Sabbath Devotional :: Come, Ye Disconsolate

Image from Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Today I was at the funeral for my 17-year-old nephew, Zachary. Zachary had muscular dystrophy, which is a genetic disease that runs in my family. My younger brother had the same disease and passed away five years ago. I have another nephew, still living, who also has this disease.

My brother and my nephews have faced enormous challenges and difficulties in life that are very visible. I have become acutely aware that most of us face enormous challenges and difficulties that are not so visible, but no less significant.

At the funeral today, my niece sang a beautiful arrangement of a hymn that I was unfamiliar with. The words can be found in our hymnbook. I have gone back to reread them several times.

The hymn is titled “Come, Ye Disconsolate.” Disconsolate means “without consolation or comfort.” I have found myself in that place at different times in my life — unable to find comfort, unable to feel peace. During those times, I sometimes believed that I must be doing something wrong — because aren’t we supposed to always be able to find comfort and peace in the gospel of Jesus Christ? I think I even believed that God was looking at me with disappointment because I was struggling so much to find peace.

But I have learned that is not the case. Our God is not a God who is disappointed in us when we are suffering and struggling. He is a God who is full of compassion and mercy and grace. He is a God of pure love, who weeps with us when we are weeping.

The words of this hymn sank deep into my heart today and have stayed with me. I share them here, knowing that we all carry wounds and worries and sorrow, hoping that these words can reach into all of those places in each of our hearts.

Come, Ye Disconsolate
Come, ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish;
Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel.
Here bring your wounded hearts; here tell your anguish.
Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot heal.

Joy of the desolate, Light of the straying,
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying,
“Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot cure.”

Here see the Bread of Life; see waters flowing
Forth from the throne of God, pure from above.
Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing
Earth has no sorrow but heav’n can remove.

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Text: Thomas Moore, 1779-1852. Verse three, Thomas Hastings, 1784-1872