when gloomy doubts prevail.

Dear refuge of my weary soul,

On Thee, when sorrows rise 

On Thee, when waves of trouble roll,

My fainting hope relies 
To Thee I tell each rising grief,

For Thou alone canst heal 

Thy Word can bring a sweet relief,

For every pain I feel

But oh! When gloomy doubts prevail,

I fear to call Thee mine 

The springs of comfort seem to fail,

And all my hopes decline

Yet gracious God, where shall I flee?

Thou art my only trust 

And still my soul would cleave to Thee 

Though prostrate in the dust

.. it's hymns like these that comfort me so much. Because when I feel things like this and get really nervous about them, 

I'm reminded I'm not alone, at the very least. 

Hymns like this are surely not written in our current time. 

So many songs nowadays make me feel like I have to have a great big smile on my face and be fully confident in Christ to sing them.

I feel like those songs are lying about what the Christian life is actually like. That's why I think hymns like these are important. 

Because they're reality. 

Like this hymn shows us. That Jesus is the dear refuge of our weary souls. The one on whom our fainting hope relies. 

That's right - my FAINTING hope. 

What's amazing is that God invites me in, even with my fainting hope. 

Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face, 

And shall I seek in vain? 

And can the ear of sovereign grace, 

Be deaf when I complain?

No still the ear of sovereign grace,

Attends the mourner's prayer

Oh may I ever find access,

To breathe my sorrows there

Thy mercy seat is open still,

Here let my soul retreat 

With humble hope attend Thy will,

And wait beneath Thy feet, 

Thy mercy seat is open still,

Here let my soul retreat

With humble hope attend Thy will,

And wait beneath Thy feet