Ironically, tonight, I was listening to music and David Phelps came on, I giggled to myself because it was funny. The first song that came on was his remake of I Wanna Know What Love Is and a few songs later it was That's What Love Is. It's like God was saying, "you wanna know what love is, you want me to show you? Well here is this song for you to give you a taste and now, this book chapter."
I love when things like that happen, some people would call it coincidence, but in my opinion, it's God's way of speaking to His children, even in minuscule ways like that.
Everyone should listen to the two songs by David Phelps (I linked them so you can just click the song titles), even though I Wanna Know What Love Is, is a remake from the original in the 80s, the way it is orchestrated is beautiful, and That's What Love is, is just a beautiful song to make you think about the way you love someone.
As I started reading Mended tonight, I wasn't surprised that the title was Crucified by Love because of the earlier happenings with the songs.
Angie wrote that she was reading from the children's bible with her daughters about the crucifixion and she said it was breathtaking of how they describe it:
They nailed Jesus to the cross.
Father, forgive them," Jesus gasped. "They don't understand what they are doing."
"You say you have come to rescue us!" people shouted. "But you can't even rescue yourself?"
But they were wrong. Jesus could have rescued himself. A legion of angels would have flown to his side --- if he'd called.
"If you were really the Son of God, you could just climb down off that cross!" they said.
And of course they were right. Jesus could have just climbed down. Actually, he could have just said a word and made it all stop. Like when he healed the little girl. And stilled the storm. And fed 5000 people.
But Jesus stayed.
You see, they didn't understand. It wasn't the nails that kept Jesus there.
It was love.
Isn't that eye opening? I knew this truth, but the way this Children's Bible worded it, helped Angie understand and even me. The reality of this whole situation was that he could have stopped everything, but because of us and our sins that we commit daily, he stayed and paid the price for us. That is love. Major love.
"Why do you choose to be crucified with Christ? You have the choice to abandon it all. Just walk away and say that this road is too hard. You need a break. You aren't strong enough to withstand the pain of the nails."
The sad reality, I did walk away, I did think the road was too hard, and now the road is even harder without the guidance of my Savior. I saw friends even roommates at Liberty, wake up daily and do a daily devotional, and I wanted to do that, but I never made the time or effort...if I did, it was minimal and never turned into a daily routine as it should have been. But always in the back of mind, I knew I needed Him, but I chose to ignore Him.
"Suddenly it was very clear to me that it has never been the nails that held me here. It has been love. It has been a deep, desperate, longing love for the One Who was mocked on my behalf. The One Who I rejected for sin's fleeting pleasures."
I rejected Him for at least a year, especially all of 2012, until now, the end of 2012. I've been longing for love on earth, but I need to have the relationship with my God before anything like that, as Angie says, I rejected Him to sin, and do what I wanted to do with my life, not what HE wanted for my life.
So the choice is, climb down from the cross or be crucified with Him. What is your choice? My choice is definitely to be crucified with Him, it's a hard road to follow, but He wants me to be with Him and follow the road He will guide me down. I have decided to climb down before, and it hurt me more than helped, so I have learned that painful lesson.
It's like He is saying, according to Angie...
"Sweet child. The nails are not enough to hold you here. You can only live the life I am calling you to through the love I have given you. The love that now has taken up residence in your very being and makes the wounds bearable..."
Without Him, the wounds wouldn't be bearable, hence as to why I am running back to Him for comfort and strength. I used to run to my earthly relationship for those things, but I knew something was missing. So my friends, family, etc, I am working on renewing my relationship with my Lord and Savior.
This book, 3 chapters down, has shown me so much. I can't wait to read more.
I wanted to share a old poem that I wrote in high school, that this chapter reminded me of...
I could just picture the crowd,
Wondering why they chose Him to be crucified upon that cross.
He had healed the sick, and rose the dead, and always had a positive side to everything.
I could just picture the crowd, when they saw Him getting beaten and stabbed and whipped.
Oh what a sight.
I could just picture the crowd, as they saw Him suffering as the Romans made Him carry that cross,
I could just picture the crowd, as they were nailing him to that wooden cross
People screaming "No!" and "Why?"
But others yelling "Crucify Him!"
Can you imagine someone loving us so much that He gave His one and only Son?
I just cannot picture that day,
When I see Him face to face,
Oh what a day that will be!
Until next time...
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