'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, "Thus says 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!

Those are the familiar words of the first verse and chorus of the hymn, "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus." It has been said that familiarity breeds contempt, and I believe that can be very true of many of the most familiar hymns. We've sung them so many times that they're committed to memory, and we mindlessly recite what feels like hollow lyrics. This is one of those songs, but a closer examination of the lyrics and a look at its background will prove just how dear it is.

The song was written by a woman named Louisa M. Stead in 1882. Details on her early life are somewhat sketchy, but Louisa was born in Dover, England in 1850, and felt a call to the mission field as a teenager, but her poor health prevented her from doing so. At age 21, she moved to America and married, and she and her husband had a daughter, Lily.

In 1875, the Stead family went for a picnic on Long Island Sound. While there, they heard cries from help coming from the direction of the water. The desperate screams were those of a young boy who had been caught by the waves and was unable to reach the shore. Mr. Stead threw himself in the water and swam to the boy in hopes of a rescue, but instead, Mrs. Stead and Lily watched in horror as both Mr. Stead and the boy drowned.

After the death of her husband, Mrs. Stead soon became destitute. Yet, with all of the financial struggles she faced, she found that God was ever faithful. She found that even in her state of poverty, God always provided, and she and her daughter never went without what they needed. "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" was written in response to her experiences with the faithfulness of the Saviour.

Despite her poor health, God paved the way for her to fulfill her missionary calling in 1880. She served on the African field and remarried while there. In 1895 when her health forced her to return to America, but in 1901, she returned to Africa, where she remained until her death in 1917. Over the course of those years, she served the Lord in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Rhodesia. Lily followed in her mother's footsteps by marrying a missionary and also serving God in that capacity.

It truly is sweet to trust in Jesus. I have found -- as have many others -- that some that I have believed to be trustworthy were not. Those that are trustworthy are still bound by human frailties, and eventually, death takes the most willing and able to aid us. Jesus Christ, however, will never fail us. He is always trustworthy, has no weaknesses, and has already conquered death. He is a God who cares, knows what's best, and is able to provide our needs. 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.