What a Friends We Have In Jesus

Faithfulness sometimes looks like failure.

Spiritual victories do not always lead to material success. In fact faithfulness can even look an awful lot like outright failure. 

Joseph Scriven was born into a wealthy Irish family in 1819. After graduating from Trinity College in Dublin he got engaged. Joseph seemed to have it all. The favor of God flooded his life.

The day before his wedding he went to meet his fiancée at a riverbank they often frequented during their courtship. He arrived just as her body was being dragged ashore. The horse she was riding on had been startled and the impact of the fall left her unconscious and she drowned. 

Grief stricken, Joseph decided to leave Ireland because everywhere he looked reminded him of his lost love. He ended up emigrating to Port Hope Canada, just outside of Ontario. 

He felt God calling him to be a blessing to the least of these in this community, so he dedicated his life to serving them. He cut firewood for widows, tutored orphans, and did whatever else was needed in the community. He soon became known as the Good Samaritan of Port Hope.

One day he was walking down the street with his saw looking for someone who needed firewood cut. A neighbor commented to his friend, “There goes Joseph Scriven,” and told him the story of his charity. His friend remarked “I’d love to find a sober young man to cut wood for me.” The neighbor laughed, “Well you won’t get Joseph Scriven; he only helps the ones who can’t pay.” 

Eventually, while living in Port Hope, Joseph fell in love and once again was engaged to be married. But just six weeks before the wedding his second fiancée contracted pneumonia. Joseph dutifully nursed her until her death.

Joseph would never marry. He spent the rest of his life serving where he could, writing poetry, and composing music. He remained faithful to the calling God put on his life until the very end. But how did Joseph Scriven stay so faithful in the midst of so much heartache? 

We get a glimpse through a letter he wrote to his mother after she had fallen ill. Joseph composed a poem especially for her titled What a Friend We Have in Jesus. This now world famous hymn has been sung by millions of Christians across three centuries and shows us how Joseph stayed faithful. It’s the only way any of us can.

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.

We never know what God will use our lives for; we just know that wherever He takes us we’ll never be alone.

What a friend we have in Jesus. 

Shawn