Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?
Matthew 27:46, “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
The Gospel is the greatest story ever to exist. Only, it is not a story. It is reality. It is the only Truth, the only Way, that matters.
Maybe these sound like big claims. They are.
So why, as Christians, do we forget to live big? To be bold? To be fiery lights for Christ?
I don’t have all of the answers. I write this with a weary heart. Over the past few months, I have felt my heart asking, “Why, God? This isn’t fair. Where are You? What about the blessings You promised? What am I doing wrong?” So many questions. Quite a few tears. Lonely nights. Lost dreams. Rejection. Fear. Doubts.
Maybe you relate to these questions, these trials. Maybe you’re wondering why God has seemingly forsaken us, too.
Deuteronomy 31:8 – And the LORD, he [it is] that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Deuteronomy 31:6 – Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Hebrews 13:5 – [Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Isaiah 41:10-13 – Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Psalms 55:22 – Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Even when it feels that the Lord is nowhere to be seen, in truth, He is within us. He is with us and goes before us.
1 Peter 5:7 – Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Can we think about this last verse? Can we take a moment to consider Jesus’ words: Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? Jesus sweated blood, too. According to GotQuestions.org, “Hematidrosis is a rare … medical condition that causes one’s sweat to contain blood. The sweat glands are surrounded by tiny blood vessels that can constrict and then dilate to the point of rupture, causing blood to effuse into the sweat glands. The cause of hematidrosis is extreme anguish.” Jesus was human. We forget this easily. But He was human… And He was betrayed, rejected, tortured, and killed.
Maybe we feel forsaken. Alone. Afraid. Broken. Lost. Maybe we have a million questions that God refuses to answer.
Know that God loves you. Know that Jesus went through all of this for you–you, and every bit of you. The broken pieces, the pieces you are ashamed of. Jesus died for YOU. Every single one of us. He died, he faced rejection, torture, everything–so that we may choose everlasting life. Life. A life worth living, a life with hope.
But know, also, that Jesus understands you. He did not die for you as if you are a stranger. Jesus knows you more than anyone, more than you know yourself. He adores you. He made you, and knew you before you were formed in the womb. Jesus wept with His family, He rejoiced with them, He dwelled among them–and He does these same things with us.
In this crazy Christmas season… remember Jesus is with you, and He has died for you, and you are beloved and cherished by the Creator of the Universe.
AND check out Faith Potts, who hosts the 12 Days of Christmas blog bash every year. ♥
God bless,
Angela
Totally not gonna cry again. Nope, nope. <333
Mood. ;-;