Tis So Sweet

------ T I S S O S W E E T T O T R U S T I N J E S U S --------

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.

What does it mean to prove someone else? It could be to defend or validate him. It might be to prove something about him - his innocence or trustworthiness or dependability. I would suppose this sort of proving is most often done with evidence and argumentation, with bold claims and backing them up. We show how someone is innocent or trustworthy or dependable via stories and hard proof. We speak highly of that person then give evidence of our claims. It is hard work of a noble sort to display someone else’s best qualities, to validate and prove that person.

What is it though, to prove Jesus? The perfect and holy son of God. The irony of this matter is that it is ignobility and an inability to prove ourselves that “proves Him o’er and o’er.” The lyric is not a boast, but a confession. If it is boasting, it is boasting in Jesus Himself. Unlike proving a person, be it ourselves or another, proving Jesus is not done through strength and conviction as much as it is through weakness and inability. To prove Jesus is really to acknowledge our need for Him to prove Himself. He does not need our help; we need His.