Click on picture for a song.
"Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus. Just to take Him at His Word..."
The words washed over me like a warm shower after a rainy October walk.
"Just to rest upon His promise; Just to know, Thus saith the Lord."
I closed my eyes and sang with all my might.
"Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him! How I've proved him o'er and o'er!"
My mind raced to keep up with the many many times He has been faithful to keep His promises. Why then do I doubt and fear?
"Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust him more!" I reached out for my Heavenly Daddy and begged for the grace to trust more.
All too soon the song was over and back into reality I walked as I filed out of the pew. Friendly strangers smiled all around me and welcomed me to their church. I felt good to be welcomed. We had tried another church closer to home but after many weeks of trying we just didn't seem to mesh with them. They did nothing wrong in fact we loved their theology but somehow we just didn't feel like we fit in. So far this church seemed to be working out as connection after connection was made, some of them with old friends we hadn't seen in years. We met several other large families who home school, too. What a relief it was to feel like maybe we had found our church home.
The next morning I woke up with that same song going through my head over and over again. I had no idea how much I would need that song in the coming weeks. I didn't need it to get through a lot of BIG things but I had time to ponder it. When the money we needed was more than the paycheck..."Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus" instead of money. When I wanted to worry about some issues with my kids.."just to take Him at His Word" instead of believing it's all on my shoulders. When I got lost going to Victoria's cross country meet and I was running too late..."just to rest upon his promise" instead of freaking out. When I tried to organize the living room and couldn't make it work..."just to know thus saith the Lord", all I need to do is ask and He will give me creativity to do what I need to. When I went wedding dress shopping with my sister and dressed my son up for his first Homecoming Dance...Jesus, Jesus how I trust Him. He loves them even more than I do and He will take care of them even when I'm not in control. When we tried to put the ceiling up in the laundry room and it looked like a million bullet holes had been blown through it..."how I've proved him o'er and o're", He has always provided a way to do what was needed.
The last line troubled me though as I pondered. In order to trust him more I would need to be in a place of needing Him more meaning I'm at the end of me again. I thought back to the time I was thanking God for all He had given us and He spoke to my heart saying, do you really love Me or do you love the things I give you? That wasn't an easy question and living the answer proved even more difficult than I could have imagined. I was tempted to delete that line from my song that had turned into a perpetual prayer. But the idea of being satisfied with the amount of trust I currently have was not OK. I found myself understanding a little better why God let's us struggle through things. He wants us to grow into even more than we believe is possible.
When I faced a disappointment that threatened to take me down..."Oh, for grace to trust You more." When I faced a situation where I felt cheated and disheartened.."Oh for grace". When I looked around at my house and felt overwhelmed..."oh for grace to trust". When I faced a new situation and having to be confident in something I didn't know how to do..."oh for grace". I found in that song a comfort, a reminder and a challenge. Isn't it so like God to give me a song for strength as He knew the challenges I would face.
One morning recently I read, "Our Daily Bread" a daily devotional and the story talked about a woman in a seemingly hopeless situation who always seemed to have a smile through it all. One thing she was known to say was that her children were in His hands. When one of them was tragically killed she said at the funeral, "My child is still in His hands." It broke my heart and I prayed again, "oh for grace to trust Him more". Later that day I learned that a dear friend of mine from work had gone to be in His hands while she slept the night before. It came out of no where. She was so full of love and joy and life. All of us are in complete shock. But God in His grace without my even knowing it had begun to prepare me to be able to trust that she is in His hands still.
Though it was the beginning of the song that had been my constant companion now the last verse suddenly sprang to life:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
The words washed over me like a warm shower after a rainy October walk.
"Just to rest upon His promise; Just to know, Thus saith the Lord."
I closed my eyes and sang with all my might.
"Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him! How I've proved him o'er and o'er!"
My mind raced to keep up with the many many times He has been faithful to keep His promises. Why then do I doubt and fear?
"Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust him more!" I reached out for my Heavenly Daddy and begged for the grace to trust more.
All too soon the song was over and back into reality I walked as I filed out of the pew. Friendly strangers smiled all around me and welcomed me to their church. I felt good to be welcomed. We had tried another church closer to home but after many weeks of trying we just didn't seem to mesh with them. They did nothing wrong in fact we loved their theology but somehow we just didn't feel like we fit in. So far this church seemed to be working out as connection after connection was made, some of them with old friends we hadn't seen in years. We met several other large families who home school, too. What a relief it was to feel like maybe we had found our church home.
The next morning I woke up with that same song going through my head over and over again. I had no idea how much I would need that song in the coming weeks. I didn't need it to get through a lot of BIG things but I had time to ponder it. When the money we needed was more than the paycheck..."Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus" instead of money. When I wanted to worry about some issues with my kids.."just to take Him at His Word" instead of believing it's all on my shoulders. When I got lost going to Victoria's cross country meet and I was running too late..."just to rest upon his promise" instead of freaking out. When I tried to organize the living room and couldn't make it work..."just to know thus saith the Lord", all I need to do is ask and He will give me creativity to do what I need to. When I went wedding dress shopping with my sister and dressed my son up for his first Homecoming Dance...Jesus, Jesus how I trust Him. He loves them even more than I do and He will take care of them even when I'm not in control. When we tried to put the ceiling up in the laundry room and it looked like a million bullet holes had been blown through it..."how I've proved him o'er and o're", He has always provided a way to do what was needed.
The last line troubled me though as I pondered. In order to trust him more I would need to be in a place of needing Him more meaning I'm at the end of me again. I thought back to the time I was thanking God for all He had given us and He spoke to my heart saying, do you really love Me or do you love the things I give you? That wasn't an easy question and living the answer proved even more difficult than I could have imagined. I was tempted to delete that line from my song that had turned into a perpetual prayer. But the idea of being satisfied with the amount of trust I currently have was not OK. I found myself understanding a little better why God let's us struggle through things. He wants us to grow into even more than we believe is possible.
When I faced a disappointment that threatened to take me down..."Oh, for grace to trust You more." When I faced a situation where I felt cheated and disheartened.."Oh for grace". When I looked around at my house and felt overwhelmed..."oh for grace to trust". When I faced a new situation and having to be confident in something I didn't know how to do..."oh for grace". I found in that song a comfort, a reminder and a challenge. Isn't it so like God to give me a song for strength as He knew the challenges I would face.
One morning recently I read, "Our Daily Bread" a daily devotional and the story talked about a woman in a seemingly hopeless situation who always seemed to have a smile through it all. One thing she was known to say was that her children were in His hands. When one of them was tragically killed she said at the funeral, "My child is still in His hands." It broke my heart and I prayed again, "oh for grace to trust Him more". Later that day I learned that a dear friend of mine from work had gone to be in His hands while she slept the night before. It came out of no where. She was so full of love and joy and life. All of us are in complete shock. But God in His grace without my even knowing it had begun to prepare me to be able to trust that she is in His hands still.
Though it was the beginning of the song that had been my constant companion now the last verse suddenly sprang to life:
- 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.
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
Click on picture for more about salvation.
P.S. In case any of you don't know this...Life is short and full of the unexpected sometimes good and sometimes not so good. But through it all Jesus has promised that He will never leave or forsake us. But we have left and forsaken Him. Because our hearts are sinful we have all broken His laws and therefore there is a huge chasim between us and Him. The good news is that He never breaks His promise so he has built a bridge across the chasim in the shape of a cross. It is a cross that cost Him His very life to construct but He did it because He loves us and wanted us to have a way to Him. There are many who stand on the opposite side of Him and look across to see Him but refuse to walk across. These people often look and play the part of a good person or even a church person but they are still on the wrong side. May I beg you, if you have not put Your life His hands, please cross that bridge and be on His side, your very soul depends on it. He doesn't promise an easy life but He does promise life eternal. Contact me or someone you know who loves the Lord if you want to know more about any of this or how to cross the bridge. Life is too uncertain to be uncertain of where you will end up.
With Love,
Misty Sunshine
With Love,
Misty Sunshine
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