We live in a world full of it – suffering. James (1:2), the half-brother of the Lord Jesus, tells us to count it all joy when faced with the trials and sorrows life brings our way. But experientially? It’s often hard not to inwardly lose our joy. “We should not pray so much for the removal of affliction, as for wisdom to make a right use of it” – Matthew Henry. God often uses trials in our lives to grow us in perseverance which serves to develop a mature Christian character (James 1:3-4). “Every trial becomes a test of faith designed to strengthen: if the believer fails the test by wrongly responding, that test then becomes a temptation, or a solicitation to evil (James 1:13-15)” – John MacArthur.
Back in 1855, an Irish poet by the name of Joseph Scriven composed a hymn that is known to most of us, “What a friend we have in Jesus.” Most people don’t realise that the hymn came out of the furnace of affliction. Joseph was engaged to be married not just once, but twice. His first fiancée drowned the day before their wedding was supposed to take place. The second time he got engaged, his fiancée died of pneumonia… In the end, Scriven decided to dedicate his life 24/7 to serving the Lord. He wrote the hymn originally as a poem for his mother to comfort her when he left Ireland for Canada. This beautiful poem which is today one of the most famous hymns in the world only became known after Scriven himself died tragically (also by drowning in 1886).
What a story to ponder on… I heard someone say that we can’t have a testimony without a test. This man (Scriven) was tested, and came through the fire praising GOD! It is said that God recruits some of His best soldiers from the highlands of affliction. “You cannot make great soldiers without war, or train skillful seamen upon shore. It appears necessary that if a man is to become a great believer, he must be greatly trialed. If he is to be a great helper of others, he must pass through the temptations of others. If he is to be greatly instructed in the things of the Kingdom, he must learn by experience. And if he is to be a loud singer to the tune of Sovereign Grace, he must hear deep calling unto deep at the noise of the noise of God’s water spout. The uncut diamond as but little brilliance. The unthreshed corn feeds none, and so the untried professor is of small practical use or beauty.” – Charles Spurgeon.
“No vessels can be made of gold without fire. So it is in possible that we should be made vessels of honour unless we are melted and refined in the furnace of affliction”
– Thomas Watson (All things for good)
In spite of it all, Scriven found an extraordinary friendship with God which gave him purpose and hope. There is no joy as deep, no hope as eternal, no love as secure as that found in Christ alone. Indeed, what a friend we have in Jesus! You cannot ever find a better friend. He will stick closer to you than a brother. Jesus is beyond in our midst. The Apostle Paul tried to express Jesus with words and finally threw up his hands and said, ‘Jesus is the name above every other name.’ – Philippians 2:9.
To be a Christian is not just to follow a religion but to embrace a relationship with the Lord Jesus which makes it far more precious. Christianity is not just a way of life; IT IS LIFE. Jesus is not just a part of our life; He is our life. In HIM we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). The Christian faith is the only faith where the message is the messenger. Take buddha out of Buddhism, and you still have the Buddhist teaching. Take Krishna out of Hinduism, and you still have the Hindu teaching. But not so with the Christian faith. If you take Jesus Christ out of Christianity, you end of with a mere religion.
Without Jesus Christ, we have no message.
Jesus did not merely teach us about God, He is God. Jesus did not merely tell us about Salvation, He is our salvation. Jesus did not merely tell us about the wages of our sins, No! He bore the wages of our sins on his body on the cross. He was crucified on a cross of wood, but He made the hill on which it stood and the tree on which He’d bleed. Jesus did not merely point us to God, He is the only way to God. Jesus was not just an ordinary good man; He was and is the perfect sinless God-man.
One of the greatest problems with humanity is our inability to comprehend the love of God. The Epistle to the Ephesians (Ch. 3) reveals that the apostle Paul prayed that all of God’s people will be fully capable of comprehending the width and length and height and depth of the love of Christ, and to know this love which far surpasses mere knowledge. “How desirable to have a fixed sense of the love of God in Christ to our souls! How powerfully the apostle speaks of the love of Christ! The breadth shows its extent to all nations and ranks; the length, that it continues from everlasting to everlasting; the depth, its saving those who are sunk into the depths of sin and misery; the height, its raising them up to heavenly happiness and glory.” – Matthew Henry
Another hymn, “The Love of God” by Frederick Lehman (1868–1953) captures profoundly how much God loves us – to paraphrase, “If the oceans is an ink well, and the skies above a scroll, there would not be enough water in all the oceans to write of the love of God for you and me.” Those profound words were apparently originally discovered scribbled on the walls of an insane asylum, and thankfully Frederick Lehman held on to them. If ever you should need reminding that God loves you, read Romans 8:
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39
The very heart of Christ is Compassion. There is no greater love than the love Jesus gives us. No greater friend will you ever find. Jesus knows our every weakness, He is a solace for the troubled heart, He is there to help in times of need. When we wander, He is our Shepherd. He will help you and see you through. You can bank on it. Take it to Him in prayer. All to Jesus in prayer.
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
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
In Christ Alone 