Thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear
not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou
passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not
overflow thee. Isa. 43:1, 2 Even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you. Isa. 46 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings,
taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the LORD alone did lead him. Deut. 32:11, 12
He bare them, and carried them all the days of old. Isa. 63:9
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Heb. 13:8 For I am persuaded, that neither ... height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be
able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8:38, 39
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of
her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Isa. 49:15 ****** God fails not, no matter what we might face in any given day, we can be sure of this, if we belong to the Lord Jesus, we are never, ever alone. Help, mercies blessings are only ever a prayer away. O Lord, please help us to walk fully yielded to Thy call upon our hearts and lives.
Hope this blesses you as much it did me...
Sending prayer hugs 🙏🏻🤗 for you, in your burdens,
Shaz in Oz.x
*****
PS . If you haven’t I'd love it you to join as a wonderful encourager of this blog ... link HERE. Thank YOU to those who have done so already. It really encourages me to keep on. If you'd like these posts in your inbox, you can add your email to email link option on side bar. If you're on a mobile device on which there is no sidebar, then scroll down and select "View Web Version" at very bottom of post. This will bring up sidebar and "follow by email" link. Thank YOU.
I was recently at a nursing home with a dear 90 y.o. lady, who is practically blind. I sang to her the words of this beautiful hymn, from a Good News Tract by the same name. Although she doesn't know Jesus (by her own admission), she knew this Hymn and greatlly enjoyed it.
The background to this hymn is gleaned from this site here and is similar to Wikipedia here. Often long-lasting, impactful hymns are born in times of deep sorrow and this one is no different. As I read - this hymn meant so much more now.
Background:
"Joseph Scriven was the son of a captain in
the British Royal Marines, born in Ireland in 1819. After
receiving his university degree from Trinity College in London, he
quickly established himself as a teacher, fell in love, and made plans
to settle in his hometown. Then tragedy struck. The day before his
scheduled wedding, his fiancé drowned.
Overcome with grief, Scriven left Ireland to start a new life in
Canada. He established a home in Rice Lake, where he met and fell in
love with Eliza Rice. Just weeks before she was to become Joseph
Scriven’s bride, she suddenly grew sick. In a matter of weeks, Eliza
died.
A shattered Scriven turned to the only thing that had anchored him
during his life — his faith. Through prayer and Bible study he found not
just solace, but a mission. The twenty-five year old Scriven took a vow
of poverty, sold all of his earthly possessions, and vowed to give his
life to the physically handicapped and financially destitute.
Ten years later Scriven received word that his mother had become very
ill. The man who had taken a vow of poverty did not have the funds to
go home to help care for her. Heartsick, and feeling a need to reach out
to her, he wrote the story of his life in three short verses he called
“What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”
Later, Scriven said, “The Lord and I together wrote the song.”
Several of his friends got a copy and one of them carried a copy to a
music publisher. Within two years the little poem of inspiration had
been published and coupled to a tune written by an American lawyer,
Charles Converse.
Two decades later the great American evangelist Dwight L. Moody came
across the song and believed it to be the most touching modern hymn that
he had ever heard. It was Moody who gave the song a national platform
and caused so many to think that the song had been written in America.
Ironically, Joseph Scriven drowned in a Canadian lake in 1886. He did
not live to see his song carried to every corner of the globe."
However sad this ending maybe, we may be sure of one thing. When Joseph died in that cold Canadian lake, he would also come to hear from His Master, His Saviour and Lord: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant... Enter thou into the JOY of the Lord."
Sometimes, or perhaps oftentimes, the WHY of the way things happen really eludes us.
When we are meant to know, we will know.
What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. John 13:7
Until then, may we likewise be faithful in our small corner of our Heavenly Father's vineyard.
1
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
And 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
Hope this blesses you as much it did me, if you've time please let me know.
Sending prayer hugs 🙏🏻🤗 for you, in your burdens,
Shaz in Oz.x
PS . If you haven’t I'd love it you to join as a wonderful encourager of this blog ... link HERE. Thank YOU to those who have done so already. It really encourages me to keep on. If you'd like these posts in your inbox, you can add your email to email link option on side bar. If you're on a mobile device on which there is no sidebar, then scroll down and select "View Web Version" at very bottom of post. This will bring up sidebar and "follow by email" link. Thank YOU.
