Companions

“Hymns are companions for life travelers.” (Andy Griffith)

One of the major ways Christians let the Bible reside in us has been through singing hymns in church. Hymns are truth-filled songs that minister to us hope and faith. They teach us theology, unite us with Christians from the past centuries, and take our eyes off ourselves and put them on Jesus.

Tragedy strikes all of us at different times in our lives. For the believer, difficulty is the place we learn the greatest lessons about God’s faithfulness to us. Paul and Silas found themselves wrongfully imprisoned in the jail in Philippi (Acts 16). The song they sing at midnight changed everything, and demonstrates the power of their God to impact other’s lives even in the worst of circumstances.
In all three of these stories, a circumstance of life confronts the child of God.

And, in all three, God’s grace enables his child to trust the heart of the Father. Life is full of challenges. The songs we sing in the darkest of midnight will be the very songs that show the world the unwavering faithfulness of our heavenly Father, who cherishes. Consider the lyrics of these “midnight song” hymns.

“Wherever He Leads, I’ll Go”

In 1936, two friends were serving together at a Sunday school conference in Alabama. They were at lunch sharing what God was doing in their lives. One of the men was a missionary from Brazil.  He was currently on leave of absence. The other man was a hymn writer. He was leading the music for the conference. The missionary had a health issue that would keep him from returning to Brazil, a country he had grown to love. The news the missionary had received days ago had broken his heart emotionally.

The hymn writer asked, “What will you do?” And through tears, the missionary, R.S. Jones, told the hymn writer, B.B. McKinney, “Wherever He leads, I’ll go.” McKinney was so moved that he penned the classic hymn that afternoon and sang it that night after Jones had preached, recounts Terry C. Terry was a musicologist who wrote his doctoral dissertation about McKinney.

Since then, this song has been sung at invitation times and crusades, revivals and worship services. We may not always know where He will lead, but we do know we can choose to follow. The next time we stand at a crossroads of indecision and are asked what we will do may we have the grace to reply like R.S. Jones and B.B. McKinney, “Wherever He leads, I’ll go.”

"Take up thy cross and follow Me,"

I heard my Master say;

"I gave My life to ransom thee,

Surrender your all today."

Wherever He leads I'll go,

Wherever He leads I'll go,

I'll follow my Christ who loves me so,

Wherever He leads I'll go.

 

He drew me closer to His side,

I sought His will to know;

And in that will I now abide,

Wherever He leads I'll go.

Wherever He leads I'll go,

Wherever He leads I'll go,

I'll follow my Christ who loves me so,

Wherever He leads I'll go.

 

It may be through the shadows dim

Or o'er the stormy sea:

I take my cross and follow Him,

Wherever He leadeth me.

Wherever He leads I'll go,

Wherever He leads I'll go,

I'll follow my Christ who loves me so,

Wherever He leads I'll go.

 

My heart, my life, my all I bring 

To Christ who loves me so;

He is my Master, Lord, and King,

Wherever He leads I'll go.

Wherever He leads I'll go,

Wherever He leads I'll go,

I'll follow my Christ who loves me so,

Wherever He leads I'll go.

 “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”

In 1844, a young Irishman, Joseph Scriven, had completed his college education and returned home to marry his sweetheart. As he was traveling to meet her on the day before the planned wedding, he came upon a horrible scene. His beautiful fiancée was tragically lying under the water in a creek bed after falling off her horse. Later, Scriven moved to Canada and eventually fell in love again, only to experience devastation once more when she became ill and died just weeks before their marriage. For the second time, this humble Christian felt the loss of the woman he loved.

The following year, he wrote a poem to his mother in Ireland that described the deep friendship with Jesus he had cultivated in prayer through the hardships of his life. The poem was published anonymously at first under the title, “Pray without Ceasing.” Ten years later, he finally acknowledged this well-loved text had been written by him and his friend, Jesus. In 1868, attorney Charles Converse set the text to a tune and renamed it “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” Ken Osbeck tells the story in his book 101 Hymn Stories.

Instead of thinking God was punishing him; Scriven cherished God’s friendship through all of this hardship, a friendship he discovered in prayer. May we learn that our relationship with God will grow the same way in prayer.

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, 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.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.

 “It Is Well With My Soul”
Attorney Horatio Spafford and his wife, Anna, had a wonderful family of four daughters. Tragically, the great Chicago fire destroyed most of his business in 1871. Then, two years later, his wife and daughters were aboard the ocean liner Ville du Havre when it was struck by another vessel. All four daughters drowned. His wife survived and nine days later was able to contact her husband by telegraph with this question: “Saved alone. What shall I do?”

Spafford took the next available ship to join his wife. During the passage, the captain of the ship notified Spafford they were crossing the place where the Ville du Havre had sunk. After those moments of reflection and over the course of the rest of the journey, Spafford penned the words of this beloved hymn. May God teach us that “whatever our lot” we can still say, “It is well.”

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soul

It is well
With my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

 “You know when you're young you think you will always be. As you become more fragile, you reflect and you realize how much comfort can come from the past. Hymns can carry you into the future.” (Andy Griffith) [i]

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[i] Sources used:

·        “Hymns with a Message: Where He Leads I’ll Go” by Barry Kauffman

·        “It Is Well With My Soul” by GodTube Staff

·        “The 25 Most Popular Christian Hymns” by Kevin Halloran

·        “The Story Behind What a Friend We Have in Jesus” by GodTube

·        “The Unknown Stories behind Three Well-Loved Hymns” by Mike Harland