And when the sucker punch of death is thrown in--well, that just about finishes us off, doesn't it? It's not enough that our loved one had cancer, the accident, the heart attack, or the aneurysm. Not enough to suffer all that; now he's gone, too.
Who knew a body could cry so much? How can we go on when it feels like we've been cut in half?
The Bible echoes our thoughts: "When I tried to understand all this it was oppressive to me . . ."
It's overwhelming! It's like we've fallen into a hole and there's no way out.
But the rest of the verse offers a key to the solution: ". . . until I entered the the sanctuary of God." (Psalm 73:16, 17 NIV ©1984)
Ahhh . . . a sanctuary--a place of protection, safety, peace and rest. A sanctuary of God is a place inhabited by God--the Almighty Creator, our Savior, Friend, and Comforter the Holy Spirit.
Would you like to enter into God's sanctuary, that place where the soul knows satisfaction and contentment even in the midst of sorrow?
Jesus knew where you could find God's sanctuary, and he said, "I am the way, the truth and the life." He is the essential. On our own, we wander and get lost if we don't know the way; we make mistake after mistake if we don't know the truth; and we are spiritually numb without the life he speaks of. You can read the conversation about the life Jesus has planned for you in John 14 and the chapters that follow it.
This classic painting of Jesus knocking at the door of your heart has hung in multitudes of churches and Sunday Schools for decades and decades. Do you know what's so special about it? Look closely. There's some pretty scrollwork, but there's no handle on the outside of the door. It must be opened from the inside-- by you.
Have you opened that door in your life to Christ? Did you know you can invite Christ to enter into your pain? He was called "The Man of Sorrows." He knows our deepest feelings. Most importantly, He has the power to shoulder our greatest needs. But he never elbows His way into a life, He only waits, perhaps he knocks on the door. Funny thing, though. After we open that door and choose Him, we find out He chose us. He chose me! He chose you! That thought alone is a sanctuary.
He chose you, He knows you, He loves you.
A lovely post. Yes, oh yes, Jesus is our sanctuary.
ReplyDeleteFlowerLady Lorraine