LOVE LIFTED ME

John 19:26 "When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved, standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son".

When Jesus looked out, through eyes that were clouded with his sweat, his blood and his tears (yes, I have no doubt there were tears, as hurt, betrayal, pain filled his being), He saw his mother, and other loved ones there.....but only one disciple, John.  Young John whose love for His Savior, His Master, His Teacher was greater than any fear of those that might want to harm him also.  He was there, he was there to watch as life was taken from the One who had lifted him from the ordinary man he was to a man that knew what beloved truly meant.

All the other disciples fled, hid in fear of man.  When the bad grew worse, they grew distant, love was overcome by fear of man.  Fear of man truly can grip one in ways we never dream until we are faced with that undenying situation, will we stand, or will we let fear overcome our love for the Lord.

Can you not imagine the torment that plagued the disciples as they were hiding in fear?  As they could not overcome the fear that drove them away from where Jesus hung.....do you feel that disappointment they felt in themselves, that guilt, that shame?  You may think of yourselves as the stronger type, you would not flee, you would stand tall....but look back, has that always been the case?  Have you always stood up for Jesus, for His Word.....at work, at play, at life....  Now when one word, one stance, one head held high can mean so much to yourself, your family, your country.... do you stand tall, not fearing what men might say, what they might think...is fear overtaking the love of the Lord, for what He has taught us in His Word, for the values He has placed on life....on love your neighbor as yourself......on love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with your life....

Wow.....this is so turning into a different place, Father, than when You began to give this to me...I thought I would be speaking of rejecting fear because of our love for our Lord, and as I see it is that, it is also much more.  It is loving who we are in You, who You have made us to be.  To stand in the shadow of the Cross, to stand there and not hid the fact that we are followers of Jesus, that He is our Beloved Lord, to do what the Word teaches us, to stand for the values, for the basic values of life that Your Word instills into each one of us.  Freedom to be who we are in You; protecting the gift of life You gave to us, forsaking all to be counted in You.

Love lifted me from the pits of despair, from the place where the enemy held me captive in sin.  Love showed me the way to redemption, to salvation, to freedom.  The love of the Lord, my God, has shone down on the path of life given me, guiding me, teaching me all along the way to be secure in that love, to fear not; but to follow Him in all things.  Love....the sweet love of my Lord.

I realize this seems to go in many directions, and as it concerns me a bit, the Lord says that those who truly love Him will be able to follow it's meaning without confusion, and for those that are confused, they were not meant to understand.  The hidden meanings that become clear for those that truly seek the Lord, the open love for all that will accept it.

My Lord, my Life, how I love You, how I thank You for the very breath You have given me, the ability to hear Your voice and the love that lifts me closer and closer to You each moment.

11-03-12