What a Friend We have in Jesus
We can all attest that living a faithful life for God has its ups and downs. There are many things God has created apart from His Word that can encourage us as we live each day. I am not saying we need anything added to God’s word, but God, in His goodness, can show Himself in our day-to-day life. Looking at a sunrise or a sunset can take your breath away. How about the clouds in a blue sky. How about that song on the radio that encouraged you? God can use certain things (if it is not contrary to His nature) to inspire and motivate us.
Music has been a major part of my life, and songs and hymns have given me encouragement in the many times of struggles I have encountered.
If you have been reading the latest blog posts over the last couple of months, we have been learning about the inspiring stories of several hymns. This week is another favorite!
What a Friend We have in Jesus
The author of this wonderful hymn is Joseph Scriven. Joseph Scriven’s life was marked by profound loss. Twice engaged, twice heartbroken by the deaths of his fiancées, Joseph knew grief intimately. Seeking a new start, he moved from Ireland to Canada, where he dedicated his life to serving others with humility and kindness. When he learned his mother was ill back in Ireland, Joseph penned a heartfelt poem to encourage her, never intending it for publication. That poem, later set to music, became the hymn we cherish today.
1: 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!
2: 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!
3: 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 your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he’ll take and shield you;
you will find a solace there.
Its words—simple yet deeply rooted in faith—reflect the comfort Joseph himself found in Christ’s friendship during his darkest hours.
Even after writing the words to this poem, Joseph Scriven battled depression and loneliness. In 1886, Joseph’s life ended under somewhat mysterious circumstances — he was found drowned in a lake near his home. Some say he may have taken his own life due to his ongoing struggles with mental health, though no one knows for sure. Yet, the words he wrote still ring true to the comfort and friendship we can find in Jesus.
The poem was later set to music by composer Charles Converse. In 1875, a hymn writer named Ira Sankey discovered the hymn and included it in his collection of hymns, which became well-known as Sankey’s Gospel Hymns Number One.
We will all pass through dark times in our lives. It might be similar to what Joseph Scriven experienced. Yet he found comfort in knowing he was not alone in his struggles. Jesus is our faithful friend. He can carry our burdens for us. He is just a prayer away. I Peter 5:7 reminds us that we can cast all of our cares and anxieties on God. In our deepest pain, God will never forsake us.
References
Hymnary.org
101 Hymn Stories by Kenneth W. Osbeck (1982)
