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This touching video explains  how Louisa Stead,

 

came to write this hymn.

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Louisa Stead was born in Dover, England in 1850.

As a child she felt the call of God upon her life

for missionary service but due to frail health,

it was deemed an impossibility for her.

Eventually Louisa moved to the U.S. ,

married and gave birth to a daughter named Lily.

After the death of her husband,

Louisa was left with no means of support but The Lord

AND HE DID NOT FAIL HER.

The day arrived when she and her daughter

were in dire poverty.

She opened the front door one morning

to discover someone left food and money on her doorstep.

 The Lord inspired her to write this hymn.

 

 

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Soon after this experience Louisa realized her dream.

She  and Lily  left

for missionary work in South Africa.

 She married Rev. Robert Wodehouse and served there 15 years.

Failing health forced Louisa to return to America in 1895.

During this time her husband pastored

a local Methodist Church

while she regained her health.

 

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In 1901 they returned to Africa,

assigned to the Methodist missionary station at Umtali,

in Southern Rhodesia, or Zimbabwe as it is known today.

Shortly after arriving , she sent this message

back to her friends in America,

“In connection with this whole mission

there are glorious possibilities,

 but one cannot, in the face of the peculiar difficulties,

help but say, ‘Who is sufficient for these things?’

But with simple confidence and trust

we may do and say,

‘OUR SUFFICIENCY IS OF GOD.’

 

 

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She ministered to the Rhodesian people until her death

in 1917 at age 67.

Afterwards, a fellow missionary wrote about

the continued use of Louisa’s song

she had written 35 years previous.

“We miss her very much,

but her influence goes on as our five thousand native Christians

continually sing this hymn in their native tongue…”

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’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!”

Refrain:

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!

 

Oh, 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 Thee,

Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;

And I know that Thou art with me,

Wilt be with me to the end.

 

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Not only was Louisa’s missionary work a fitting legacy,

but Lily, who became Mrs. D. A. Carson,

served for many years in the mission field

of Southern Rhodesia.

 

 

 

 

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GOD’S WONDERFUL PLAN OF SALVATION

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Acts 16:30-31

”Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

And they said,

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,

and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

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Romans 10:8-13

But what saith it?

The word is nigh thee,

even in thy mouth,

and in thy heart:

that is,

the word of faith, which we preach;

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth

the Lord Jesus,

and shalt believe in thine heart

that God hath raised Him from the dead,

thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto

righteousness;

and with the mouth confession is made unto

salvation.

For the scripture saith,

Whosoever

believeth on Him

shall not be ashamed.

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek:

for the same Lord over

ALL

is rich unto

ALL

that call upon Him.

For whosoever shall CALL upon the NAME of the Lord

SHALL BE SAVED.

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The plan of salvation is simple.

Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ,

died for your sins and rose again from the dead.

Ask Him to forgive you of your sins.

Invite Him into your heart to be the Savior of your soul.

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When you’re crying yourself to sleep,

know that Jesus is lending His shoulder to you.

When you’re pushed to the ground,

know that Jesus is holding out His hands to you.

When you feel like dying,

know that Jesus died to let you live.

When you feel like no one loves you,

know that Jesus loves you more than you can imagine.

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