May 29, 2020 (Friday)
This hymn reveals a personal, intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. All the wonderful things said about Jesus in this song are summed up at the close of each verse with the affirmation, “He’s my friend.” Sort of makes us think of another hymn that means so much to us, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus.” In the late 19th Century and early 20th Century this hymn was a departure from the reverent praise that was the norm of those days when people kept their distance from God who is “Holy, Holy, Holy.”
Hymns like this paved the way for the modern praise songs which emphasize our personal relationship with Jesus. I searched the web for a clue to the origin of the phrase, “all the world,” when used in this context. Other expressions like this might be “Jesus means so much to me,” or “He is my everything.” The Free Dictionary discusses the phrase, “mean the world to (someone) and suggest two possible explanations: 1. To be ardently loved by or exceptionally important to someone. (My little daughter means the world to me—I would do absolutely anything for her. Our cats mean the world to my boyfriend—he’s completely obsessed with them!) 2. To be something for which someone is deeply grateful or appreciative. (Thank you so much for taking care of my kids when I was in the hospital. It really means the world to me!)
A diamond has many facets, or sides, that reveal different aspects of its brilliance. As you turn it, you see various colors and designs. That same principle governs our worship. Just as the Bible covers many subjects and views God from different points of view, so should our worship. As an expert in hymnology, Dr. C. Michael Hawn, reminds us, sing “Jesus is all the world to me,” but follow it with “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation.”
JESUS IS ALL THE WORLD TO ME
Will L. Thompson (1847-1909)
1904
Jesus is all the world to me,
My life, my joy, my all;
He is my strength from day to day,
Without Him I would fall.
When I am sad, to Him I go,
No other one can cheer me so;
When I am sad, He makes me glad,
He’s my Friend.
Jesus is all the world to me,
My Friend in trials sore;
I go to Him for blessings, and
He gives them o’er and o’er.
He sends the sunshine and the rain,
He sends the harvest’s golden grain;
Sunshine and rain, harvest of grain,
He’s my Friend.
Jesus is all the world to me,
And true to Him I’ll be;
Oh, how could I this Friend deny,
When He’s so true to me?
Following Him I know I’m right,
He watches o’er me day and night;
Following Him by day and night,
He’s my Friend.
Jesus is all the world to me,
I want no better Friend;
I trust Him now, I’ll trust Him when
Life’s fleeting days shall end.
Beautiful life with such a Friend,
Beautiful life that has no end;
Eternal life, eternal joy,
He’s my Friend.