Yours To Hold

There are times, I think, when our faith gets stale. We kind of flat-line in our growth. That's when God intervenes and says, "Clear!!!"

I was praying with a friend of mine last week and afterwards, on my way home, I found myself thinking about why prayer and compassion are so important.

Think about God and the compassion He showed for us and why God created us in His image. It's for relationships! It's true.

Think about the first relationship - the one between God and Adam. What did God do for Adam? He created Eve. Why? Because "It is not right for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18) And when God came walking through the garden in the next chapter He was looking for His two creations. Why? Because God had a relationships with them. Even AFTER they sinned.

Fast forward several thousand years to when Lazarus died. "Jesus wept." Why? Why did Jesus cry when He already knew He was going to bring Lazarus back to life? Why did He cry? He didn't cry for Lazarus. He cried for those who were hurting.

"When Jesus saw her (Mary) weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

35 Jesus wept." - John 11:33-35

Jesus wept because of the pain and sorrow Mary, Martha and the rest of them were feeling about the loss of someone they loved.

If we were created in God's image and we feel all these emotions, God can, and does, feel the same things about us. God is not this absolute ruler of all things. Well, He is. But that is not ALL He is. Think about that for a moment.

And Jesus is our example.

"I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." - John 13:15

Think of all the emotions Jesus exhibited. He loved deeply, He got angry when we turned God's temple into a marketplace, He wept for His friends in their grief, He prayed so deeply that He bled, He prayed for His enemies while hanging on the cross.

And now look at OUR relationships. If Jesus is our example, how do our relationships compare? Is the way we pray for people deep, to the point of tears? When we see someone hungry, do we feed them? Do we clothe the naked? Do we look after the widow and the orphan?

I have some work to do. How about you?

We are God's to hold. He wants that relationship with each of us. Don't you think we should want that relationship with Him? With others?

Your To Hold - Skillet