‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His word 

Just to rest upon His promise, And to know thus saith the Lord”

~ song written by Louisa M.R. Stead (1850-1917)

I wish someone had taught me this song and its message when I was a young child. I was raised in the Catholic faith, and though the scriptures were taught weekly from the podium in church, and I went to catechism weekly, I do not recall learning much in the way of trusting Jesus in all my affairs. We were taught about Him but not much regarding relationship with Him. We learned to pray the three prayers that were said said with the rosary.

Trusting God is the main thing

Today I think that’s a sad state of affairs and the reason is because after I had wrecked my life and subsequently discovered Him at the age of 26, then later was filled with the Holy Spirit, and now have studied Scriptures for many years, I believe trusting Jesus to be THE main thing. It is the one thing that is absolutely necessary for us to experience the peace that comes from trusting Him in the midst of what can be daily chaos for many of us, especially when we are tempted to let emotions rule the day.

I am reminded of Susannah Wesley, the mother of John and Charles Wesley, who were well known preachers in the Methodist tradition in the 1700’s. From Grok 3: “Susanna Wesley, who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, was married to a preacher and raised ten surviving children (out of 19 born). Facing extreme hardships, including poverty, debt, and the loss of homes to fire, she struggled to find time for personal prayer. To cope, she would throw her apron over her head as a signal to her children that she was praying and not to be disturbed. This practice allowed her to find moments of spiritual solace despite the chaos of her large household. The story is often shared as an example of steadfast faith and creative resilience in motherhood.”

Living well in all aspects of life

To truly live and to live well, is to trust Jesus in every single thing that life brings to us, whether it be an empty bank account and bills due, the loss of a spouse or a child, not getting what we want, watching the chaos in our society in the midst of the growing darkness and sin, experiencing sickness and aging. There are many who live in war zones and in famine, whose lives are at risk every day. There are promises in the bible that deal with everything that comes to us.

To live well is to trust Jesus. I know it sounds trite and too simple. But it’s truth! Once you experience the peace from trusting Jesus, you know it’s a real thing! I used to have a bright red sweatshirt with a message on it written in the Coca-Cola font. It said “Jesus Christ, He’s the real thing.” Yes indeed, He is.

‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus and yes, He is the real thing.