I'd Rather Have Jesus

In 1922, a woman named Rhea F. Miller wrote a poem. In 1932, an insightful mother placed that poem on her parlor organ; hoping her 23 year old son would set it to music.

Miller's poem immediately caught her son’s attention. The words on the paper rang true to the cry of his heart. And so, he set them to music. That young man’s name? George Beverly Shea. Upon hearing her son singing this testimony of commitment, George's mother came in from the kitchen, with tears in her eyes, and encouraged him to sing the new song in church the following Sunday.

As the congregants listened to George's deep voice sing out I'd Rather Have Jesus, than silver and gold, little did they know that the song was destined to become one of the most well-known of all contemporary Christian songs.
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A few years later, George joined forces with another young man - Evangelist Billy Graham. Together they traveled the world. Billy would preach and George would sing. His two favorite songs were How Great Thou Art, and his signature song, I'd Rather Have Jesus.

At this writing, one half of the famous evangelistic duo, the Reverend Billy Graham, is frail, and in his mid-90’s. And though George Beverly Shea has gone on to his reward, he lived to be 104, and he continued to minister in song ‘til God called him home.

“I'd Rather Have Jesus”

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold,
I'd rather have His than have riches untold;
I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand

I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause,
I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide 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 the comb;
He's all that my hungering spirit needs,
I'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead

Refrain:

Than to be the king of a vast domain
And be held in sin's dread sway;
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” (Philippians 3:8).