’Tis So Sweet: Trusting Jesus More and More

Some songs bear the weight of a whole life. A few notes of a familiar melody can feel as nostalgic as flipping through photos captured on an old roll of black-and-white film. Lullabies and love songs send you back in time to moments that shaped you, tied forever to the people who made them meaningful.

I can think of at least one moment when a song seemed to pull an entire lifetime into focus. Years ago, on a morning draped in gray skies, I attended the funeral of a family member who had served in Vietnam. Near the end of the service, strains of “Unchained Melody” drifted out over the crowd. 

“Oh, my love, my darling . . . ”

As those first tender words filled the air, the widow reached for the hands of the grown children seated on either side of her. They wept together in the front row, grieving the end of a love story that had spanned decades. 

For the widow, the song flashed with snapshots of their whole married life: the young bride and groom dancing to it at their wedding; him, listening to it over a crackly radio while serving his country; her, humming it to their babies back home. The song found them again and again over decades of joy and sorrow, trauma and triumph. 

A half century later, the same melody welcomed them back onto the floor of a family wedding reception, where they danced one last time, remembering the love that started it all. 

A Song for All Seasons

Not long ago, I attended a concert at my local church and sat on a different side of the sanctuary than normal. The leader in charge of the ministry dedicated to widows and widowers walked in front of the section and waved, and row after row of senior saints in front of me waved back to her. 

It struck me then how many memories must wash over them when the worship team leads us through a classic hymn like this one:¹

’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.”

To someone outside the church, that refrain may seem sentimental, even naïve. But sung from the hearts of these widows, it feels more like a battle hymn.

Their husbands may have been the ones who were drafted into service, but these women have waged battles of their own for their families, friends, and communities. They’ve fought on their knees, wrestling with questions that threatened to unravel their trust in God, and walking through valleys so dark it seemed no light could break through. 

Now, with bodies showing the wear of time and empty beds where their husbands once slept, they sing with hard-earned conviction: “’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.” 

In an increasingly cynical world, their faith is humbling. The older I get, the more I'm drawn to these older women who have shown that love for Jesus is able to grow ever-sweeter with a lifetime of learning to trust Him. 

’Tis So Sweet 

At my church, a mentorship program launches each January. In the men’s program, each participant is asked to write what he hopes his obituary will say one day. Many include “servant of Christ.” “Loving father and friend.” “Faithful to the end.” 

It’s made me think about what I hope mine will include, and as I’ve meditated on it, 1 Peter 1:8 has come to mind: “Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy.” 

Though she has not seen Him, she loves Him. 

Those words could be said of many of the older women in my church—as much as they have loved their husband, children, siblings, and friends, their love for the Lord has been the defining melody of their lives. They live out the lines of this song:

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!

In Their Footsteps 

That simple refrain echoes with profound guidance for younger women hoping to follow in their footsteps:

• Trust Him daily.

Acknowledge Jesus as completely trustworthy—surrendering all plans, desires, and worries to Him, following His lead rather than your own. 

• Prove His faithfulness through seasons.

Look back on what He has said and done, allowing testimonies of His proven character (throughout His Word and your life) to grow your faith. 

• Cherish Him above all else. 

Understand that He is worthy of your devotion and deepest affection, your worship and gratitude, your time and attention.

• Admit your weakness.

Humbly accept you need His grace to be able to depend on Him day by day. 

Lord willing, you will have many more days until you see Him face to face. Listen to the words of that old song today, and rehearse some of the reasons you find it precious to turn to Him. Here are a few of mine: 

• Jesus has never failed me (Josh. 21:45).
• Jesus gives life in His name (John 20:31).
• Jesus set me free from sins I didn’t think I’d ever escape (John 8:36).
• Jesus still shows me mercy every morning (Lam. 3:22–23). 
• Jesus has given me purpose (Eph. 2:10). 
• Jesus has provided wisdom and guidance (James 1:5).
• Jesus has fulfilled every one of His promises (2 Cor. 1:20).
• Jesus has been my comfort in unbearable pain (2 Cor. 1:3–4).
• Jesus has been my light in the darkness (John 8:12). 
• Jesus has been my strength in my weakness (Psalm 28:7).
• Jesus is my joy (Psalm 16:11).
• Jesus is my song (Ex. 15:2). 
• Jesus is my friend (John 15:15). 

To the End 

When I attended the funeral years ago, it wasn’t the song itself that brought everyone in attendance to tears. It was the way it represented a life well-lived, filled with shared dreams, sacrifices, and devotion. 

Not every relationship will grow more precious with time, but the kind of love that endures is anchored in something unshakable. It’s what our walk with Jesus needs as well, and it begins by trusting Him today. 

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

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8).

In case you missed it in the post, here’s a link to “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus,” performed by musical duo Shane & Shane. Want to hear them in person? They’ll be leading us in worship at True Woman ’25 in October! Learn more and register today!

¹ Louisa M. R. Stead, 1882, “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus,” public domain.