Love lifted me

Love lifted me

Matthew 14:27-31

King James Version (KJV)

²⁷ But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

²⁸ And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

²⁹ And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

³⁰ But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

³¹ And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

I return to familiar, and often read scripture once more today for the opening verses that are reminder of the ability of our Savior to overcome the tempest of all the trials of life that beset each and all of us.

The doubt that created fear in Peter, even after having exhibited his faith in that ability, is a natural and ongoing human reaction to all danger, all trial, all tribulation.

The plaintive cry given by Peter as he sank, remained one of faith. That faith was no longer in himself, and his ability to get to Jesus, but faith in Jesus to get to him.

So must it be with us as well.

When our faith weakens, it may be strengthened only by Him, and it is on Him that we must rely for that strength.

It is the strength of HIS love for us, not the weakness of our love for Him, that has the ability to save us from ANY tempest that is faced.

That tempest comes in many forms, many times through life.

It comes in the form of failure after failure to salvage that life on our own from all the things that would steal the life intended, both physical and temporal, and spiritual and eternal.

Many face addictions, varying in nature, but all remaining the same sickness of soul, that creates a tempest that would overwhelm and drown us with the seeming power they hold, unless that power is broken, is revealed as the powerlessness truly held by it when faced with the love that has the ability to overcome it.

That love exists and is delivered only though the grace shown us by God through the Son sent to minister to a sin sick race of creatures unable to cure that sickness of its own volition or by its own ability… a race of creatures too often unwilling to recognize either the sickness that creates the weakness, or the cure that has been given us by that very grace offered.

Love lifted me

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,
But the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

Refrain

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help
Love lifted me!

All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling
In His blessèd presence live, ever His praises sing,
Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul’s best songs,
Faithful, loving service too, to Him belongs.

Refrain

Souls in danger look above, Jesus completely saves,
He will lift you by His love, out of the angry waves.
He’s the Master of the sea, billows His will obey,
He your Savior wants to be, be saved today.

Refrain

The salvation offered, and given us requires faith in HIM… faith in HIS ability… faith in what has already been done, and is being done daily for us, if we only trust that ability that belongs only to HIM.

 Mark 9:14-24

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁴ And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.

¹⁵ And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.

¹⁶ And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?

¹⁷ And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

¹⁸ And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

¹⁹ He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

²⁰ And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

²¹ And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

²² And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

²³ Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

²⁴ And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

This passage of scripture shows the same power of salvation, and leaves the same lesson to be learned as did the one with Peter.

The requirement for that salvation, that preservation of life, that ability to overcome the tempest of the natural state of sickness that exists in so many forms, is faith.

The father in this passage also had a plaintive and needed request, one that must also be made by us as well, that unbelief in HIS ability be extinguished, belief strengthened, so that the request for help not only be heard but that that help be accepted when given.

Requests made for that help can only be heard if that belief and faith exists that they are heard and will be responded to by the only one who CAN respond to them and grant the needed help.

Once more it is HIS love for US that makes that help possible, HIS strength, HIS righteousness, HIS ability, HIS willingness to provide what is asked despite OUR weakness, unworthiness and inability.

 Luke 18:18-27King James Version (KJV)

¹⁸ And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

¹⁹ And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

²⁰ Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

²¹ And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

²² Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

²³ And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

²⁴ And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

²⁵ For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

²⁶ And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?

²⁷ And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

Who can be saved? Who can be lifted by God’s love?

A far better question would be who cannot!

The answer is within each, whether each is willing to submit to the requirement for that salvation, willing to accept the loving hand that reaches longingly to grant that salvation, and far more than physical life, alleviation of all that may beset us and trouble us during that physical life, but can grant far greater LIFE ETERNAL as has been proven through the resurrection of the ONE with the ability to grant all requests by simply having the required faith and belief in HIM to meet the request made of us by HIM to repent,  follow the commandment given by HIM that we have that same love for one another that HE has for US.

Perfection for us exists only when imperfection is overcome through HIS perfection.

Righteousness for us exists only in HIS righteousness.

LIFE, true and lasting LIFE, eternal LIFE may exist in us only through HIS LIFE within us.

Because of the love given us by God, the grace offered through the sacrifice and resurrection of His Son, has shown all, willing to find, it the WAY of that life, the unquestionable TRUTH of that life and undeniable proof of that LIFE possible only through Him.

HIS Love lifted me! It can lift each and all that will allow it to do so, each and all willing to have utter and complete faith in that love.

Amen and Amen

CMc