The song goes, "I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold, I'd rather have Jesus than riches untold, I'd rather have Jesus than houses or land, I'd rather be led by His nail pierced hand. Than to be the king of a vast domain or be held in sins' dread of sway, I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world can afford today!"
How about you? Can you sing this song with the passion of life that has come from the very breath of God in you? As I sat this morning listening to this song over and over again I was reminded of some very important yet simple truths. I have begun to see the world much differently over the past several years in light of these simple, profound truths. Jesus is life. Jesus is provider. Jesus is Redeemer. Jesus is Lord. My thought today is how have these truths about Jesus impacted our view of this world?
In the Experiencing God study by Henry Blackaby we find this great word, "People who struggle to spend time with God don't have a scheduling problem; they have a love problem." It is the love of God that draws us to Himself to develop this love relationship He has begun with us. It is love that compels us to become more crucified than comfortable. It is love that drives us to go into all the world with the Gospel message of hope. It is love that stirs our heart for His Kingdom work.
So in a short word today from my heart, can you this day realistically say you would rather have Jesus than anything this world has to offer? The worries of this world and the deceitfulness of wealth causes the life-breath of every Christ-follower to be strangled out and cut off to hinder the work of the Spirit in each of us. The root of this is not in the influence the world has on us but in the impact we allow Jesus to have on our heart. It is not the focus on the don'ts of this life that bring about a strong faithful journey. Rather it is the intense gaze and grasping for the "do" of this love relationship.
Sing the song whether out loud or quietly in your heart and ask yourself, can I truly say this is true of my life and my heart? Today ask the Spirit of the living God to teach your heart to cry out this day, I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world can afford today!
In His Grip,
JT
