Hungering for More about Jesus

What the first thing you do after you finish with your workout? Probably grab a bottle of water and guzzle it down. You're panting and longing for a drink to satisfy your thirst.

Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6.

Too often we rush through Bible reading. There are other things to be done - kids off to school or activities, dinner to be made, bills to be paid. Daily Bible reading slides to the bottom of the list. It gets forgotten in the hustle and bustle of our busy modern world.

We don't function well if we go an entire day without food or water. By the end, we're weak, exhausted, and in need of sustenance. And we fill that need by going to the refrigerator or the pantry.

If we don't spend time each day in God's word, meditating about what he says to us and reveals to us in the Bible, we grow weak and exhausted. Plodding along in our Christian life is difficult. We fall further and further behind in our race to the end.

We need sustenance.

The only place to get it? In God's word. May this be our prayer:

More about Jesus would I know,
More of His grace to others show;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love Who died for me.

Refrain

More, more about Jesus,
More, more about Jesus;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love Who died for me.

More about Jesus; in His Word,
Holding communion with my Lord;
Hearing His voice in every line,
Making each faithful saying mine.

This week, challenge yourself to spend more time in God's Word. Take the time to meditate on the wonderful and glorious things he has done for us. Like we savor fine food, let us savor the words of our Lord.

The Story Behind More about Jesus

Eliza Edmunds Hewitt was born in 1851, graduated as valedictorian of her normal school class and went on to teach in the public schools in Philadelphia. All of this suddenly ended when she suffered a debilitating back injury and became bed-ridden for an extended period of time.

Could she have been bitter? Certainly. Could she have complained to God about the unfairness of it all? None of us would have blamed her if she did.

But the truth is, she didn't. From her bed, she studied English literature and began to sing and write.

She took this time to learn more about Jesus. This was her prayer to her Lord, that he open her eyes so she would see more of Him and reflect more of Him.

More about Jesus let me learn,
More of His holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my teacher be,
Showing the things of Christ to me.

Some of her poems became known to Professor John R. Sweeney, who set them to music.

Eliza's back condition improved and she was able to resume some of her duties, though she struggled with pain the rest of her life. She became Sunday school superintendent of the Northern Home for Friendless Children and later at Calvin Presbyterian Church. She died in 1920.

More about Jesus

We sang this hymn in church yesterday morning and I couldn't get the words out of my head. Hope this has you singing all day today!