During this Covid-19 pandemic, I've been leading online Bible studies for my church family, looking at some of the passages that speak to the ways in which God's people respond to times of trial and suffering. Today's hymn contains some of the themes that have emerged from those studies, drawn from Lamentations 3:21-23, James 1:2-3, Romans 5:3-5, and Romans 8:35-39. It's set to the tune of the old hymn "O Jesus, I Have Promised."
The Suffering Song
O Lord, when all around me
Are trials of all kinds,
This comfort I will cling to,
And this I call to mind:
Because of your great love, Lord,
We all are held secure--
Each day you pour out mercies;
Your faithfulness endures.
Let all my tribulations
Be counted as pure joy,
For though in sorrow's valley,
In this I can rejoice:
My suffering was shared by
My Lord upon the cross;
Yes, I am held by Jesus,
Who knows my pain and loss.
So on the road of trials
And in the vale of woe,
As perseverance rises,
May I be led to hope.
For though the world may crumble,
And all my loves be lost,
Still I will always cling to
The mighty love of God.
There's nothing in the heavens
Or on the earth below
Can ever separate us
From this triumphant hope:
That Jesus' love is endless,
Unshakable, and free,
And we will find our rest in
His love eternally.