Behind It All

This morning I asked Jesus how He could ever walk on earth where there were so many people who were broken and hurt. Then, for a moment, I entered His heart. I sensed the deep compassion He carries and the pain of watching His people suffer.

There was a reason He wept over Jerusalem and the unrepentant, blind Jews. There was also a reason He let Mary wash his feet with her tears and anoint them with perfume. He didn't care about the opinions of others or attaining a high level in the local pecking order. He cared about people and their hearts. He saw straight past religious facades, through tears on faces, beyond handicaps, and into the heart behind small offerings. He answered desperate cries for help and refused to get hung up on religious trifles. His heart was like His Father's, bent on redemption.

And I see us today, much like Jerusalem of old. Some of us are ensnared in religious fabrications and some of us lost in empty living. Others are sending out cries of desperation and a remnant bring their small gifts of thankfulness. 

Jesus' heart still breaks. Otherwise He wouldn't send us as Christians out into the world. In His own words, "I pray not that You would take them out of the world, but that You would keep them from evil." John 17:15 He wants us here to be the salt and the light, and to bring others back to oneness with Him. 

And yet, some of us need healing, forgiveness, and grace before we can go out. And in my experience, it takes the powerful cleansing blood of Jesus Christ to attain that. There is no substitute for His love, His grace, and His righteousness. I have watched Him open the eyes of the religiously blinded, heal the demonically oppressed, gently and gradually heal childhood wounds, and bring deliverance to those who were abused. He is able to reach into the lowest situations and bring restoration in miraculous ways. 

How about you let Him reach into yours? ❤️

Behind

Verse 1

He knows the pain you're holding 

Sees the tears that never fall 

He knows that you are breaking 

And afraid to lose it all 

It seems dangerous to trust Him 

'Cause everyone has let you down 

Letting go seems like a failure 

Turning your world upside down.

Chorus
It's a simple song of grace, 

A simple song of love
A song of healing mercy
A song from up above.
A song to say He's with You
He sees your hiding face
He knows the fight you're fighting
And He wants to be Your peace.


Verse 2

He knows the unsung heroes
The ones who held it all
Who fought until the finish
Then carried home the scars
He sees that you are hiding
Ragged wounds beneath your smile
He's saying you let go now
I'll take the extra mile.

                          - Corrine Horst

outreachmagazine.com

When Love Hurts

 Sometimes I've asked myself the question, "Why do I even care?" When I see someone that's near to my heart going through a time of struggle, loss, or confusion, it tugs on my heart and brings me to prayer over and over again. Love hurts. It is simply part of the bargain. We will hurt for and with people if we care. And yet, the opposite life looks shabby and worthless at best. Were I to go through life simply attending to my own needs and ignoring the hurting around me, what would I have to show for it at the end of life? 

My own Master's example was one of extreme sacrifice and dedication regardless of the cost. Because of His unwavering love, He brought many souls to new life and glory.

And so I will continue to love and love hard. The sacrifice may be great, but the reward will outweigh it. 

Pxfuel.com

"Let us love one another, for love is of God." - 1 John 4:7