This worship song was first written in the 1990s by Dennis Jernigan and is arguably the best known of all his songs. He wrote the song at an Oklahoma City church during a daily 6am prayer meeting. Jernigan believed God was constantly singing over him so he needed to be constantly listening and writing down what God said in a music manuscript book that became his constant companion. The story goes that Dennis was sitting at the piano thanking God “that He bore the punishment of my sin fully with the first drop of His blood.” In that moment, the line came to him, “seeking You as a precious Jewel, Lord, to give up I’d be a fool.” The song emerged slowly piece by piece. The quote from Christian Today attributed to their research and interview of Dennis for this song background states:
I’d start the people praying over a specific need in the church, then I’d go back to singing what I was sensing in the Lord. With my left hand I’d play the piano, and with my right hand I’d write down the melody and the words.Ultimately, what we have penned in full is a powerful song of hope and the restorative nature of God as our source of everything; We serve a Good, Good Father (whoops that is a whole other song reference…) who embodies love, grace, peace and joy.
