One of my favorite hymns is, “I’d Rather Have Jesus.”  Every time we sing it, I’m reminded how temporary all of life’s pleasures really are.  We tend to forget that everything we have is a blessing from God and without Jesus it is all meaningless.

Men strive for the wealth of this wide, wicked world. They seek after honor and fame. So lavishly sporting their diamonds and pearls, They put the dear Savior to shame.

Chorus:

I’d rather live in Heaven than to own all earth’s silver and gold. I’d rather have Jesus than the diamonds of a palace to hold. I’d rather be a beggar and live in a little shack by the road. Than to own all earth’s treasures with no title to a future abode.

They seem not to know that their treasures will rust And thieves often break through and steal. Contented with pleasure, they follow their lusts, With sorrow their destiny seal.

Chorus:

I rather live in Heaven than to own all earth’s silver and gold. I’d rather have Jesus than the diamonds of a palace to hold. I’d rather be a beggar and live in a little shack by the road. Than to own all earth’s treasures with no title to a future abode.

What profit is found in earth’s silver and gold? How sad at the close of life’s day. If for the exchange, one must lose his own soul; From Heaven’s Door be turned away.

(Repeat Chorus)

Solomon was the wisest man in the Bible and he wrote in Ecclesiastes 1:2, “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.”

He continued on in chapter 2 talking about all the things he had done and acquired in his life. In the end, without God it was meaningless. We can definitely learn from Solomon’s life. If our focus is only on the pleasures of this world we will only find misery. God wants us to focus on Him so He can give us the desires of our hearts. (Psalm 37:4)

Now this doesn’t mean that whatever we want He will give us. If we go back and read that Psalm it says, “Delight thyself also in the Lord:”  When we do that, the desires of our hearts change. When we trust Him to take care of us and focus on His will for our lives we will find true joy.

We should focus our attention on our treasures in heaven instead of temporary worldly pleasures. Just like the hymn and the Bible says in Matthew 6:20, “ But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:”  Just something for us to think about. Are our hearts in the right place?

Untitled-3