One of the loneliest times we can have comes when we face a time of need without having a loving friend to talk to about it. Everyone needs at least one trusted friend in whom to confide.
Elisha A. Hoffman, author and composer of more than 2,000 gospel songs, was pastor of a church in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He visited a woman who had experienced many moments of emotional pain in her life. She told Rev. Hoffman of the many burdens on her heart and concluded with the question, “Brother Hoffinan, what shall I do? What shall I do?” He replied, “You cannot do better than to take all of your sorrows to Jesus. You must tell Jesus.” For a moment, the lady seemed lost in meditation. Then her eyes brightened and she exclaimed, “Yes, I must tell Jesus.”
From that experience Elisha Hoffman wrote a hymn which we still sing today: “I Must Tell Jesus.” The beauty of this hymn is its honesty. The Christian life is not always happiness, but God always hears us.
This is the chorus of this beloved hymn. “I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus, I cannot bear these burdens alone; I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus, Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.”
There is hardship in life. There are burdens in life. There are many things that happen in life that are unexplainable. The other day I was told about a person that seemed to face insurmountable problems. I was asked by the person who knew her, “What do I tell her?” I went through all the possible answers. When I was finished they all seemed so useless. All my advice seemed to just come back to the same thing. She needed help greater than any advice from man; she needed help from God and Him alone! She needed to tell Jesus.
Our problem is that we don’t tell Jesus; we tell each other. Our lack of peace of mind is that we don’t tell Jesus; we tell ourselves. Take this scripture and write it down and look at it every morning and every evening. Isaiah 26:3-4: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.”
God will keep us in perfect peace if we trust in Him and think about Him and come to Him in every situation. Matthew 11:28: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
I must tell Jesus. I must tell Jesus for my own strength and peace. I must tell Jesus for only He can truly help me.
Watch sermons and read sermon texts and other articles online at tomahawkmbc.com. Listen to Pastor Jack Ward’s sermons on WSIP FM 98.9 every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Watch his sermons on his Facebook page, “Jack Ward.”