Hymns have been called sermons in song. And truly, the old classics hold within them a depth and power that is rooted in God's word and personal, practical Christianity. Let's look at one of those hymns today and see just how closely this is true. Our hymn is #499, What a Friend We Have in Jesus.
The first phrase begins: What a Friend we have in Jesus, Do we know this to be true from God's word? Proverbs 18:24 "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." The hymn continues: All our sins and griefs to bear! Has this Friend borne our griefs? Tell me where we know this from the Bible? Isaiah 53:4 "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer! Are we really supposed to take everything to God in prayer? Does He really want to hear us? Philippians 4:6 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Psalm 55:22 "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee." O what peace we often forfeit, What does God say about those who don't have peace? Isaiah 57:19-21 "I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." Philippines 4:7, Isa 26 stayed upon thee O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer! Psalm 43:5 "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me?...hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." What a Friend We Have In Jesus was grounded in the word of God, but it also came from one who had pain and suffering and knew where to find a Friend who understood at all times. “That looks like a sober man, I think I’ll hire him to cut wood for me.” That was said of a man on the streets of Lake Rice, Canada, as he walked along carrying a wood saw and a sawhorse. The response from a man nearby was, “That’s Joseph Scriven. He wouldn’t cut wood for you because you can afford to hire him. He only cuts wood for those who don’t have money enough to pay.” That seemed to be the philosophy and attitude of Scriven, a devoted member of the Plymouth Brethren Church. He had a sincere desire to help those who were truly destitute. Joseph was born on Sept. 10, 1819, in Ireland. His parents had financial means enough to afford a wonderful…opportunity for their son….In this young man, Ireland had the prospect of a great citizen with high ideals and notable aspirations. He fell in love with a young lady who was eager to spend her life with him. However, on the day before their wedding she fell from her horse, while crossing a bridge over the River Bann and was drowned in the water below. Joseph stood helplessly watching from the other side. In an effort to overcome his sorrow, he began to wander. By age 25 his travels had taken him to an area near Port Hope, Canada. He became highly regarded by the people of that area. He tutored some of the local children in their school work. It was there he met a wonderful young lady, Elisa Roche, and again fell in love. They had exciting plans to be married. However, tragedy reared its ugly head once again and she died of pneumonia before they could wed. --By Lindsay Terry It was this man who had his hopes and dreams crushed more than once who penned the words, What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer! Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer. “The relation between God and each soul is distinct. His care to you is as minute as though there were no other soul to claim his attention. The psalmist says, ‘Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. There is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.’ ‘Thou tellest my wanderings; put Thou my tears in thy bottle; are they not in thy book?’ In the words of the psalmist is expressed the intimacy and tenderness with which God cares for his creatures. ‘For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.’ “We should realise that we have a friend at court, one who can plead the cause of our soul, one who will be our helper in every emergency. We should be able to sing, – What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear; What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer. (Messenger January 4, 1893)
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SolominaEverything in life has meaning. There's a lesson in every object, every situation, every process. I want to go deeper, in a higher way. I want to listen, to understand, to know. Archives
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