What a Friend!

 The song that was originally in my head when I woke up this morning was a useless Christmas song about the star.  So I suggested to the Lord that we could do better than that and what popped up next in my mind was the old hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus."

So I looked up the lyrics and found to my amazement that, even though I have sung and/or heard the song countless times, there were lyrics there that I had never paid attention to.  As I worked my way slowly through the words, I became thoroughly blessed.  Let the lyrics speak to you, too, as you pay attention to its message all the way through.

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!

It is so true that it is a privilege, but sometimes we think it's a chore.  And how true that we forfeit peace and bear needless pain when we try to carry our burdens on our own shoulders!

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.

Remembering that Jesus already knows all our weaknesses and still offers to share all our sorrows, and that He is such a faithful Friend should draw us into conversation with Him.

Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a  load of care?

Precious Saviour, still our refuge - take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?  Take it to the Lord in prayer.

In His arms He’ll take and shield thee.  Thou wilt find a solace there.

Making prayer, not a formality, but a time of intimacy in which we can see ourselves shielded "in His arms" will make it much more valued.  

The site that I looked up had a fourth verse that I had never seen before and that is not in any of my hymn books.  Here it is...

Blessed Saviour, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear.

May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.

Soon in glory bright, unclouded, there will be no need for prayer - 

Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there!

I think of our precious brother-in-law who recently went to be with Jesus, and the last two lines give joy in the middle of the grief.  He is presently experiencing nothing but rapture, praise and endless worship. I think his rich bass voice will be a great addition up there!

I listened to a YouTube message the other morning by Jimmy Evans, called "The Power of Peace."  He quoted Philippians 4: 6 & 7 (this is the Passion translation):  "Don't be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing.  Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude.  Tell Him every detail of your life; then God's wonderful peace, that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ."  His point was that peace guards our hearts and minds, and peace comes by "taking everything to God in prayer"...faith-filled prayer "with overflowing gratitude."  Jimmy Evans was saying that faithless prayer is really only griping to God, and he gave an example of a grateful prayer of faith.  It goes like this, "Father, I thank You that You love me.  Thank You for hearing my prayers.  You care about every hair on my head, and every detail of my life.  I am thankful that I have such a loving Father to take care of me.  I'm coming to You now with my requests, not to inform You because I know You already know, but I'm coming to transfer the burden of these onto You.  I am just a sheep, which is not a burden-bearing animal like a donkey.  I'm giving these to You, Father, and I'm trusting You with all my issues."

I'll tie it up with 1 Peter 5: 5b - 7 (Passion translation again):  "God resists you when you are proud but multiplies grace and favor when you are humble.  If you bow low in God's awesome presence, He will eventually exalt you as you leave the timing in His hands.  Pour out all your worries and stress upon Him and leave them there, for He always tenderly cares for you."  If we are humble enough to admit that only He has the answers for us, and to give our cares to Him, then we will find He is our refuge, our precious Saviour, our solace, our shield.  What a Friend!