Musical Notes

Hello OCBC family,
“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15).

The context of this verse is when Jesus, during the last supper, explains to his disciples that he is the true vine and the disciples are the branches. We are the branches, dear brothers and sisters. And we know that he abides in us and we must abide in him. Now, during the first part of this discourse, Jesus is telling them that they are branches and servants, but he changes the image; the disciples are not just branches and slaves, but Jesus called them friends. Jesus is sharing with them everything that the Father shared with him. What a blessing to know that the King of kings and Lord of lords called us his friends.

And because he is our friend, we have the assurance that he can hear our petitions, and we can trust that he will answer our prayers.

Because of this, Joseph Medlicott Scriven (1819–1886) an Irish-born Christian, wrote a sweet and loved hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”
Joseph’s life was full of tragedies, nevertheless, he trusted in the Lord. First, he could not join the army because of his health. Then, before his wedding, his fiancé died suddenly in a drowning accident. He got engaged again, but sadly, his fiancé passed away a few months before the wedding because she became very ill.

“What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev'rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Ev'rything to God in prayer!”

He moved from Ireland to Canada, and because his mother stayed in Ireland, he wrote these lyrics as a poem to give comfort to her, not knowing that this poem would later become the hymn that we know.

Because of his life full of tragedies, Joseph suffered from a deep depression. Even though, he tried to live his life following the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon of the Mountain.

“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 ev'ry weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer!”

The sad part of this article that I must share is that Joseph was found dead, drowned in Rice Lake, but because of his severe depression, it is not known whether he died by accident or suicide.

“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.”

There are a few things we can learn from this lovely hymn. God is sovereign over our circumstances. Nevertheless, Christians will suffer from trials, but we can go to our Savior for help and refuge.

When was the last time you suffered from a problem? Maybe yesterday, but be assured that if you go to the Lord in prayer, He will give you the peace you need.
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In His service,
Israel