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| Little Lambs Photo by Bgrace |
The words come from the hymn "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross."
A couple of weeks ago we sang this hymn in church. As we sang that line sorrow and love flow mingled down it was like a whole universe of meaning and understanding opened up to me. I realized that I knew what that felt like. In my journey, I have had but a whisper of the experience of Christ, but it has been the most beautiful whisper that ever echoed in my soul.
What sorrow He must have felt in the midst of betrayal, rejection, and contempt.
What pain from the abuse He suffered.
What shame when others accused Him of raising himself up against God in the midst of the most difficult acts of submission ever imagined.
And yet in the midst of His sorrow He looked on us with love, with grace, with compassion, and hope.
Did it ever occur to you that He gave all that He had, knowing full well that those He gave to might never receive Him, that we might never return His love, that we might never believe Him? What a shame, what a waste, some might say. But in the end...that is not why He gave. He gave out of His love for us, but He did it unto the Father. Not my will but yours be done.
May your kingdom come in and through us Lord,
May you destroy every argument and proud obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God.
Give us Your Spirit to guide us.
Give us truth in the innermost parts of our beings.
Give us faith to believe all and only that which is true.
Give us purity of heart that we may desire only that which You desire us to desire.
Give us courage and strength to do all that you ask us to do.
May we live in humility, in fear of God--not man or woman.
May we live for Your glory and not our own.
And may we learn to love with the love of the cross, the love of Christ Jesus:
"Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death--even death on a cross."
Philippians 2:6-8 RSV
