Sunday, April 14, 2013

Our Unbreakable Lifeline [A Prayer]


We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek.”
- Heb. 6: 18-19 (MSG)



How I praise You, Jesus, that You are my great High Priest, forever interceding to the Father on my behalf - that because of Your perfect sacrifice on the cross, a helpless sinner such as me can miraculously be seen as acceptable in God's sight.

This is the hope to which my life should be anchored: that as long as I walk this earth, Christ is with me at every moment; and when, in His perfect timing He calls me home, He is ready to welcome me into His presence for all eternity. If I cling to this truth daily, even in the midst of the unavoidable difficulties of life, how free from fear and its companion, despair, I will be!

On the flip-side, if I am lured by my sin nature, the world and the Enemy into believing that my hope really lies in anything other than Christ (e.g. financial security, health, a godly husband/kids, acceptance, pleasure, escapism...) then I will always walk in fear – because none of these false gods are unshakeable; they can all crumble like dust. Fear cannot coexist with the hope that overflows from Christ's perfect love (1 Jn. 4:18). When I fear, it's because I'm believing the lie that God is still angry at me, which directly denies the promised hope of Christ's forever saving work on the cross.

Forgive me, Lord – I know that at the root of all my struggles with insecurity, anger, selfishness, gluttony and worry is fear! Fear that You are not enough for me to anchor my every moment onto, but that I must manage my lifelines to all my other false gods, which is exhausting and will lead nowhere but to despair.

Oh Lord, give me the grace to live a life fully secured to the unbreakable hope of Christ alone, that He will provide for my every need, and that because of Your great love for me, I need never fear. Even though I fail daily, You are faithful to relentlessly pursue me with Your grace and mercy, as You have always done. My hope is secure in You!

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