Monday, August 20, 2012

We are weak, but He is STRONG!

Addie, would you like to sing a song?

Yes. (With an earnest shake of her darling little head.) Jesuh Yuvs Me.

And sing she did. In fact she sang it over and over and over again all week long. Addie and her big sister Annice and Mommy & Daddy spent last week with us helping us prepare for our big move. It's no surprise that the girl loves music and loves to sing - I mean really - it's in her genes. But it did get almost comical how many times she sang her two year old version of Jesus Loves Me. I guess God knew how much I would need to hang onto those simple words this week.

You see, tragedy struck our extended family again today. Our son-in-law's father died unexpectedly.

I did what I could to help. Grieving with the family, doing dishes, preparing food, helping with the baby. And praying - hard. And all day long the words to Jesus Loves Me went round and round in my head. Speaking conservatively, I probably know hundreds of songs, but this is the one that has ministered to my broken heart today.

Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so...

When tragedy strikes, doubt is often one of our first responses. It's a trick as old as time, yet we fall for it with shocking ease. Satan used it on Eve, "Did God really say?..."

Satan's voice whispers in our ear,
"God is holding out on you. If He really loved you, would he have let ________ (cancer, death, betrayal, divorce, job loss, financial ruin, fill in the blank) happen?
Where is your God now?
Bad things don't happen to good people.
You are cursed.
You are a failure.
God doesn't really love you, you know."

If we do not hold on to what we know of God, those seeds of doubt take root and grow at an alarming rate. Soon all we can see is the darkness, as a forest of doubt trees block our view of the Son.

Little ones to Him belong...

No matter how old I am chronologically, or how "mature" I am (or think I am) spiritually, I'm still His little one. In fact, Jesus said that unless I become like a little child, I have no hope of entering His kingdom. Little ones are vulnerable, they are trusting, they get hurt, they are learning all the time, they make mistakes. That's me. I'm His little one. When hard times come, I have to know that I belong to Jesus. However, in our weakened state, those arrows of doubt can pierce our tender, childlike hearts.

They are weak...

When will we admit it? We are weak.
This one is a pet peeve so excuse me while I go on a bit of a rant. It infuriates me when hard or tragic things happen and people say, "God must know how strong you are." Or the classic twisting of scripture, "God won't give you any more than you can handle."

Hear me loud and clear: THE BIBLE DOES NOT SAY THAT!!!!! (And yes, I AM SHOUTING!)

What the Bible does say is that when we are weak (which is all the time by the way), then His strength comes through. In fact it says that His strength is strongest when we are weakest.

But what do we do? We say things like, "I can handle it." or "I'll be OK." or "I don't need to talk about it, I just need to move on with my life." Why, oh why do we rob ourselves of His amazing strength? Because we're too proud to admit that we are weak.

But He is strong...

Do you know how strong Jesus is? He carried the weight of the sin of the whole world on the cross. That's how strong He is. He willingly died a cruel, criminal and undeserved death on that cross, so that you and I would not have to pay the price for our sin. That's how strong He is. Death could not hold Him in the grave. That's how strong He is. He never sleeps, He's always watching, always praying, always standing in for us. That's how strong He is. Do you know how strong Jesus is? He is STRONG! Oh friend, believe it.

Yes! Jesus loves me...

Weak, battle weary, wounded, confused and childlike, I run into His strong arms because I know He loves me. On a day like today that is the only thing I am sure of. And strangely - it is enough.

I am weak, but He is STRONG. Yes! Jesus loves me.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate
us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. 
Romans 8:38-39 NLT