The Gift of a Rescue

Recently, I saw an image of a weary man, fallen on the sand, hand outstretched, as if to give his last effort to reach for help… and from that one image, I envisioned the whole of humanity, since time dawned on Earth, collectively aching and reaching out for a Savior.  

In the last few years, we have been through a lot. The world is tired.  One doesn’t have to look far to acknowledge our need for help… I would say it has likely been this way since the Garden of Eden.

For as quickly as the Creator created, His creations denied His love. It only took until Genesis chapter 3 for the trajectory to change dramatically. Instead of intimately living with God, following His will, and abundantly abiding in a perfect world, Adam and Eve’s fall was ours as well. 

Since then, God has repeatedly proven faithful in pursuing us with His love (see whole Bible).  And, seemingly, just as faithfully, humans of all time have remained steeped in selfishness, saturated in sin. All of us, to varying degrees, have “fallen short and sinned” (Romans 3:23).

We are so pathetic, really.

It moved me to think how human, how lowly, how needy we all are.

The worst of us all can be played out nightly on the news, and had Lester Holt’s Nightly News been around in the B.C. era, the same stories would have been reported. In analogy, we are crawling desperately, like that man in the sand, marred with the choices we make as we live according to the flesh. 

For all the crimes and misdeeds committed over and over on this spinning Earth, we should hardly be able to lift our chins to see our Rescuer. Sadly, many people won’t. Many missed Him and even walked this Earth with Him.

However…

Our God possesses a staggering love. 

Rescue was His plan all along.  And Jesus was the only way to see us out of our darkness. 

He entered and lifted our chins for us so that we can accept these truths:

We are darkness, He is light. (1 John 1:5)

We are lowly, He is exalted. (Psalm 46:10)

We are filthy, He is pure. (Hebrews 4:15)

We are bound, He is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)

We are parched, He is living water.  (John 4:14)

As soon as Jesus bridged the canyon between man and God, darkness is now only an option. We don’t have to live steeped in selfishness, saturated in sin. His life sacrifice removed all the misdeeds from Eve’s first bite to Earth’s last sin.

God is so holy and so righteous but we are so fallen and foul. Only the cost of Jesus’ life could remedy the pain of centuries and the guilt of all. As if this was not wonderful enough, the even better news is that we don’t have to earn it!  It is free for the taking, if you only accept it.

And when you do, you are no longer just a weary wanderer of this Earth, but a new creation!

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

May you be reminded this Holy Week of God’s plan for your redemption.  

May you ponder the wealth of love God has for us all in the gift of a rescue that was so very necessary. 

May you feel hopeful.

Just like that first image of the man in the sand, there is one of another Man hanging on a cross. This Man, however, is giving His last effort to extend all the help we need. ❤️

Strength for the Middle

 

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Waiting is the hardest, especially when you don’t know how long the wait will be. 

Months? Years? Decades? 

When the starting momentum has long since faded, and the end result seems nowhere nearby, it’s the middle that can undo a person. This waiting can be described as a desert period for many. It’s dry and, at times, hopeless.  

In the middle, changes, though subtle, are happening.  You are perhaps growing, becoming better at trusting in whatever God’s plan is. It’s this period that matters most. 

What will you do in the middle? 

Many don’t have the fortitude to see it through. Too many calendar pages have turned. Many don’t have the patience required of them, because giving up on hope seems the easier way out. 

Drawing an analogy from a suspension bridge, I had to google just how the middle is supported…. My guess is that it would be the weakest point on any bridge, and therefore, need the most attention. If it weren’t for the two towers on each end of the bridge, the middle would surely collapse. The many steel cables that attach the middle to the towers are the reason the middle stays strong.

We may not have visible steel cables, attaching us to towers, but we are all surely tethered to something. Is God your supply of hope and strength for the middle of your journey? Do you draw daily from His wisdom? How about a verse that you cling to as reminder of God’s promises?

Being tethered to other things can seem to get us by for a while…. We humans can drink, shop, eat, complain, and  escape with the best of them. When there is nothing to do but wait, it’s easy for us to distract ourselves in some fashion. But those pursuits are costly as well, and only pacify for the short term. 

We see that “waiting” is a common theme in the Bible. Many of the stories we read involve years (like 20, 30, 40!) before a result is brought forth. Many of the people in the Bible were impatient, and as a result, tried to alter or fix the situation, without God’s help. Eek! Talk about cutting the tethers!

No matter how long your middle has lasted, may you be encouraged today that this is the part that really matters, and just like a bridge, it’s the part that needs the most attention. This is where God will meet you and sustain you when you would rather not take the next step. When nothing has changed and each day seems the same as the one before, God can weave together your story in His perfect timing, leaving no doubt that His hands have been all over it the whole time.

When you are tethered to the Lord, friend, you are held.

You are secure.

The middle might be long.

The middle might be scary.

But, the middle is where your faith can come alive, mature, and strengthen.  What you do in your middle- your waiting—- can be the difference in a collapse of your own undoing or a deliverance into the plan God has for you. 

Tether yourself to the Almighty One… only He can provide strength for the middle.

More verses for the middle:

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22

“As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses round us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right-hand side of God's throne.”  Hebrews‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭

Above All Else

Above all else, love each other deeply. 1 Peter 4:8

You know what is one of my greatest challenges some days?

 Loving the people in my own home. 

After a day of work and giving of my self to the demands of my job, even loving the people of the world, it is a real struggle sometimes to pull the car into the garage and set my mind to loving the people in my own family. 

Not because my brood is unlovable, but because my resources are low. The vat of patience, forgiveness, and energy that was filled to the brim in the morning, is nearly empty.  Some days, decompression doesn’t come until bedtime. Too late. Tempers flared, harsh words spoken, and peace gone. In the throes of parenthood, marriage, and career, there will be days like this. 

It’s interesting to note that the beautifully framed verses that hang from the walls in our home can be really difficult to apply. “Above all else, love one another deeply.” Those words are visible on our living room wall. What a wonderfully stark reminder of our need, our call, to hold love as a number 1 priority. 

The truth is, just because we are exhausted, sad, sick, or otherwise doesn’t disqualify us to love our family. 

If anything, home is where we turn up the dial. If our children are to inherit a real, tangible faith, they are to see it in action. If I am to honor my husband, it is done without an edge in my words. Mom’s long day should not negate her capacity to love. Dad’s work deadline shouldn’t make him callous with words. Toys on the floor or a drink left on the end table should not always unleash a lecture about responsibility. There’s another way. Our choice of words and attitudes sway the environment of the evening. Our loving-even-when-we-don’t-feel-like-it “spurs one another on” (Hebrews 10:24). 

I am held accountable today that if all of the loveliest verses hung from our walls don’t move us, remind us, encourage us, or change us in some way, they might as well not be there.  Loving at home is not optional or mood-based.

May you be reminded today of your role of loving those in your home. It can be nearly impossible some days, but your spouse and children deserve it.  

It takes priority. 

It takes purpose. 

It takes heeding the words of scripture over and over again.

“Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:32‬ ‭

“Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:4-7‬ ‭