Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3:5-12, Romans 8:26-30, 2 Corinthians 1:20-22, Hebrews 9:11-14
I don’t have just one sweet tooth. I have a mouth full of them. But don’t tell my dentist, because the mere mention will probably pre-qualify me for a shiny set of dentures down the road. Chocolate chip cookie dough, funnel cakes with powdered sugar, sour gummies that make your mouth pucker—I’m here for all of it.
Candy, along with other types of “sweets,” like newborn kittens and handwritten notes, are indulgences, unnecessary delights. But when Louisa Stead wrote the hymn, “‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus,” I don’t think it was in response to cotton candy swirls or a beautiful stroll in the park.
In fact, it was a very tragic day at Long Island Sound. What began as a perfectly sunny morning for Louisa, her husband, and their young daughter, Lily, quickly turned into the unfortunate. They sat on the embankment together enjoying a picnic lunch when, all of a sudden, they were interrupted by the sights and sounds of a young boy drowning in the water. Louisa’s husband jumped in after him, but neither the boy nor the man attempting to rescue him survived. Walking away from the scene a grieving widow and single parent, Louisa’s circumstances were anything but sweet. Yet, these are the words she chose to write:
‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!
When our lives reflect the brokenness of this world, it is then that we see trusting Jesus for what it truly is: an absolute necessity. We need Him, but His trustworthiness is what makes trusting Him with our need so much sweeter.
‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus when our worlds are spinning deliciously on their centers, when we’re steady and our sights are set on sugary delights we don’t need. It is sweet to trust in a God who desires to give His children abundantly good things. And ‘tis so sweet to trust in Jesus when everything has fallen apart and nothing resembles the life we’re used to, when we’re disoriented and unable to fix our attention on anything but present pain. It is sweet to trust in Jesus, who identifies with our sufferings and carried them for us in His body and to the cross.
While I would never wish Louisa’s loss on anyone, her story lends credibility to those of us (all of us, really) who have felt similar pain, giving us the confidence to proclaim the kindness of our God, even when our circumstances feel anything but kind. When she wrote this hymn, I don’t think Louisa was claiming that her grief had suddenly disappeared by trusting Jesus. Instead, what I hear in her words is the surprise, the sweet relief, that she could still trust Him, come what may. We can, too. O for grace to trust Him more!
‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
Text: Louisa M. R. Stead, 1882
‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
and to take Him at His word;
just to rest upon His promise,
and to know, “Thus saith the Lord.”
Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!
O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
just to trust His cleansing blood;
and in simple faith to plunge me
neath the healing, cleansing flood! Refrain
Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
just from sin and self to cease;
just from Jesus simply taking
life and rest, and joy and peace. Refrain
I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
and I know that Thou art with me,
wilt be with me to the end. Refrain
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56 thoughts on "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus"
I needed this today. The sweetness of trusting in Jesus overwhelms me this morning. The past couple days I felt so much grief from the news headlines, especially the many people who drowned on the duck boat in my state of Missouri. I grieve for them, especially the mother who lost her husband and all of her children. I am reminded this morning that trusting in Jesus is everything – especially in our grief.
Sending love to your heart..❤
Amen sister amen
Hi Rachel. Fun to see a friend I know doing the same study :) Praying for you.
Oh how I needed this today. I am a newly minted single mom. My kiddos dad became an atheist and filed for divorce 4 years ago, and his interest in the kids has been fading. But yesterday evening I got word from him that he’s moving across the country. That’s the short and sweet version – there’s a lot of pain in that. And yet – God’s been so so faithful. I’ve learned to trust in His provision – financially and otherwise. It is sweet to trust in Jesus. He never fails us. {and I’m a dental hygienist and trust me – we all have a sweet tooth! You should see our break room! We just floss and fluoride like crazy}
Angela, I’m so sorry to hear the pain you’re going through. Praying that God would protect your and your kiddos hearts and bring healing to your family.
Angela I know what it’s like to be in your shoes. I was divorced when my kids were young. Then when my oldest son died my youngest son lost faith in God and Christ. Andrew, my youngest, was 15 at the time. I have not been able to get him back. So I will be praying for you.
This is on of my favorites, I have sung this over my soul so many times reminding myself to Trust Jesus in all circumstances.
Throughout my life I see my sweet Jesus beckoning me to Trust Him. I thought I had no issues with trusting. As I have gotten older, my 4 boys haven grown into men, and Im now an Oma, I can see TRUST is a constant choice! I choose to trust in spite of what my eyes see, I choose to trust even when my heart is ripped from my chest, i choose to trust when my idea of how life was suppose to look has been completely chattered, i trust!
I am so thankful my foundation is solid, when the winds of life threaten to tear me apart I can trust my Rock and my shelter! ❤️
Amen!
This song goes so well with our weekly truth. The only way I am able to “rest in God alone” is to trust Him. My prayer today is that I will remember and rest in the sweetness that comes in trusting Jesus. I can take Him at His word. I can rest on His promises. He has been trustworthy in the past. I can trust Him in the future.”
perfectly needed today…
Reading these words, I couldn’t help but reflect upon my pain and struggles for the last two years. And how incredibly sweet it has been to see my faith deepen as the Lord has provided perspective on what’s truly important. So thankful we are more than what we think of our lives, more than what others think, but we are His beautiful precious daughters. Claiming His promises with joy today!
My prayer today is from Hebrews 9:14; that my conscience would be cleansed from dead works so that I can serve the living God.
This verse stuck out to me today as I head into another season of ministry that will consume most of my time. I do not have the time, energy, resources to spend on “dead works”. ‘Tis so sweet to trust that Jesus will help me in this.
Praying for you today as you set about the Father’s business! Knowing He will make the way as you walk the way He has prepared being His hands and His feet!
“Trust in Jesus.”
“Take Him at His Word.”
“Rest upon His promise.”
“To know ‘Thus saith the Lord.’ ”
I love that today’s hymn starts with these words in the very first stanza. Trust flows from believing the Word. Believing the Word brings resting on the promises found there. When I’m tested and unsure and questioning, my trust relies on nothing less than the Truth : “thus saith the Lord.” My trust is based solely on what the Bible says. This hymn always encourages me to spend more time knowing the Word. Then I’ll know Him for Who He is : Jesus. Savior. Friend. Now that’s sweet!
Sweet!!!
yes…..this <3