Daily devotion – Help….
God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble….Psalm 46:1
These words mean nothing to people who have not walked through the valley of the shadow of death. They are just ink on a page to someone who has not experienced grief, pain, or sorrow so strong that you think you cannot physically bear it.
But for those whose lives have been such a storm that seemingly decimated all they loved, these words are lined with the love, grace and comfort of God Himself.
A young Irishman, Joseph Scriven – 1820/1886 – was deeply in love with a young woman, and they had planned to be wed. The night before their wedding however, she drowned in a tragic accident. For months after, Scriven was bitter, living in utter despair.
At last he turned to Jesus Christ, and through Christ’s blessed grace, Scriven found peace and comfort. It was out of this experience he wrote the familiar hymn that has brought consolation to millions of aching hearts: “What a friend we have in Jesus / All our sins and griefs to bear!”
Sometimes our way lies in the sunlight. It did for Joseph Scriven as he approached his wedding day. But like young Joseph Scriven, we may find that our path also leads through the dark shadows of grief, loss, disappointment, heartache and sorrow.
Yet even sorrows turn to blessings when they make us less attached to this world we live in and more attached to God. Then more than ever we discover that Jesus truly is our friend – “All our sins and griefs to bear!”
This week, if you find yourself in a situation like Joseph Scriven, turn to the one Who will hold you and comfort you in His great love.
Christ is our refuge and strength!