Finding Strength in Faith: The Inspiring Story Behind "What a Friend We Have in Jesus

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In this episode, we reflect on the resilience and compassion that defined Scriven's life. His story is a testament to the power of faith amidst trials, showing how music and belief can uplift even the most broken spirits. Listen as we explore how Joseph's experiences shaped the verses of his famous hymn, urging us all to carry our burdens to God in prayer. Let Joseph's tale encourage you to find peace and purpose through serving others, illustrating the enduring friendship with Jesus that sustains us through life's challenges.

References for the show
Hymnary.org
101 Hymn Stories by Kenneth W. Osbeck (1982)

Do you want to learn how to study the Bible? Check out the YouTube channel Faithfullyliven youtube.com/@faithfullyliven

Do you want to read about how to live faithfully? Check out the blog http://lyfe102.org

Get a free Road Map to get started learning how to study the Bible https://mailchi.mp/88f9c9405da0/bible-study-road-map

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to Faithfully Living, the Podcast where we
learn how to live for Christ inour daily lives.
I am Dwan, your host, and Iwould like to invite you on a
journey with me to explore andlearn how to be a faithful
follower of Christ, of Christ.

(00:31):
Hi everyone, welcome toFaithfully Living, the podcast
where we strive to encourage youto live for Christ faithfully.
We're offering guidance on howto study the Bible, how to
understand the Bible better andhow to remain faithful to
historic Christianity.
You know, I think that we canall attest that living a life
faithfully for God has its upsand downs, and there are certain
things that God has created,apart from his word, that can

(00:54):
give us encouragement as we liveeach day.
And I'm not saying that we needadditional things to God's word
, but I'm saying that God, inhis goodness, has shown himself
to us in our everyday lives,from things like creation, the
sunrise, the sunset you know ittakes a breath away.

(01:14):
Or how about looking at a clearblue sky?
Or you know how about that songon the radio that gives you
encouragement.
You know God can use certainthings and I just want to
reference this by saying thatthings are not contrary to his
nature to inspire and encourageus.

(01:35):
So for the last couple ofepisodes we have been learning
and exploring the story behindcertain songs and hymns.
Exploring the story behindcertain songs and hymns.
We have seen that certain hymnshave been written and how they
can still encourage us today.
So in today's episode we aregoing to learn about the hymn
called what a Friend we have inJesus.

(01:56):
All right, here is verse one ofwhat a Friend we have in Jesus.
What a friend we have in Jesus,all our sins and griefs to bear
.
What a privilege to carryeverything to God in prayer.
Oh, what peace we often forfeit.
Oh what needless pain we bear,all because we do not carry

(02:19):
everything to God in prayer.
So so our story begins in theearly 1800s in a small town of

(02:50):
Bagbridge County down Ireland,and it's there in 1819 that

(03:20):
Joseph Scroven is born into awell-off family.
Joseph is a bright,compassionate young man with a
bright and promising future.
He graduated from TrinityCollege in Dublin and in his
early 20s he was diagnosedDeeply in love and engaged to be

(03:40):
married.
But just one day before hiswedding, tragedy struck and his
fiance drowned in a tragicaccident in the river Bain.
That's a sad story, a sadsituation Can you imagine, you
know, looking forward to gettingmarried and then a tragic

(04:00):
accident happens.
And in his grief, josephdecided that he needed a fresh
start, hoping for a newbeginning.
So he left ireland behind andmoved to canada.
And he was hoping to have afresh start.
So he settled in port Hope,ontario.

(04:23):
During this time he sought asimple life, devoting himself to
Christian service.
So he began working as a tutor,a laborer, and he became known
in his community for his, hisgenerosity and his humility.
Joseph's faith grew stronger ashe channeled his sorrow into

(04:44):
helping others, and he could beoften seen chopping wood for
elderly neighbors, visiting thesick and assisting those in need
, and expecting nothing inreturn.
They say he was called the GoodSamaritan of Fort Hope and
people knew him as a kind soul,someone who truly lived his

(05:04):
faith every day.
After some years passed, josephdid find love again.
He became engaged to a youngwoman named Eliza Catherine

(05:27):
Roach, but unfortunately,shortly before they were to be
married, she fell gravely illwith pneumonia and of course
Joseph prayed desperately forhis fiance.
He cared for her, butunfortunately she passed, passed
away, and this left Josephheartbroken again.

(05:47):
This is his second loss of afiancee right before their
wedding day, and you can see howso much pain in his life he
turned to his faith as a sourceof strength and found purpose in
helping others, dedicatinghimself to serving the poor and
sick.
So that's what he did.

(06:08):
He continued to serve others.
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?

(06:28):
We should never be discouraged.
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend sofaithful who will all our
troubles, all our sorrows, share?
Jesus knows our every weakness.
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

(06:59):
So how did Joseph Scroven cometo write what a Friend we have
in Jesus?
Well, one day in 1855, hereceived word that his mother,
who was still back in Ireland,was sick and was going through a
very difficult time.
He was unable to travel back tocomfort her, but he wrote her a

(07:25):
letter including a poem thatspoke of the comfort and
friendship found in Jesus.
This poem was simple andheartfelt and it came directly
from his own experience ofsuffering and loss.
He titled it prayer withoutpray without ceasing, but would
later become known as the hymnthat we know today as what a
Friend we have in Jesus.

(07:47):
A few years later, a friend cameacross the poem and was moved
by his message.
The friend asked Joseph, did hewrite this?
And Joseph modestly said theLord and I did it.
Between us.
The words were so deeply rootedin faith and personal hardship.
It quickly spread acrossChristian communities, but he

(08:13):
never even intended for it to bepublished.
For it to be published Then, in1868, the hymn reached even
greater popularity when it wasset to music by a composer named
Charles Converse.
And from that point, what aFriend we have in Jesus became a
staple hymn in churchesworldwide, resonating over

(08:36):
different denominations andcultures.
Its simplicity and sinceritystruck a chord and the hymn
became a favorite of thoseseeking solace in difficult
times.
In 1875, the hymn writer IraSankey discovered the hymn and
included it in one of hiscollections of hymns that became

(08:58):
known as Skanky's Gospel Hymnsno 1.
Joseph Scroven's life didn'tbecome easier after he wrote the
hymn.
He continued to live a lifemarked by humility and
self-sacrifice, but he alsotended to battle depression and

(09:18):
loneliness.
But he also tended to battledepression and loneliness, and
in 1886, joseph's life endedunder somewhat mysterious
circumstances.
He was found drowned in a lakenear his house and some say he
may have taken his life due tohis ongoing struggles with
mental health.
But no one knows for certain.
But even in his passing, hislegacy lives on through this

(09:43):
hymn, a testament of power, ofthe power of faith in the midst
of suffering.
Are we weak and heavy laden,cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still ourrefuge?

(10:06):
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise,forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In his arms he'll take andshield you.
You will find a soul is there.

(10:33):
So what do we take away fromjoseph scoven's story and the
hymn that he left us?
Perhaps it's a reminder that weare never alone in our
struggles.
We learned that Joseph enduredstruggle after struggle and
particularly loss after loss,and he turned to his faith, not

(10:57):
as an escape but as a source ofgenuine comfort.
He just didn't write about hisfriendship with Jesus.
He lived it.
He found strength and comfortthat he could share with others.
It was a reminder to us that,no matter what we face, we have

(11:18):
a friend in Jesus whounderstands our struggles and
our sorrows and is there tocarry our burdens.
1 Peter 5, 6-9 tells us Alright.
So thank you for joining us onthis journey.
In the proper time, he mayexalt.
You Cast all of your cares onhim because he cares for you All

(11:41):
right.
So thank you for joining us onthis journey to learn about the
story behind what a friend wehave in Jesus.
You know, this story has aresonance of faith and hope that
, even though in our darkestmoments, we have someone there

(12:02):
with us, even though if we feelalone.
So I hope joseph's story hasinspired you, um, as his hymn
has inspired you, you know, many, many times.
So I hope you enjoyed thisepisode, subscribe to the
podcast, faithfully Living thePodcast and until next time,

(12:24):
take care, keep the faith andremember God is always good and
he's always faithful.
Thank you for listening to thepodcast.
Do me a favor by following thepodcast and leaving a review to
help spread the word.
I look forward to hearing fromyou.
You.