I hear you. Life hasn’t gone how you imagined. It’s not always neat and tidy. In fact, today is quite messy.
And this is our common human experience. We have moments, hours, days, months when our faith fails and darkness reigns. It’s okay to feel it, to say it. God knows it. Jesus empathizes with us in our darkest hour.
On the cross, he asked “Why?” In his own human experience, Jesus felt the Father’s distance too. It seemed he was forgotten. Feeling separated from God is a desperate place to be.
But, in the moment Jesus breathed his last, that gap was filled. The veil in Jerusalem’s temple— separating man and woman and child from God’s presence— was torn, removed, destroyed. Forever.
That space between us and Father God is filled with Grace.
We are free to enter and pray boldly. We are free to enter and speak honestly. We can have the audacity to sit with God and get really real. And, truth is, we can stay in his presence. His Spirit lives in us, if we so choose.
So, here we stand on the other side of history. His Story gives an open invitation to approach Grace’s throne. We can stand before him justified—as if we never sinned. Yes, think about that for a sec.
The cross of Christ justifies us. God sees us as though we NEVER sinned. And that’s just the beginning, my dear friend.
But first, we all face the questions and the decision, Is Jesus Lord or not? Do I believe in his power to save me and raise me to new life with him? Or not? Being separated from God is a desperate place to be. There’s great power and potential in a moment.
We say yes and it just happens. In that moment, we trade death for eternal life and the cross has the final word.* On sin and shame and guilt and fear and death. Always. It doesn’t mean we won’t experience darkness again. It means we will see Redemption create collateral beauty in it.
I am compelled to thank the Lord for every single lesson or truth I’ve learned by walking through the darkest of times. Times I thought I wouldn’t make it, times when I questioned “why?” times when I wondered where God had gone. And why had the darkness taken over. But, time and again he’s brought me through. And time and again, I offer up my deepest praise for the journey. Isn’t that what Easter is all about? New beginnings born from deep loss. ~ Sandi Carlson, https://deeperwaters.blog/
My friend, there is redeeming value in our messy human experience. Though it seems it will never end, it’s a segment of time. “You will grieve but your grief will turn to joy.” Jesus empowers us to suffer well.
Though is seems we’re abandoned, we’re not.
God hears you. Life hasn’t gone how you imagined. It’s not always neat and tidy. In fact, today is quite messy. My friend, let’s watch for beauty. And a miracle will spark in the co-existing of joy and grief. Right here. In the Presence of God.
I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life. ~ John 8:12
Inspired by a message from B. Wangler. Watch it @ http://c1naz.org/media/media-item/355/when-darkness-reigns
*Listen to Newsboys sing “The Cross has the Final Word.” It’ll bless your socks off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI1E6s-5hVI NEWSBOYS
Photo: Pixabay.com
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