Song of the Day
“What A Friend We Have in Jesus” by Joseph Medlicott Scriven (Remixed by Reawaken Hymns)
Devotional thought
In 1855, Joseph Scriven (the Author of this Hymn), sent this poem to his ailing mother to provide comfort to her in her need. Mrs. Scriven apparently gave it to a friend who had it published anonymously and it quickly became a popular hymn that circulated the Church in those days! When asked years later whether Joseph had written this poem turned Hymn, he replied, “The Lord and I did it between us.”.
I love to hear the history of these wonderful hymns! To think that these words were written about 170 years ago to bring comfort to someone who was sick and needed encouragement, and now after standing the test of time is still being sung as encouragement to our Church today is beyond exciting to me!
I love how it reminds us in the 2nd verse that we should never be discouraged, but that we should take “it” (our cares and sorrows) to the Lord in prayer! Our Friend, King Jesus, wants to carry our burdens and sorrows for us. His invitation is clearly expressed in the Gospel of Matthew;
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 (NET 2nd ed.)
See, our Lord wants us to cast our burdens and cares upon Him, because He says that He cares for us (according to 1 Peter 5:7)! What a Friend we have in Jesus to be able to come to Him in our times of need and ask Him for mercy and the grace we must have to endure through it! He hears us. He knows us. And He desires to minister to our every need!
What peace we often forfeit because we do not carry our needs and desires to our Savior Jesus. James tells us that we have not because we ask not (James 4:2(b))!
See, Philippians 4:6-7 tells us that we need not be anxious for anything, rather we need to offer to the Lord our prayers and supplications. And when we do this, believing that we are being heard by our Wonderful Friend, the result is a peace that surpasses all understanding! A peace that guards our heart and mind in Jesus Christ!
What a privilege indeed! To be able to take it to the Lord in prayer. Why do we not access this precious gift more often? Why do we wait for things to get so bad before we resort to the very first channel of healing and help that we have – prayer?
Let’s not do that anymore, and let’s give Jesus the opportunity to fulfill His promise to be our Friend and Intercessor in our times of need. He longs to be our closest Friend, but it is up to us to grow in our relationship with Him each day.
Prayer
Father God, I praise You for giving me access to You through my Savior, Jesus Christ! I am sorry for not praying to You more often, believing that You will answer me in my times of need. Holy Spirit, please guide and help me to call upon my Friend Jesus when I feel alone, anxious, sick, or for any other reasons. I need You God, and am grateful that I have a Friend in Jesus! Amen
Scripture to reflect upon
(Please hover, or click onto, the Scriptures to read the specified text!)
- Philippians 4:6-7,
- Mark 11:24,
- James 4:2(b),
- Job 16:20-21,
- Matthew 11:28,
Memory Verse
