in moments like these . . .
1 Peter 1:18–19
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”
Beloved,
Lifted up for such a time as this. We lean into this wind, this breath of God pouring out over us. Look back to the moment when He took our sin and our shame and our guilt to the Cross, as these hours of darkness overtake the Lamb of God in agony.
As this event neared its end, His words, “It is finished!” were declared as His breath wained.
His decision to love us through it all, He knew the sins of the past, present and future. This plan, to be the last sacrifice was bought at a price, a cost that could never be calculated then or now. It was immeasurable, this blood being released from a ripped and tortured body nailed to a wooden cross. Like the sign of Moses, He was lifted up for all to see. All who would gaze upon this lamb would be saved from death, if you would only believe in who He is. Mercy became a gift, given as His last breath escaped His lips and was sealed with the resurrection.
His life for ours.
Celebrations come and go. The passover lamb was used in this moment to cover our lives, speaking of freedom as the days of pentecost draw near. No greater love than this. Though we do not deserve such freedom, such love — still we receive.
Holy moments are lifted up in return with praise and thanksgiving. Our only choice is to love Him with all of our heart, mind, strength, and soul. We give our hearts to Him in the midst of every trial or struggle that comes our way, not as a last resort, but in a day and night succession. Our worship does not yield to our weaknesses, but gains favor in the strength endowed from on high. When we are weak, He is made strong in us and through us. Our carriage, the vehicle by which He walks this earth, through our lives reaches the lost. Through our hands, He heals the sick, delivers those in bondage, and raises the dead to life. His Kingdom is established, stretched out, a canopy that knows no end. Life is restored and the dead are blessed with new breath. Hearts will beat again and voices will be heard that were silenced years ago.
The perishable fades away and that which is of the Holy is eternal, shaking our mortal lives with immortality in which we are reborn.
Holy takes on life that never fails, a worship that contends with an enemy vanquished at just one word, “Jesus.”
He is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is and is to come. His is a surety, that without compromise will return to His bride, after redemption has run its course. A Husband that takes ownership for what was bought on the hill know as Golgotha. His wife (the church), the beautiful Bride of Christ, pure and spotless, sat down beside Him.
in moments like these . . .
