My grandfather was such a man of God and he wrote poems all the time. He published two books of poetry and I have the privilege of having many of his poems passed down to me. My grandfather graduated to Heaven in 1999 but I know he’d be thrilled to know his poems live on. He wanted to glorify God with his life and that is still happening. He had a Friend Who was so special to him that this is why he wrote this poem.
Friends we have that are very deep.
These are the friends we love to keep.
Then there are shallow friends we know
These are the friends that come and go.
Jesus wants to be our personal Friend
Our Friend He’ll be to the very end.
A Friend, Who is closer than a brother,
With Him as Friend, we need no other.
If we have friendship with this world
Our friendship with Jesus we have hurled.
What a Friend we have in Jesus, so true
So kind and a better Friend you never knew.
Imagine walking along the Sea of Galilee back in Bible times and seeing this Man walking, talking with the people and healing them. I love the song: Stranger of Galilee.
In fancy I stood by the shore, one day,
Of the beautiful murm’ring sea;
I saw the great crowds as they thronged the way
Of the Stranger of Galilee;
I saw how the man who was blind from birth,
In a moment was made to see;
The lame was made whole by the matchless skill
Of the Stranger of Galilee.
I would love to have met this Stranger during His walk on earth. Can you imagine the throngs around Christ? I can see the people. Can you imagine the children that could just tell that this stranger was no stranger at all but Someone who was bringing hope and peace for all eternity. Then, to see these people healed from sicknesses! This is a Stranger we all need as a Friend and that can happen.
And I felt I could love Him forever,
So gracious and tender was He!
I claimed Him that day as my Savior,
This Stranger of Galilee.
This Stranger of Galilee is really a Friend we can get to know intimately. I claimed Him as my Savior when I was just 12 years old. Have you claimed Him? Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Come, ye who are driven and tempest-tossed,
And His gracious salvation see;
He’ll quiet life’s storms with His “Peace, be still!”
This Stranger of Galilee;
He bids me to go and the story tell—
What He ever to you will be,
If only you let Him with you abide,
This Stranger of Galilee.
Have you accepted His salvation? I’m so glad I did. Life has been pretty stormy lately and yet I can hear Him saying to me, “Peace, be still for I am with you.” I don’t have to go from storm to storm alone. I don’t have to sit and wonder what to do and how to get through the storm. He is with me and this Stranger of Galilee is no longer a stranger to me but my Savior. Now He wants me to go and tell others how they can know Him. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” (Matthew 28:19)
Oh, my friend, won’t you love Him forever?
So gracious and tender is He!
Accept Him today as your Savior,
This Stranger of Galilee.
JOY IN KNOWING MY FRIEND
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