What A Friend We Have In Jesus

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Joseph Scriven was a man who knew a great deal about suffering and loss. When a lifeless body was pulled from the dark waters of a lake near Dublin, Ireland, his world fell apart. It was his fiancée, the woman he was supposed to marry the following day.

Later, and still heartbroken, he decided to leave his hometown and family to move to Canada with the hopes of building a new life in a new land. It took some time, but he fell in love again. And as unlikely and unthinkable as it may sound, his new fiancée got pneumonia and died shortly before their wedding.

Sorrow upon sorrow, while carrying out the funeral plans, he received news from Ireland that his Mother was seriously ill. Since he had little money, he wasn’t able to return home to see her. He did the best he could by writing a poem for her, which he titled, Pray Without Ceasing. That poem wasn’t discovered until a friend was visiting Scriven shortly before his death. The neighbor asked him about the origin of the poem and Scriven humbly answered, “The Lord and I did it between us.”

After his death, which, coincidentally was by drowning, attorney and songwriter Charles Crozat Coverse set the poem Scriven had written to music. He renamed the poem, WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS.

What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear,

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer.

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged;

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge;

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer,

In His arms He'll take and shield thee;

Thou wilt find a solace there.

If you are His disciple, you also have a friend in Jesus…in every circumstance of life, and forever!