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 hymn writer of this song, Joseph Scriven (b. 1819, d.1886) knew Jesus intimately. He experienced much sorrow and suffering. On two occasions, he was due to be married when his brides-to-be died unexpectedly. He saw his first bride fall off the horse and drown. Years later he fell in love again and even as they planned their wedding, the bride-to-be died of pneumonia. These were but two of many more struggles and challenges Scriven faced in life. It was the companionship of Jesus that sustained, strengthened and kept him going in life. In his uttermost need, Jesus was the One who carried him through. Scriven knew what it meant to have Jesus as his dependable Friend and the privilege of carrying everything to God in prayer!
Jesus came into our world more than 2000 years ago to die for our sins. He took our sins and died in our place so that we can now be clothed with his righteousness. He is our Saviour and our beloved Friend! Had Jesus never come in the flesh, we would never be able to have a relationship with him as our Friend! We now know and understand something about the steadfast love of God and the mercies and forgiveness of our loving Father in Christ! Truly Jesus has borne all our sins and griefs and you and I can carry all our burdens to him in prayer.
As we approach this Advent season and are busy with the many Christmas celebratory events, let us not forget why we are doing all these things!? Bring Jesus back into the event of Christmas because he is the reason for this season. There is no Christmas without Christ, no celebration without God becoming man, Immanuel, no love without the cross, and no Easter without Christmas!
As we rejoice and give thanks for the greatest Gift of Christmas, we praise God for the salvation of many around the world because you and I are living out the Gospel and people in different cultures are seeing Christ in us. I want to share one story of a lady from Pakistan who studied in SBC for over two years, married, and returned to Singapore to complete her studies with her husband at East Asia School of Theology in 2001. Ruby Naeem John comes from a culture of honour and shame, and where women are marginalized. God saved her and has been using her mightily as a female leader in her country and beyond. Click this link for her full story and watch the video clip. Let us continue to give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his mercies endure forever (Psalm 103:1)!
Joy to the world, the Lord has come! Go forth and shine for Jesus even as you continue to enjoy his wonderful friendship!
