What Could My Jesus Do More?

These words are the title to a hymn from my very early childhood. I loved that hymn as a child, and over all these intervening years I have often sung the words of the hymn to myself when driving in a car, walking down the street, or even busy at some task. I've never grown tired of it. It has always been an inspirational song to me. Just in the past couple months I have shared the song with some other Christians and they too have been impressed with the power of the words. I'd like to share with you some of the thoughts I've had over the years concerning the words of this hymn, and the impact it has had on me. The hymn reads as follows.

Oh what could my Jesus do more?
Or what greater blessing impart?
Oh silence my soul and adore,
And press Him still nearer my heart.

Chorus:
In Jesus triumphant I'll live.
In Jesus triumphant I'll die.
The terrors of death calmly brave.
In His bosom breath out my last sigh.

In life and in death thou art mine.
My savior I'm sealed with thy blood.
Till eternity on me doth shine,
I'll live in the strength of my Lord.

They are simple words. A child can easily learn this hymn. But there is a lot of appreciation for Jesus, and a lot of commitment to Him that is expressed in these words and this is what has always drawn me to sing it so often. The first verse is so general that it can be applied to the most recent great blessing I have received, and still have the same full impact of appreciation that it had when I first understood it to mean the love Jesus had for me as a child.

It was actually later in more mature but still relatively young years, when I came to understand in greater detail the great blessing Jesus had wrought for me when He came to earth, suffered so intently for me, and then died such a terrible death on the cross. For a long period after that I had His sacrifice in mind when I sang that verse. This same verse and His sacrifice very often come to mind during my Memorial meditations.

That is not to say that I have displaced that understanding. Not at all. But I have learned to add to that all the many blessings that the Lord continues to pour out upon me so that the level of my appreciation increases constantly with His increasing blessings to me. This becomes a perfect way to count all my blessings and at the same time give the praise for them to whom it is due.

The last two lines of the first verse draw me often to be silently in His presence, just worshiping and adoring. It is a most peaceful posture to assume. It is an attitude I try to acquire as part of my daily morning and evening prayers. But often it is just a special quiet time of meditation and worship.

I've always, since a very young child, felt certain that I would conform well to the last three lines of the chorus. As I've grown older, I am no where near as cocky about it, but I still have a quiet hope and a peaceful expectation that such will be the case. I certainly want it to be the case, and I pray at times to that end. It establishes a great attitude and commitment well in advance to expect to be triumphant even at the end of my life. Certainly I want to be triumphant in the overcoming sense of being able to be part of the bride of Christ. But I like to apply it too to the way my life might end, that I would still be strongly rejoicing and confident in Jesus at the very end, and expressing that to those around me, that it might be an encouragement to them. I've seen this accomplished in others, and I want it to be part of my record also for the glory of God and Christ in showing what they have accomplished in me.

The line of greatest challenge to me has always been the first line of the chorus, "In Jesus triumphant I'll live". It has been a challenge because it expresses such a high ideal, and inherently also a very positive and joyful attitude of overcoming. This line contributed greatly to my making a commitment early in life, that no matter how often I might fall from grace, "I will never give up, never give up, never give up!" And there has been more than one occasion where I have had to hold myself to that promise. It is one vow I know I will never regret making.

The second verse reconfirms the total commitment to triumphant life in Christ through all of life and unto, and even into death, where my hope lies still in my Lord and His power and desire to raise me to life eternal with Him. Two things hold me certain and secure. First, Jesus is mine. I claim Him! While I understand He claims me also, it is important to me to assert my claim on Him. Because He has promised He would never leave me nor forsake me, I claim Him as such, holding Him to His promise, and claim all the power, and direction, courage, stamina, and patience that is necessary for me to fulfill all that He asks of me that I might be found pleasing to Him, glorifying of Him, and able to be with Him through eternity.

Till that eternity shines, and I am fully in Him, I live now in His strength. 2 Cor 12:9, "His strength is made perfect in my weakness." Gal 2:20, "It is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me."

I love the scriptures. I love to meditate in them. I love what the Lord continues to constantly reveal to me in them. But I am very thankful for the hymns also. I have very many favorite hymns. The hymn I've referenced here is just one of the very oldest I had learned. I know many others from that era, but this one holds a special place with me, because it first taught me some of the deeper things concerning Christ. What I especially love about it is that it has grown with me as I have grown. It still teaches me some of the deeper things of Christ. It is still a hymn for me to love. It is still reason to be thankful to God that what He early taught me concerning Christ has not faded with the years, but has grown ever stronger and more meaningful.

Praise God for His mighty being! Praise Christ for His mighty presence! Live triumphantly in Him!

©CDMI