January 10, 2021 (Sunday)
Have you ever been so burdened down with care and worry that you’ve thought, “I don’t think I can take anymore?” Elisha A. Hoffman, a great preacher and wonderful minister, counseled a distraught lady who felt that way. He counseled with her and quoted verses from the Bible, but she seemed to be unable to rise above her distress. He then suggested that she could do nothing better than to take all of her sorrow to Jesus. “You must tell Jesus,” he told her. A light broke across her face and she cried, “Yes! I must tell Jesus.” And so she did. After a period of prayer, she rose from her knees with a brightness in her face. A little later, while still under the influence of this experience, he wrote the hymn, “I must tell Jesus.”
The Bible tells us to bear one another’s burdens because that fulfills the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). What law is that, you may ask. It’s the law of love, the final commandment given by Jesus to His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion: “Love One Another.” As followers of Christ, we want to be like Him, and that’s what His law of love does — it gives us a chance to be like Jesus, who bears our burdens because He cares about us.
It is the fact that we have burdens of our own that causes us to sing the hymn, “I Must Tell Jesus.” I must tell Jesus about all of my trials because I cannot bear these burdens alone. In my distress He will lovingly help me, because He always loves and cares for His own.”
We can tell Him all about our troubles. We can share with Him every sorrow and care.
We can tell Him we need His help in times of temptation. He will enable us to win the victory over sin through His powerful Spirit within us.
Elisha A. Hoffman
1866
Chorus:
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
I cannot bear my burdens alone;
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.
Verses:
I must tell Jesus all of my trials,
I cannot bear these burdens alone;
In my distress He kindly will help me,
He ever loves and cares for His own.
I must tell Jesus all of my troubles,
He is a kind, compassionate Friend;
If I but ask Him He will deliver,
Make of my troubles quickly an end.
Tempted and tried I need a great Savior,
One who can help my burdens to bear;
I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus:
He all my cares and sorrows will share.
What must I do when worldliness calls me?
What must I do when tempted to sin?
I must tell Jesus, and He will help me
Over the world the vict’ry to win.
Blogs through January 31 will will feature hymns and songs about prayer. Click here for a list.