One of our favorite hymns is entitled, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” The man who penned the words to this hymn was Joseph Scriven. Mr. Scriven was born in Ireland and immigrated to Canada.
Mr. Scriven left Ireland after he was engaged to be married and his wife-to-be drowned in accident a day before their wedding. After he moved to Canada a number of years later, he met another young lady, and they fell in love. Just weeks before they were to be married, she became very i’ll and died. He was twenty-five years old and broken-hearted again.
Joseph determined as a twenty-five year old man that he would give the rest of his life to helping poor people. He became known in his community as a man who carried around a saw with him to do work for poor people in need of help. He could not be employed for money; he did his work for no charge.
Joseph received news from his homeland that his mother was seriously ill back in Dublin, Ireland, but he did not have enough money to visit his dying mother. Instead of making the long journey which he could not afford, he wrote a poem to comfort her, the poem we now know as the song, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus.”
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!
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.
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 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.