| Proverbs 18:24- “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” |
What do you do when life gets tough? We’ve all been there, those moments when everything feels like it’s falling apart. Some people might blame God or others, thinking that it must be someone else’s fault. Others might just give up, walking away from their friends or even their faith. It’s a situation that Joseph Scriven found himself in.
Joseph had a privileged childhood, with wealth, education, and the love of his family in his native Ireland. But then tragedy struck, opening the door to his life. He was on the verge of getting married, but the night before, his fiancée tragically drowned. The pain was unbearable, and he felt like no one could understand what he was going through.
Amid his darkness, Joseph turned to his one true friend, Jesus. And as the clouds began to lift, he made a life-changing decision. He left Ireland and ventured to Port Hope, Canada, a place across Lake Ontario from Niagara Falls. His purpose became clear – to help those in need. He selflessly gave away all his clothing to those less fortunate and worked tirelessly without any pay.
His acts of kindness earned him the nickname “The Good Samaritan of Port Hope.” But his journey wasn’t without more hardships. He received news that his mother had fallen ill back in Ireland. Instead of panicking, Joseph wrote her a heartfelt letter, enclosing a poem he had written and a prayer. He wanted to encourage her and let her know that she was not alone.
Years later, Joseph himself fell ill. A friend visited him and noticed scattered papers by his bedside. One of them caught the friend’s attention, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Who wrote these beautiful words?” Joseph simply replied, “The Lord and I wrote them together.”
And what were those words? They were a poem, that became the song What a Friend We Have in Jesus, that captured the essence of faith – the ability to lean on and rely on someone who is always there for us.
And what were those words? They were a poem that captured the essence of faith – the ability to lean on and rely on someone who is always there for us. As the wise man once observed, “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). Joseph Scriven had learned that when everyone else seemed lost, Jesus remained the most steadfast and loyal friend.
None of us ever hope to face terrible adversity, but when it does come knocking at our door, let us remember the friend who truly cares.
Robert G. Taylor
robertgtaylor.com
