ALL THAT THRILLS MY SOUL IS JESUS (TH)

TIMELESS HYMN - A special feature where I repeat and highlight some of my favorite hymns that have been featured previously in this blog.  These entries are revised and expanded and shared again for our encouragement and challenge.  This hymn was first shared here on June 20, 2010.

          Many of us have experienced the thrill of a walk-off home run, a game winning touchdown, a stirring musical performance, a no-hitter, the winning of an award, becoming engaged or married, the birth of a child, getting a raise or a new job, the completion of a challenging task or something similar. These events can be so thrilling and memorable.  

          One of my greatest thrills in life was meeting President Ronald Reagan on the White House lawn. But, hopefully all of these events and experiences pale in the light of the thrill of meeting Jesus Christ, having Him change your life, and then experiencing His daily presence and leading in your life. For the awards which we win, the achievements we earn, the possessions we gather, the momentary highs we experience, will all pass away and become meaningless. As scripture tells us things which we treasure here will rust and be stolen. Fame, fortune and thrills are fading and quickly forgotten. So we are to lay up our treasures in heaven.  A relationship with Jesus is permanent and eternal.  

          Thoro Harris (1874-1955), a hymn writer and organist, must have known this truth when in 1931 he penned this great hymn of testimony. In it he shares the Lord's presence, love, grace, mercy, redemption, provision and strength and how these really thrill his soul.  And he concludes by sharing the hope that we have for the future when together we will praise and glorify our King.  What a thrill that will be. 

          I hope that this hymn is your testimony . While many exciting things can happen to us here on this earth, all that really thrills our soul should be Jesus, the reality of His daily presence and our hope through Him for tomorrow  Nothing else is close to being a genuine thrill to our hearts.

(1)    Who can cheer the heart like Jesus,

By His presence all divine?

True and tender, pure and precious,

O how blest to call Him mine!

All that thrills my soul is Jesus,

He is more than life to me;

And the fairest of ten thousand

in my blessed Lord I see.

(2)    Love of Christ so freely given,

Grace of God beyond degree,

Mercy higher than the heaven,

Deeper than the deepest sea!

All that thrills my soul is Jesus,

He is more than life to me;

And the fairest of ten thousand

in my blessed Lord I see.

(3)    What a wonderful redemption!

Never can a mortal know

How my sin, tho red like crimson,

Can be whiter than the snow.

All that thrills my soul is Jesus,

He is more than life to me;

And the fairest of ten thousand

in my blessed Lord I see.

(4)    Every need His hand supplying,

Every good in Him I see;

On His strength divine relying,

He is all in all to me.

All that thrills my soul is Jesus,

He is more than life to me;

And the fairest of ten thousand

in my blessed Lord I see.

(5)    By the crystal flowing river,

With the ransomed I will sing,

And forever and forever,

Praise and glorify the King.

All that thrills my soul is Jesus,

He is more than life to me;

And the fairest of ten thousand

in my blessed Lord I see.

Listen to this hymn here.    THRILL