What a Friend!

-- By Les Dennis

“What a Friend We Have in Jesus” was written by Joseph M. Scriven. He experienced tragedy in his life twice. The first tragedy happened when he immigrated to Canada. He moved to Canada ahead of his fiancée who was to follow him later, and they would marry. She died on the trip when the ship on which she was traveling sank.

Scriven suffered from the loss of his fiancée, but eventually he recovered sufficiently to begin thinking of marriage again. This time he lost his fiancée to illness, and he remained single the rest of his life.

Scriven turned to the Lord for his comfort and help to endure hardship, and in the process found that Jesus really was a friend that “sticks closer than a brother” as it says in the book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 10:24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

As Scriven says in his famous song, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”, Jesus really does bear our sins and our griefs, and we can avoid needless pain if we take everything to Jesus in prayer. He helps us with our trials and temptations as well as our troubles. Scriven also reminds us that Jesus will share our sorrows; He even understands our weaknesses. Truly Scriven is right when he tells that Jesus will shield us and give us solace.

Do you know Jesus as your friend? Jesus is the ultimate friend. He knows all about us and loves us anyway. Before we can know Him as a friend, we must know Him as our Saviour. Once we place our full dependence on Him for forgiveness of sin and salvation, and as we live in daily fellowship with the Lord, we find that He is also our friend, one to whom we can take all of our cares and concerns.