“‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”
‘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!”

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!


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.


I’m so glad I learned to trust The,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Will be with me to the end.


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!


Brianna: This hymn was written in 1882 by Louisa Stead. As the story goes, Louisa had always felt a calling to be a missionary and go to China. But due to fragile health, she was kept home in the US. She married Mr. Stead and had a daughter named Lily. When Lily was 4 years old, the family went on vacation to a nearby beach. While there, relaxing and enjoying their vacation, they saw a young boy drowning in the ocean. Mr. Stead swam out and tried to rescue him, only he was pulled under by the boy and both Mr. Stead and the boy drowned as Louisa and her daughter watched from shore. 
    Louisa was left without any means of support except for God’s care. She and her daughter were in dire poverty—one day when there was no food in the house and no money to purchase any, Louisa opened the front door to find someone had left groceries and money sitting there for her. That same day she sat down and wrote “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.” She later became a missionary to Africa, remarried, and once again had to stay in the US due to her health. But once recovered, she went back to the missionary field in Rhodesia and later died in Zimbabwe. Her daughter Lily married and became a missionary as well.
    Tiffany: I love the words of this precious hymn because I have lived them out! There is a wonderful rest that comes from simply trusting my omniscient and omnipotent Savior and taking Him at His Word. When I try to do things my way—trusting in my own finite knowledge of what is best—failure always ensues. Yet the Lord daily proves His faithfulness to me, giving me ample opportunity to “prove Him over and over,” and His goodness never ceases to amaze me. My constant prayer is that He would give me grace to trust Him more. The joy, peace, and victory that comes from resting in Christ and being completely surrendered to Him is truly indescribable.


“Just as I Am”
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me.
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.


Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee Whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.


Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve:
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!


Just as I am, Thy love unknown,
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yes, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!


Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!


    Brianna: Born March 18, 1789, Charlotte Elliot was known by others as light-hearted and fun-loving. She lived in England where she became popular for her satirical verse and cartoons. When she was 30, she was diagnosed with a degenerative disease that quickly put an end to her carefree youth. As her disease worsened, she began to sink down into deep depression. She ceased writing and drawing, and seemed to be nearing death.
    Charlotte’s father was a godly man who often entertained ministers. One of these, Dr. Cesar Malan, of Geneva was visiting the house when he happened to ask Charlotte if she knew herself to be a Christian. Because of her illness, Charlotte tended to be irritable. In a petulant tone, she replied that she did not wish to discuss religion. Dr.  Malan apologized for any offense he might have caused and told her he would pray that she might give her heart to Christ and employ in His service the talents which He had gifted her with.
    The Holy Spirit used this simple conversation to prick Charlotte’s conscience. Because of her harsh words to the doctor, she saw the pride and alienation from God that was in her heart. After several days of misery, she went to Cesar Malan and confessed that his question had troubled her. “I am miserable,” she said, “I want to be saved. I want to come to Jesus; but I don’t know how.”
    “You are right to feel a sense of sin,” answered Malan. “Without it, no one comes to the Savior for pardon and life. But you must come just as you are, a sinner, to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.”
    Charlotte did. She came to the Savior just as she was. A new hope filled her life—a new calling. She wanted to know and serve her Savior. Despite her debilitating illness, she rose early and sought her God.
    She wrote: “My Heavenly Father knows, and He alone, what it is, day after day, and hour after hour, to fight against bodily feelings of almost overpowering weakness and languor and exhaustion, to resolve, as He enables me to do, not to yield to the slothfulness, the depression, the irritability, such as a body causes me to long to indulge, but to rise every morning determined on taking this for my motto, ‘If any man will come after Me, let Him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’”
    She began to use her literary gifts to further Christ’s kingdom. Twelve years after her conversion, she wrote the hymn, “Just as I Am.” During her life she wrote 150 hymns. Cesar Malan’s prayer was answered—her talents were used in wondrous ways. She died on September 2, 1871, at the age of eighty-two. It would be appropriate to sum her life’s vision with her own words: 
“Jesus, make Thyself to me, 
A living bright reality: 
More present to faith’s vision keen, 
Than any outward object seen: 
More dear, more intimately rich, 
Than e’en the sweetest earthly tie.”
    Tiffany: I have always treasured this classic hymn. As II Corinthians 9:15 says, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift”! What a relief that God did not require me to meet a certain standard of holiness before I came to Him for forgiveness and saving grace. Jesus Christ paid the price for my sins, and His righteousness is now mine to claim. In the words of another precious hymn, “In a love which cannot cease, I am His, and He is mine.” Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!


“It is Well with My Soul”
Brianna: On November 22, 1873, Horatio Spafford bade farewell to his wife and four daughters as they boarded a ship which was to take them to Europe. Earlier that year, the great Chicago fire had destroyed Mr. Spafford’s business and home. He was now sending his daughters to Europe with their mother to attend school there, as Chicago schools had been burned, while he stayed behind trying to reconstruct his business.
    That night the ship that the wife and daughters were on, sunk after colliding with another sailing vessel. All the girls drowned, leaving only the mother who survived.
    The next month, Mr. Spafford was traveling on another ship to England where he planned on reuniting with his wife. As the ship passed over the exact spot Mr. Spafford’s daughters had drowned, a poem began to form itself in his mind:


When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrow like sea billows roll,
Whatever my life, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.


Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hast regarded my helpless estate,
And has shed His own blood for my soul.


My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought,
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh my soul.


And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
Even so it is well with my soul.


Tiffany: I have echoed the words of this hymn in moments of peace, joy, and gladness; and I have recalled it in times of sorrow, confusion, or disappointment. No matter what the season of life I am in, the Lord has used it to encourage me. Dear sisters, it is well with my soul! I can say that with strong confidence, because I know that my Redeemer lives—one day my faith will become sight, and even now, while I “see through a glass, darkly,” His peace, His joy, His love, His grace, His strength, and His presence fill my daily walk with my Savior. Regardless of the circumstances I find myself in, my God is ever with me and He upholds me with His right hand, where no one can pluck me out.
    Conclusion: Most hymn writers were ordinary Christian men and women who responded in a Christ-like manner to various circumstances that came their way. They then proceeded to record and share God’s faithfulness and the lessons He taught them through trials and triumphs. As daughters of the King, may each of us do likewise—proclaim the goodness of our Lord! “I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations.”—Psalm 89:1

The words of this lovely hymn were written by Isaac Watts, a familiar hymn writer during the 1700s. William Croft composed the tune before the song was written. The reason why I chose this beautiful hymn for my article is because of the comfort and joy those words bring to us in this particular hymn. Singing these divine words can help a lot when you are feeling alone and forsaken by God. But this song proves that God will never leave or forsake you. The lines in this hymn were written from Psalm 90:1–5.
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Dear Sisters,

Greetings in our Lord Jesus! I am so thankful for the gift we have had to walk together through the years that Tiffany has published Virtuous Daughters magazine! It's sweet to follow the Lord and to reflect on the lessons that He is bringing home deeper and deeper in our hearts as the years go by. I am excited to share with you a few things the Lord has been teaching me lately on the topic of identity.

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”—Hebrews 12:1–3
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Life can be called a journey, a path, or a race. We Christians are embarking on an adventure and sometimes we start to feel weary. Discouragement takes a toll on us and we begin fainting.

This excellent passage in Hebrews offers some practical encouragement on how to stay focused in the race. Let’s dig in and see what we find

My Dear Sisters,

Greetings in the exalted name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, faithful and true! I hope this letter finds you rejoicing in the great goodness which God has stored up for those who trust in Him (Psalm 31:19)!

…The Lord has been very gracious to teach me more of Himself and draw me closer in a special way over the past several months. At the beginning of the year, Gideon designed for me a beautiful framed picture that said: “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”—Psalm 37:4 I decided that that verse would be my focus Scripture for 2013, and it has been exciting to watch God faithfully work in my life through His Word.

Dear Sisters,

I hope this letter finds you delighting in the Lord and rejoicing in the majesty of His character! Lately I have been pondering Psalm 34:1 and asking God to make it a reality in my life: “I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” The Lord is gracious and worthy of our praise!

Dearest Sisters,

“...Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe He is precious...” 1 Peter 2:6-7 Greetings in Christ, my sweet friends! I pray this letter finds you rejoicing in the greatness of our God and praising Him for the truly precious Savior we serve.

…I was eagerly anticipating this issue’s topic, “A Joyful Servant’s Heart,” as the call to serve the Lord is one which He has deeply impressed upon my life. Isaiah 49-50 are beautiful passages to me, outlining a servant’s call and obedience. Although I believe these are prophecies of our Lord Jesus, are we not admonished to walk in His steps?! What a beautiful example He has set before us. “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to mnister, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:27-28

Earlier this year, my sister and I, along with our mom, began planning a ladies’ luncheon to celebrate God’s faithfulness. We spent much time in prayer and preparations, and the Lord’s hand went before us. We were so encouraged that we decided we’d like to do it again in the future, highlighting another of God’s attributes

Psalm 34:1-3 says, “I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.” This was essentially our goal for the luncheon: to gather with sisters in Christ and magnify the Lord together. After lunch, visiting, games, and a craft project, we closed the luncheon with a devotional time, prayer, and hymn singing. I truly did feel that each of us girls had made our boast in the Lord and in His great goodness; I saw God’s faithfulness in a completely new way as each lady read meaningful Scripture and exalted His name. It was such a special time of edifying, “iron-sharpening” fellowship.


The Lord has been faithful to place each of His children in just the right place to best glorify Him. But sometimes the Lord gives opportunity for unique fellowship when His daughters gather in one place and share how He is working in our lives. It is a way to be rejuvenated before heading back to our field of service. It is such a blessing!


So I wanted to encourage you to prayerfully consider hosting a ladies’ tea or luncheon. It can be elaborate or simple, long or short, large or small...if you make Christ the Center of your time together, it is sure to be an encouragement to yourself and all who come!


Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing...


Plan food that is yummy but simple. Your guests can help with the food by bringing a side, dessert, or drink. Soft background music during the meal adds a special effect.


Think of fun games that will help girls who don’t know each other to laugh, somewhat “breaking the ice.” We have some ideas gleaned from others and we’d be happy to pass them along if you’d like. J Prizes for games are always fun, too! They certainly don’t need to be extravagant, but cute, simple gifts are a great surprise.


Have a theme Scripture for your gathering and encourage your guests to bring their Bibles. We used 1 Corinthians 7:34 and titled our devotional time “Single-Hearted Devotion to Christ.” We also asked the girls to bring a handwritten Scripture that reminds them of God’s faithfulness. During the devotional, each lady read her verse and shared how it has encouraged her. The Scripture cards were later shared among the girls.
   
Set aside time for prayer & singing. This is the heart of your time together; it is such a special way to seek the Lord together. The devotional, prayer, and singing portion of our luncheon was definitely the highlight for me. Being surrounded by sweet, godly young ladies who love and serve our Savior was such a blessing to me.


I hope these ideas encourage you to consider coordinating a gathering to encourage the young ladies you know. May the Lord richly bless your efforts to exalt His name!             


Rejoice in the Lord, dear sisters, for He is good!    


Much Love in Christ,
Tiffany
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Dear Sisters,
One thing the Lord has reminded me lately is, in the words of Proverbs 14:26, “In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge.” One of my goals in life is to have peace rooted in my Savior, Jesus Christ. There are certain spiritual weaknesses that will hinder this peace in my life. For example, fear and anxiety will cause me to worry and will not allow me to keep my thoughts stayed on Christ; self-pity will cause me to be dissatisfied; pride will cause me to concern myself with what others think of me (fear of man); and disobedience will cause me to have a guilty conscience.

One evening I was reading a children’s book about prayer to the twins. We modified its “system” a bit, and I used the twins’ hands (above) as a visual. Hope it helps!

    A good way to remember who to pray for each day:
    Thumb--Since it’s closest to our heart, this finger reminds us to pray for the people we love the most: family and friends.
    Pointer Finger--Perhaps we’ve seen teachers and pastors use this finger when trying to get a point across! It can remind us to pray for our spiritual leaders.
    Middle Finger--It rises high above the rest, which reminds us to pray for our government and our country’s leaders. 
    Ring Finger--As the weakest finger, it reminds us to pray for those who are ill, those who are weak, and those who are spiritually lost.
    “Pinkie”--The smallest finger, it reminds us to pray for ourselves, but only after we have lifted up others, for Christ’s way is always self last.
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