Take a Read
These are far from ordinary times and in the midst of it, it can be easy to let feelings overwhelm us. I would be lying if I said that my heart is lacking fear and anxiety. I fall into that high-risk category, after all, and I implore you to stay inside for my sake and the many others, whether they fall into this category or not. However, I do think that there is room for quite a bit of faith over these next few weeks. There is a lot of change and learning that is possible as we move forward.
Peace, troubled soul, thou need’st not fear!
Thy great Provider still is near;
Who fed thee last, will feed thee still;
Be calm, and sink into his will.
The Lord, who built the earth and sky,
In mercy stoops to hear thy cry;
His promise all may freely claim,
Ask and receive in Jesus’ name.
His stores are open all, and free
To such as truly upright be;
Water and bread he’ll give for food,
With all things else which he sees good.
Your sacred hairs, which are so small,
By God himself are numbered all;
This truth he’s published all abroad,
That men may learn to trust the Lord.
(The Great Provider by Samuel Ecking)
I don’t believe that God looks on sons and daughters, however wayward, with contempt or condescension because he sees them as somehow too morally compromised. And I certainly don’t believe in nonsense like, “God cannot even bear to look at us in our sin, God can only look at Jesus.” The primary function of the story of Jesus of Nazareth is to show us that we in fact have a God who looks us eyeball-to-eyeball. The remarkable proclamation of the gospel, is that God looks at us with the same perfect love and delight with which the Father looks at Jesus. So in this regard, humans are not mere worms or wretches. Love has already dignified us too much for that.
(Jonathan Martin)
