The words to this beautiful hymn were written by Johann Franck in 1653. He was born in Brandenburg, Germany. Involved in law and politics, he possessed also a religious spirit and a love of nature. He was influenced by his friendship with godly men, who helped him to avoid the pitfalls into which other young men stumbled. He wrote at least 110 religious songs, and this one appeared in a compilation of Johann Cruger’s, who also composed the music for it. Johann Sebastian Bach took Cruger’s work and arranged and harmonized it, giving us the glorious version we have today. The music is included in Bach’s chorale, Jesu, Meine Freude (Jesus, My Joy).

“‘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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Throughout the New Testament, there are several verses which speak about showing hospitality to others. In 1 Peter 4:9, we are told, “Use hospitality one to another without grudging.” Two other passages list  hospitality as a requirement for leaders in the church. There are numerous examples of people who showed hospitality to others, in the Bible. Think of Mary and Martha, who with their brother, Lazarus, received Jesus into their home! Later, we see believers opening their homes to other Christians as thy traveled through each area. And in Romans 12:13, we read that we should be “Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

“Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of Thy countenance. In Thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted. For Thou art the glory of their strength: and in Thy favor our horn shall be exalted. For the LORD is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our King.” ~Psalm 89:15–18~
 
My sister’s diligent efforts in studying for the local Bible Bee competition culminated in a grand vacation to Bible Bee Nationals which our entire family was able to enjoy. Thus, on this particular November day, I found myself in a dazzling hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois, surrounded by godly, likeminded believers who truly treasured God’s Word.

I was in the process of running an errand when I overheard a conversation between two young men on the hotel elevator. One of them, having noticed the other’s Bible Bee contestant shirt, asked, “How is your test day going?” When the contestant replied that all seemed to be going well, the young man continued, “Are you ready to dominate the Bible?”

I felt stunned. Immediately, my heart was filled with grief and disappointment at the sound of one esteeming God’s Word in such an irreverent manner. As if any mere human could possibly supersede God’s holy, inerrant, immutable Word! How I longed to lovingly but firmly refute his statement! Before my mind could collect a response, however, the contestant spoke up, smiling in obvious earnestness: “I don’t believe the Bible can be dominated.”

Visibly embarrassed, the other young man made feeble attempts to rectify his original statement. “Well, yeah,” he stammered, “but, well, be dominated by the Bible . . . you know what I mean.”

As the elevator reached its destination, the contestant thought for one brief moment before he said, “I do want my life to be controlled by God’s Word.”

​[I want to clarify that the National Bible Bee in no way endorses or facilitates inappropriate attitudes toward God’s Word. Rather, the contestant’s response in this story is a more accurate picture of what God is using the Bible Bee to work in families all across the nation. The person who made the other statement was not even enrolled in the Bible Bee, and I do believe that he did not intend to be irreverent toward God’s Word. He seemed caught up in the excitement of the event, and simply used the wrong words. However, the object lesson I gained from the situation became the foundation for others, including this article.]

Hello Girls,
  
For my family, hospitality is very important. And I can’t say that we have always done hospitality the same way, which is why I would like to share my stories and some suggestions of hospitality.
  
First of all, hospitality and family boils down to the same thing: to bring glory to God. Then it is clear to see that:
  
​The family is powerful.

There is a drastic difference between the ways of the world and the teachings of the Bible. While the world promotes rebellion, independence, and disrespect for authority, the Bible teaches submission and honor. While pride and “me first” attitudes are common in the world, the Bible way is to humbly prefer others before ourselves. The list could go on—in music, dress, attitude, yes—in every area of life—God’s ways, and the world’s, are in opposition.

Besides being an excellent ministry opportunity, hospitality provides a great foundation for building healthy Have you ever wanted to have a family ministry that was based in your own home? Look no further than your own front door! Hospitality is a fantastic way to bless others while still being able to stay at home and work together as a family. Galatians 6:10 says: “Therefore as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those of the household of faith.”

Sigh! Do you have the habit of allowing sighs to escape your lips throughout the day? Have you ever thought to consider that little gesture? Most of the time they transpire without our realizing. I was convicted about sighs recently and would like to share with you what the Lord revealed to me. Are they only harmless little puffs of air?
   
​What type of sigh do you utter?

Thanks to God!
(by August Ludwig Storm, translated by Carl E. Backstrom)
 
Thanks to God for my Redeemer, Thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a mem’ry, Thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, cheerful springtime, Thanks for summer, winter, fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten, Thanks for peace within my soul!
 
Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered, Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered, Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure, Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure, Thanks for love beyond compare!
 
Thanks for roses by the wayside, Thanks for thorns their stems contain!
Thanks for homes and thanks for fireside, Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!
Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow, Thanks for heavenly peace with Thee!
Thanks for hope for the tomorrow, Thanks through all eternity!
 
      “O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever.”
—1 Chronicles 16:34

      “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.”—Hebrews 13:15
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      “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
—1 Thessalonians 5:18