Isaiah 40:10-11: "Behold, the Lord God comes with might...He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom."
I spent the afternoon with my dad today. He is paralyzed from the chest down and cannot move on his own past his elbows. No hand, waist, or leg function. He is completely dependant on others to do almost anything. When I arrived, it was time to move him from his bed to his motorized chair. To do this, we use a mechanical arm lift. First we roll him to one side and place his body sling underneath one of his sides while on the bed. Then we roll him to the other side and pull the sling the rest of the way around. From here, we put the mechanical arm lift over him and attach the 5 parts of the body sling to the hooks. Now it's time to lift his entire body out from the bed into the air so he can be moved over to his chair.
As the electric arm smoothly and effortlessly lifts my dad's body into the air, I am struck by the image of my adult father being helplessly suspended in a wrapped position. He can't move anything on his body yet he is being held in the air, completely safe and controlled. I get the picture here.
I'm moved by the image of each one of God's children, every single one of us, crippled. Helpless. Unable to move or help our selves in any way. Dead. Then the Father's arms, with intent, rich, agressive love, reach down. "Behold, the Lord God comes with might"! Nothing will stop our great God from His work of saving us. Then He reaches His arms and hands around us, gracefully drawing us in to Himself. "He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom". Here, in His bosom, we are saved.
Seeing my dad suspended there, his body limp and his own strength gone, is hard. It's something you don't ever expect or even imagine you will see as a son or daughter. But God is glorified! In our weakness He is truly magnified! I cherish our God who is a God full of love to the point of suffering and dying just for the right to reach down and lift up our crippled, helpless bodies from death and draw us into His chest and say with joy "You're mine!". Zephaniah 3:17: "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing."
But the King of Kings doesn't stop there. "...they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary..." Isaiah 40:31. You see, my dad knows he will walk again. He will run! He will mount up with wings by the Lord's hands. He's being carried right now! My God is painstakingly caring for him, bearing him up in His arms. And my God has made a promise to my dad and to me and to you. Through His Son we are no longer crippled, hopeless, dead. We will reign with the King. My dad will be made whole again, so much better than before that God will be glorified for eternity in my dad's new body.
You and I may be able to walk. We may be able to eat, drink, change, make a phone call, send an e-mail, earn a living... Things my dad can't do any more. But make no mistake. We are all crippled in our flesh. My dad had 50 years of walking ability. Perhaps, Lord willing, I might have more. Maybe 60, or 70, maybe 80 or 90? Not much more. Is that really that much more "time"? Our bodies are failing, some faster than others. Some more acutely than others. Before we know it, if we aren't chasing our Savior, our loving King, we might just chase our own tale until that blink of an eye we call life is finished.
God you are honored and glorified through the weakness of myself. Open my eyes Lord to see beyond my own two feet! We look to you God for true purpose and wisdom. We look to you great God to use us for your honor and glory. If that be pain, suffering and loss, Father give us the strength to bear it for your name's sake. You will be glorified and we would have it no other way. Praise His name.
