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Song: I’m Glad I Know Who Jesus Is

Scripture: II Timothy 1:1-12
I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

There have been more than one case when a song was deemed worthy of very little consideration, by the author, and yet the Lord in His infinite wisdom overruled human rationale and exalted songs of His own choosing. Such was the subject of this story. God says that He has chosen the “weak things of this world to confound the things which are mighty.”

Geron Davis was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana, in 1960, into the home of Rev. Gerald and Patricia Davis. While still a very young child Geron taught himself to play the piano. He would listen to recordings of his favorite singers; groups such as the Happy Goodman Family, the Rambos, or Southern Gospel quartets whose arrangements were done by Lari Goss, and try to pick out their harmonies. Lari, composer of masterful “Cornerstone,” was greatly influential in the life of young Davis.

In an interview Geron stated, “I was raised around music. My mom played piano, my dad played the guitar, and they sang together. I often sang with them, even at ages four and five. They would stand me on a piano bench behind the pulpit and I would sing the melody while mom sang alto, dad sang tenor and played his guitar.”

“I started making up songs as a small child, simple choruses that we would sing in Sunday school. I would often sit at the piano and try to pick out tunes. During those day I was listening to a lot of music.”

Geron met his wife Becky at college in 1981.Since their marriage they have written and recorded numerous songs, individually and collectively, and have been recording and performing together for more than twenty years. They are also known for their outstanding choral workshops, and have ministered with choirs from Christ Church, Brooklyn Tabernacle, and Prestonwood Baptist Church, just to name a few. Numerous major publishing companies have distributed their music.

A few of the hundreds who have recorded and performed their songs are the Gaither Vocal Band, Janet Paschal, The Martins, Kirk Talley, Gold City, Ivan Parker, The Cathedrals, and The Nelons. Another of Geron’s songs, On Holy Ground, was used at the funeral service of President Bill Clinton’s mother. Geron is seen on many of the Gaither Homecoming Videos. Geron wrapped it up this way, “Becky and I have always sought to touch the lives of people with our music.”

In an interview I asked Geron to tell me the story behind the writing of "I’m Glad I Know Who Jesus Is," and he told me the following, most interesting story:

“I was serving as Minister of Music in a large church in Alexandria, Louisiana, a church of about 2,500 members with a choir of approximately 150 voices. We were making plans for our 1990 Christmas musical, a time when many people from the community would come in and enjoy the Christmas music with us. We had a great relationship with the other churches of the city.”

“I had an older group of singers in the choir, a quartet of very experienced people who were loved by the all of the senior adults, and whom I wanted to present in some manner during the program. We called them the Oldtimers Quartet. I would, from time-to-time, find things that were good for them to present. In this particular program I wanted their song to have a Southern Gospel flavor, because in that part of Louisiana you have air to breathe, food to eat, and Southern Gospel Music to listen to. Those were the staples of life.”

“I wanted the Oldtimers Quartet to do something original, never heard before, and so I sat down and wrote I’m Glad I Know Who Jesus Is. I literally wrote the song in fifteen minutes. I taught it to them that evening and they loved it! When they sang it during the musical the people loved it! I really didn’t know what to think of the song myself, because the Oldtimers Quartet could sing out of the phone book and people would love it.”

“A month or so later, The Nelons, good friends of mine, called me and asked if I had any songs that I thought they might be interested in. They, along with the producer, Larry Goss, were searching for new songs to put into an upcoming project and they needed a few more things to listen to and consider. I said, ‘Yes, I have some songs that I can send to you.’ So, I sat down at the piano and recorded four songs to sent to them. The last song I put on the tape, I almost didn’t include -- I’m Glad I Know Who Jesus Is. And then, I thought, ‘You know what?, that song has a Southern feel, and they might like it, so, I stuck it onto the tape. I almost decided against it, but at the last minute I put it in the group.”

“They recorded the song and put it on their new album. They “singled” two or three songs from the album and sent them to radio stations, but not I’m Glad I Know Who Jesus Is. Some time later they recorded another album and tried in the same manner to get some reaction from it. But, a funny thing happened; the stations went back to the former album and began to play I’m Glad I Know Who Jesus Is. The response was so great the radio stations contacted the record company and the Nelons and said, ‘We love I’m Glad I Know Who Jesus Is. We’re getting a large number of requests for it. After hearing that, the record company went back to the former album and released my song as a single. It soon went to #1 with the radio stations and was #1 on the Singing News Charts.”

In this unusual song Geron emphasizes the fact that from the birth of Jesus, to this very day, the world has not known who Jesus really is. But, we as Christians have come to know Him as the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, our Counselor, our Deliverer, and our Everlasting Father.

Reflection:
The goal of every Christian should be to get to know our Savior, in all of His love and mercy. We should realize afresh and anew each morning who Jesus really is, draw close to His heart, and all through the day never wander further than His fingertips.

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