RAW FAITH SERIES: JOSEPH MEDICOTT SCRIVEN, THE LIFE ABOVE TRAGEDY.
Born in 1819 in modern day Ireland, United Kingdom, not much was known of him until he moved to Canada at the age of 25.
He wrote the popular hymn WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS.
Well, do you know that it was the tragedy of loosing his fiance a day to his wedding that made him turn to Christ.
The anguish of the pain buffeted his heart to the point of giving up, it was at that sacred moment he became born again.
The journey of his faith began but something happened again that led him to pen this popular hymn.
This popular hymn was originally titled PRAYING WITHOUT CEASING, it was to comfort his mother at the sick bed.
It was a poem written to be seen alone by his mum.
In 1857 he moved near to Port Hope, Ontario where he again fell in love and was due to be married, but in August 1860 his fiancée fell ill with pneumonia and died.
The same poem he composed for his mum became the note he was meditating on.
Rather than be dejected, he chose to look at Jesus alone.
When life’s trouble come there is only one place to look at, it’s mercy seat.
The trouble didn’t make him turn against God rather it strengthens his walk with God.
Faith is best define as our walk with God than any other thing.
He then devoted the rest of his life to tutoring, preaching and helping others.
Faith makes us see God’s sufficiency.
When we see, we live.
Life can’t break a man who has met Christ not even death.
Faith is not possessing things alone, it makes us POSSESS GOD.
It makes us endure and triumph over all things, 1 John 4:4 and 1 John 5:4.
He didn’t write this hymn to be popular but to comfort his mother through his encounter of Faith.
In 1886, at his death bed, he had the same hymn right with him, that when his friend saw it.
Faith is a universal language if it worked for his mother, it worked for him too.
He asked him what purpose it was for, he told him it was to comfort my mother in the midst of her illness.
The circumstances surrounding his death were not clear but never a suicide as the media projected.
His lifeless body was found in a nearby river after a day of searching the entire city.
Scriven’s life inspired faith to endure and triumph in the midst of satan’s attack.
Here is the poem as it was originally composed:
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.
No one man of faith ever stopped praying because it will always make you depend on God for daily help and breath.
Trouble can’t break you, FAITH EATS THE MOUNTAIN.
Blessings.
AT Joel.