(Joni sings)
I wandered o’er life’s stormy road
No hope in sight for me.
My eyes were blinded by my tears;
I could no shelter see.
Then I met Jesus, wonderful Friend!
He loved and saved me, love without end.
Now I am walking close by His side.
Storms may surround me; in Him I hide.
I love that old hymn... it’s a Nazarene hymn and not many people sing it nowadays, but whenever I’m feeling low, or blue, or (as the song says) wandering on life’s weary road... whenever I just can’t see the light through the dark, I sing this hymn as a declaration. And I don’t know why... but Jesus always seems sweeter when we find Him in the dark, He seems brighter when we are feeling blue... He comes across more like the rescuer, more like the deliverer when we are down in the dumps. Like this hymn says, “Then I met Jesus, wonderful friend.”
It’s part of why God sets us out on that weary road... and it’s a little like this poem written by 19-year-old Robin Saunders... she says:
Without the dark, what could light reveal?
Without a question, lies would still conceal
Without the fire, there’s still impurity
Without the pain, blindly I would see
Without a struggle there’s no challenge overcome
Without a battle, there’s no victory to be won
Without a night, there’s no dream born again
Without this faith, my life would be in vain.
Robin’s captured something with this poem, hasn’t she? Because without the fire and the pain, the struggle and battle, if there were no night... we wouldn’t apprehend Jesus as that wonderful friend.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 93176
© Joni and Friends