Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Yet, Hope Remains

Sometimes the weight of it presses down on me and I seem not able to move. I want to cry, to rage, to beat back the hands that have wrapped deceiving fingers around vulnerable necks. Anger, sadness, and confusion tie knots in my mind as I watch what would seem to be another’s demise. Slipping, ever tripping, they do not see the one hard after them, haunting their souls and bloodying their knees.

No matter how hard I run I cannot take hold of them or drag them back to safety. I feel helpless, standing here ringing my hands, wide-eyed and heavy-hearted. I open my mouth to persuade their return but the words are swallowed in the clamor around me.

“O, God. Do something. DO something.”

I cannot reason with this kind of deception. They have embraced a hideous, snarling thing but stroke it with a smile that sees a charming face.

“O, God; O, God. Do something.”

And yet I know something has already been done. THE something has been accomplished so that truth might bring freedom and love might reconcile the lost. And with that thought I become angry—angry at the deceiver, angry at the deceived, angry at the Healer. Why must this cycle repeat? Why must I stand and watch as these beloved come in thirst to the Living Water and drink, only to be lured away by the hand that binds them?

“O, God, where are You?”

My anger is merely a diverting flare meant to absorb the impact of this missile instead of my hurt and wondering heart. I feel rejection like Samuel when the Israelites refused his prophesies and demanded their own king. The Lord whispers in my ear the same response, “It is not you they are rejecting. It is me they refuse.”

The anger recedes and is replaced with a solemn burden. My heart feels broken. Again I hear the Lord, “How much more does their Father care for them than you?” In this is my only solace.

I am at the end of myself and I do not understand, yet the promises of God remain. He has begun the good work of redeeming their wounded hearts and He will carry it on to glorious completion. He will. I must believe that He will. In this is my only hope.

Tempted to pick myself up and endlessly run back into the fray, I think it best that I sit awhile under His grace and find rest in place of weariness and hope rather than despair. Earnestly I will lay this worrisome battle at the feet of our Rescuer, for in Him and not in myself there is certain hope for healing, redemption, love.

O, Heart, victory is coming!


Remedy
by the David Crowder Band
Here we are/ Here we are/ The broken and used/ Mistreated, abused/ Here we are

Here You are/ Here You are / The beautiful one/ Who came like a Son/ Here You are

So we lift up our voices/ We open our hands/ To cling to the love/ That we can’t comprehend

Oh, lift up your voices/ And lift up your heads/ To sing of the love/ That has freed us from sin

He is the one/ Who has saved us/ He is the one/ Who embraced us/ He is the one who has come / And is coming again/ He’s the remedy

Here we are/ Here we are/ Bandaged and bruised/ Awaiting a cure/ Here we are

Here You are / Here You are/ Our beautiful King/ Bringing relief/ Here You are with us

So we lift up our voices/ And open our hands/ Let go of the things/ That have kept us from Him

He is the one/ Who has saved us/ He is the one/ Who forgave us/ He is the one who has come/ And is coming again/ He’s the remedy

Oh, I can’t comprehend/ I can’t take it all in/ Never understand/ Such perfect love come For the broken and beat/ For the wounded and weak/ Oh, come fall at His feet/ He’s the remedy/ He’s the remedy

He is the one who has saved us/ He is the one who forgave us/ He is the one who has come/ and is coming again

He's the remedy/ he's the remedy/ He's the remedy/ He's the remedy/ So sing, sing

You are the one/ Who has saved us/ You are the one/ Who forgave us/ You are the one who has come/ And is coming again/ To make it alright/ Oh, to make it alright/ You’re the remedy/ Oh, in us/ You’re the remedy/ Oh, You're in us/ Your the remedy

Let us be the remedy/ Let us be the remedy/ Let us bring the remedy.