Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Suffer To Glory
My friend John Brown may be the most upbeat blogger out there. He recently wrote a post at Scotwise that leaves you upbeat, but contains a message that is powerful and deep.
I wonder if we realize how much God loves us? I wonder if we realize how much better He can love us than we can possibly love ourselves? We tend to focus on our own cross of agony because we think we are protecting ourselves from the pain, an expression of our love of self. But God loves us so much more than we can love ourselves, and He wishes that crown of glory to be upon our heads. He also knows the pain of the path to that crown, thus He walks it with us and takes the pain for us, if we but rely on Him.
Perspective is everything, and we cannot have the perspective we need, we can't get high enough. But God is high enough and has that perspective - He sees clearly the crown that awaits us. We watch Him and follow Him to the goal that only He can see.
Christmas approaches. He in whom we trust; He whom we follow is coming into view. Look at Him, trust Him, follow him.
Related Tags: cross of agony, crown of glory, trust, faith, incarnation, Christ, god
Once Jesus' disciples confessed Him as the Christ, He knew He had to teach them the real road to glory. Each of the Gospels reminds us that this road led to the cross of agony before it led to the crown of glory.How does John accomplish this seeming impossible task? Simple, he keeps us focused on the end, even in the middle of the journey. Surely this must have been what Our Lord did as He made his way to His demise.
Luke 22:41-43 - And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done." Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.As Christ contemplated "the cross of agony," He focused not on His discomfort, but the will of His Father and "the crown of glory" which lay on the other side.
I wonder if we realize how much God loves us? I wonder if we realize how much better He can love us than we can possibly love ourselves? We tend to focus on our own cross of agony because we think we are protecting ourselves from the pain, an expression of our love of self. But God loves us so much more than we can love ourselves, and He wishes that crown of glory to be upon our heads. He also knows the pain of the path to that crown, thus He walks it with us and takes the pain for us, if we but rely on Him.
Perspective is everything, and we cannot have the perspective we need, we can't get high enough. But God is high enough and has that perspective - He sees clearly the crown that awaits us. We watch Him and follow Him to the goal that only He can see.
Prov 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.So simply to say, so hard to do.
Christmas approaches. He in whom we trust; He whom we follow is coming into view. Look at Him, trust Him, follow him.
Related Tags: cross of agony, crown of glory, trust, faith, incarnation, Christ, god
