,
Eternal King of kings,
And fold the children of the law
Beneath Thy mighty wings;
Support the weak, the mourner cheer,
Help all their cross to bear;
Thou Spring of joy, Thou Source of life,
O! bless this hour of prayer.

Words by Fanny Crosby

We Gather Together ~ Hymn

We Gather Together

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known;
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing,
Sing praises to His name: He forgets not his own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, wast at our side, All glory be thine!

We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,
And pray that thou still our defender wilt be.
Let thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

Day is Dying in the West ~ Hymn

Day is Dying in the West

Day is dying in the west;
Heav’n is touching earth with rest;
Wait and worship while the night
Sets the evening lamps alight
Through all the sky.

Refrain

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heav’n and earth are full of Thee!
Heav’n and earth are praising Thee,
O Lord most high!

Lord of life, beneath the dome
Of the universe, Thy home,
Gather us who seek Thy face
To the fold of Thy embrace,
For Thou art nigh.

Refrain

While the deepening shadows fall,
Heart of love enfolding all,
Through the glory and the grace
Of the stars that veil Thy face,
Our hearts ascend.

Refrain

When forever from our sight
Pass the stars, the day, the night,
Lord of angels, on our eyes
Let eternal morning rise
And shadows end.

Refrain

Words by Mary A. Lathbury (1841-1913)

 

Sweetly the Holy Hymn

Sweetly the Holy Hymn

Sweetly the holy hymn
Breaks on the morning air;
Before the world with smoke is dim
We meet to offer prayer.

While flowers are wet with dews,
Dew of our souls, descend:
Ere yet the sun the day renews,
O Lord, Thy Spirit send.

Upon the battlefield,
Before the fight begins,
We seek, O Lord, Thy sheltering shield,
To guard us from our sins.

Ere yet our vessel sails
Upon the stream of day
We plead, O Lord, for heavenly gales
To speed us on our way!

On the lone mountain side,
Before the morning’s light,
The Man of sorrows wept and cried,
And rose refreshed with might.

Oh, hear us then, for we
Are very weak and frail,
We make the Savior’s Name our plea,
And surely must prevail.

Words: Charles H. Spurgeon, 1866.

The King of Love My Shepherd Is ~ Hymn

 

The King of Love My Shepherd Is

The King of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never,
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.

Where streams of living water flow
My ransomed soul He leadeth,
And where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me,
And on His shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing, brought me.

In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me;
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.

Thou spread’st a table in my sight;
Thy unction grace bestoweth;
And O what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!

And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever.

Words:  Henry W. Baker, in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern (London: 1868). This hymn was sung at the fun­er­al of Di­a­na, Prin­cess of Wales, in West­min­ster Ab­bey, Lon­don, Sep­tem­ber 6, 1997. Music: St. Columba, an­cient Ir­ish mel­o­dy

Barbara from Stray Thoughts sent me the lyrics to this hymn when a couple blogger comments mentioned Verdant on my Outdoor Post last week and I talked about learning a new word. She had recalled that this was the hymn where she remembered the word verdant from. Thanks Barbara.

Sun of My Soul ~ Hymn

Sun of My Soul

Sun of my soul, Thou Savior dear,
It is not night if Thou be near;
O may no earth-born cloud arise
To hide Thee from Thy servant’s eyes!

When the soft dews of kindly sleep
My weary eyelids gently steep,
Be my last thought, how sweet to rest
Forever on my Savior’s breast!

Abide with me from morn till eve,
For without Thee I cannot live;
Abide with me when night is nigh,
For without Thee I dare not die.

Be near to bless me when I wake,
Ere thru the world my way I take;
Abide with me till in Thy love
I lose myself in heav’n above.

John Keble/ Katholisches Gesangbuch