Draw Back

From Thomas Wilder's "The Angel That Troubled the Waters"...

A physician suffering from melancholy comes to the pool (John 5:1-4) in this fictional story to be healed. The angel tells him to draw back, that the healing is not for him.

"Without your wounds where would your power be? It is your melancholy that makes your low voice tremble into the hearts of men and women. The very angels themselves cannot persuade the wretched and blundering children on earth as can one human being broken on the wheels of living. In Love's service, only wounded soldiers can serve. Physician, draw back."

It brings to mind another verse in the Bible... "For by His wounds, we are healed." (Is. 53:5)

Majesty

Majesty (Here I Am), by Delirious

Here I am humbled by your Majesty
Covered by your grace so free
Here I am, knowing I'm a sinful man
Covered by the blood of the Lamb

Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

Majesty, Majesty
Your grace has found me just as I am
Empty handed, but alive in your hands
Majesty, Majesty
Forever I am changed by your love
In the presence of your Majesty

Here I am humbled by the love that you give
Forgiven so that I can forgive
Here I stand, knowing that I'm your desire
Sanctified by glory and fire

Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

Oh the deep deep love of Jesus!

I awake this morning, albeit a bit early, to thoughts about the love of God. I have often passed over without a second thought the three words, "God loves me".

• The love of God is real.

About a month ago I started reading through the gospels with a focus on finding Who Christ is. I tend to be a schedule-driven person, but threw out my usual "read in a year" or a "chapter a day" focus. I am not even halfway through Matthew and the Person I am seeing is one Who is touching my heart in His actions, Who He is. I am stopped by such simple words as "and He was filled with compassion". Those words are always in reference to pain or need. What touches me is that they apply to my life and yours. Do I picture my own moments of pain as "filling Christ's heart with compassion for me"?

What if, and I am not trying to justify pain or its meaning, but what if our pain exists in part to open wide His heart, but more importantly, ours, to the wonder and reality of His love for us? I find myself so closed sometimes and those times of real honesty in a moment of pain cause the gates to open, the walls to fall down, and allows God to break through.

• The love of God is transforming.

It seems that people who are love one another change. There almost is a glow about them that radiates from the love they have for one another. Love that is right will find each person better as time goes on. That change is but a reflection of how God's love can change me and you. "We love because He first loved us." If I am to love people, it is through the love of God that I can do so.

• The love of God reflects Who He is.

I am convinced, and I will post more on this in the future, that things exist to reflect the character of God. Creation shows us the power, personality, and creativity of God. "In Him was life" -- can we deny this after looking at how alive creation is? There are so many things that one can stop and meditate on that could take forever because they reveal so much of Him.

I wanted to post a song that has been running through my head. It is an older hymn, but it has such meaning. It's picture is one I find appropriate -- that His love is like an ocean rolling, over, under. It is enveloping. It is all powerful. And it is sustaining (we all need water to live). Oh what wonderful words!

Oh the deep deep love of Jesus!
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fulness over me.
Underneath me, all around me,
Is the current of thy love;
Leading onward, leading homeward,
To my glorious rest above.

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus!
Spread His praise from shore to shore,
How he loveth, ever loveth,
Changeth never, nevermore;
How He watcheth o’er His loved ones,
Died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth,
Watcheth o’er them from the throne.

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus!
Love of every love the best;
‘Tis an ocean vast of blessing,
‘Tis a haven sweet of rest.
Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus!
‘Tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory,
For it lifts me up to thee.