This morning, as I was getting ready, I just kept singing praises to God, particularly:
“’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!”
“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!” (Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus, Arstead, Louisa, 1882)
What a wonderful reminder! It got me thinking, though: how often do we sing these songs, and let them apply to our lives? Worse still, how often do we quote the promises of God through the Scriptures to others, and yet we don’t apply or trust it in our own lives? Do we trust Jesus like we say we do, or are we trying to follow Jesus on our own terms?
As believers and followers of Jesus, we’re called to live boldly for Him. Such a boldness calls us to trust Him completely with the outcomes. Whenever I read the word, I see that those who seek to follow Christ with everything they are will face trials and opposition, even cruelty, torture or death. And yet, each of those people who gave all for God, in the Old Testament looking forward to, and in the New Testament placing all their hope in Christ, were blessed, even in the trials they faced. God has ordained us for our place and time. He is calling us, as He has called believers since ancient times, to trust in Him completely, to trust Him with the outcomes, and to trust that He will see us safely home. It is indeed sweet to trust in Jesus. Let us take Him at His word!
2 Timothy 3:10-17
You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Hebrews 10:32-39
But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For,
“Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
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