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!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O 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.
(Lyrics taken from the website:http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh526.sht)
Such a powerful message from a hymn!
While most hymns tend to focus on God in terms of His Might and Power; this one takes on another approach, calling Jesus a friend. I don't know about you, but this concept makes Him seem more accessible to me and everyone. After all a friend is someone in whom we can depend on day or night with our problems. He, like our human counterparts, cares for us and wants us to succeed in all we do.. So much so, that he gave his life for us. What an amazing sacrifice
Too often, though, we slip back into our old ways of thinking we can handle things ourselves and don't think we need God's assistance. But that's simply not true, God wants to be involved in all parts of our life-from the life-changing decisions to the insignificant ones. They all matter!
On the same token, although God's acceptance and friendship is unconditional, he wants us to trust him fully. That's not always an easy thing to do. I should know: I have experienced this time and time again in my stunt in the hospital. I may not been able to see what was going on behind the scenes, but had to believe that he had my best interests at heart. And even now-knowing about the victories I've had, I must put aside my own feelings of insecurity and walk blindly forward.. Knowing that God goes before us and knows the road ahead of us
The song, 'Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus is yet another reminder of how difficult a task this is. Yes, we are to take God at his word. But Verse 3 goes even further saying, " Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus, just from sin and self to cease; just from Jesus simply taking life and rest, and joy and peace. Refrain: Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him! How I've proved him o'er and o'er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more!"
I don't know about you, but resting is something I've never been good at. In this world, we're taught to multitask in order to get things done. But God calls us to rest, believing in his promises and trusting that he knows best.
Food for thought.
