Love Makes a Way

​What do you do when your world falls apart and there is no way to put it back together again?  Is there a way to redeem what has been lost?  These questions come up during times of extreme loss, and I recall that healing comes through Father God alone, the only One who can identify with our losses.  He demonstrated what love looks like—redemptive love—through His Son, Jesus.  Words cannot answer our questions; the answer is Jesus, The Word!
 
Jesus relates to us in the lowest places of our lives.  He sits with us in our pain; He suffers as we suffer. The prophet Isaiah paints a picture of this in chapter 53 of his book.  "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.  Like one from whom people hide their faces; He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem.  Surely, He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted.  But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:3-5)  For the love of God, Jesus endured the Cross.  Why? Love makes a way for us to have relationship with Him and for us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.
 
The Lord came to earth to demonstrate the love of God and to experience what it was like to live like a man.  He told us that our lives would be like His and that we are to live like He lived.  Paul explains this in 2 Corinthians 1:5.  "For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ."  Jesus Himself told His disciples, "In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world." (John 16:33b)  Remember that God has not left us without promises. I am greatly touched by the promise He made to Israel (and us as His children) through the prophet Isaiah. "...Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior..." (Isaiah 43:1-3)
 
Graham Cooke has an interesting perspective on the difficult seasons of our lives.  This prophet of the Lord says, "Every circumstance is an opportunity to experience new levels of favor and faith in relationship with God.  Our circumstances are not the problem.  Our perception of our circumstances is the problem.  Ask, 'What is God's truth in this situation?'"  The Lord ordains victory for us in every situation.  In Isaiah 42:3-4 and Matthew 12:20-21 we read this:  "A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out till He has brought justice through to victory.  In His name the nations will put their hope."  
 
As we go through trials and tribulations, sorrows and difficulties, sickness and death, we have an advocate who leads us in mercy and truth.  Jesus said, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth..."  (John 14:16-17)  We must learn to trust in the unfailing love of the Lord to pull us through our difficult seasons.  Make peace with the truth that we may never have our questions answered with words but know that The Word will be with us to comfort, strengthen, and love us.  It is love that makes a way where there seems to be no way.