A Moment With Pastor Fred

Elisha Hoffman was a pastor at a church in Vassar, MI in 1894. He visited an elderly lady who was facing severe difficulties. She shared her problems with him who in turn tried to comfort her pointing her to particular biblical texts. He urged her to pray and tell her problems to Jesus. Somehow that suggestion seemed to stick – she smiled and said, “Yes, I must tell Jesus.”

As Hoffman was on his way home her words kept repeating themselves, “I must tell Jesus.” Other lines fell into place along with a singable tune. And so, we have the old gospel song I well remember as a child:

I must tell Jesus all of my trials;
I cannot bear my burdens alone;
In my distress he kindly will help me;
He ever loves and cares for his own.

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

1 Pet 5:7, Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Anxieties divide our minds and hearts – we can’t concentrate on anything else. Anxiety and worry distract us. In suffering we’re prone to doubt God’s sovereignty.  “Where is God in all of this?”  And, we doubt his love, “If God cares for me why is he allowing this to happen?” But God is in control, and he does love us. Jesus died as proof of that. So let’s learn the lesson from this dear old saint – “Yes, I must tell Jesus.”