He took all the pain. All the agony. The stripes, the nails, the suffering. He took all the blackness of the world. Him so pure, so beautiful, untainted. Perfect. But He took on every bit of it anyway.
But I don’t deserve it, I whisper.
“I love you,” He says.
But I deserve death.
“I love you.”
But I mess up so much.
“I love you.”
But. . .but. . .but. . .
“I love you. Forever. Unconditionally. I love you, My child.”
He calls me child, when I should be nothing but a slave to the darkness. He calls me beloved, when I’m so filthy.
When I was born so tainted. Too ugly to even look upon His goodness. He loved me. He wanted me.
“I’ll take these stripes, the pain, this suffering, for you. For you. For you.”
But. . .
“Because I love you.”
He gave His beautiful, beautiful blood and washed it over me. Me. The unworthy urchin. With His blood and tears and love, He wiped away the darkness, cleansed the layer upon layer upon layer of filth. And then, oh, and then the unthinkable happened. He took my hand. The hand of the once hideous beast deserving only of death. He took my hand. He looked at me.
“I am yours. And you are Mine.”
My own wickedness which once kept me so far from Him was gone. And now He looked at me, He held me, He claimed me. He loved me.
He could have left. He could have turned His back. He could have been done with my mistakes I make again and again and again. How could He even tolerate such a being?
Instead He gladly took the stripes. The stripes I put there myself. Over and over. With my petty mistakes and selfishness. But He took them. He took it all onto Himself, stripped me from the darkness, spilled His blood over me so I could be clean. The shackles fell from my wrists, and He promised me freedom forever and ever.
Then He came back. He did not abandon me. When He could have. When I deserved it. But He returned and held my new body. My new body, cleansed by His blood.
“It is finished,” He said. “You are Mine.”
Because You love me, I say with tears in my eyes as I look upon the print of nails in his hands.
”Because I love you.”
Thank you, Jesus. I am so, so undeserving. I make so mistakes, every single day. But you did it anyway. You suffered and died and returned. You are mine. I am Yours.
Because You love me.
Though Easter may has passed this year, what He did is eternal.
Thank you, Jesus.
Wow, Christine, this was beautiful. <3
ReplyDelete~
But I don’t deserve it, I whisper.
“I love you,” He says.
But I deserve death.
“I love you.”
But I mess up so much.
“I love you.”
But. . .but. . .but. . .
“I love you. Forever. Unconditionally. I love you, My child.”
~
Wow. He loves us so much; Us, unworthy and dirty. He wiped our dirt away.
Thank you for this post, Christine! A very happy Resurrection Day to you!
I'm happy you enjoyed it. It blows my mind every time I think about what He did for us.
DeleteA very happy Resurrection Day to you too! <3
Thank you for this post, Christine! It is beautiful, and it brought tears to my eyes while I was reading it.
ReplyDeleteAwww! I give it all to Jesus. Honestly, I got a little teary-eyed myself. I just can't get over what He did.
DeleteBeautiful post, Lauri. His love is truly amazing! Thank you for this wonderful reminder, so powerfully written. <3
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it. ^_^
DeleteOh goodness, it is! It just amazes me! He's so good.
Oh, Christine ... *blinks back tears* This is SO beautiful, you have no idea. I absolutely love it. Thank you for posting this! I'm definitely bookmarking it :).
ReplyDeleteAnd thank YOU. Your comment means so much to me. Seriously. I'm glad it could bless you. It's all Him! <3
DeleteWow, this is such a beautiful post, Christine! You put my feelings about Him into words. Thank you. :)
ReplyDelete~Lizzy
Thank you! I'm happy you enjoyed it. We have an awesome, awesome God!
Delete^ That's the first Beauty and the Beast story.
ReplyDeleteYES. I think that's the very reason B&B is my favorite fairytale. It can portray such a beautiful picture of God's love for us "beasts".
DeleteAw. This is sweet and so true. That line always gets me in "Oceans" by Hillsong: "For I am yours and you are mine."
ReplyDeletestoritorigrace.blogspot.com
Oh yes! That song is powerful. My heart just swells thinking of God's love for us.
DeleteI LOVE the song Oceans. :)
DeleteYES. They play it on the radio pretty frequently and it's sooo pretty!
DeleteI tagged you!
ReplyDeletehttp://calledtobelongtojesuschrist.blogspot.com/2016/04/what-have-you-been-doing-tag.html
That was so sweet of you! Thank you!!!
DeleteOh, Christine, this is so beautiful! Powerful. The dialogue especially really got to me. The simple answer to all our doubts, fears, and guilt is "I love you." Wow. And to think that Jesus would look upon us with such love is incredible. (I love that, the profoundness of a *look*. He wouldn't have to. But He does. And He sees us as *righteous.*) It's all more than I can fully comprehend! Thank you for once again wording the truth so beautifully. <3
ReplyDeleteThank you, girl! I give God all the credit. He put this reminder on my heart and guided my words.
DeleteIsn't it just so amazing? All powerful, perfect God seeing us as beautiful. As righteous. It puts me in awe every. single. day. There just...there aren't words! He is so, SO good!
This is so beautiful. I am seriously crying. The fact that Jesus could love me, with all my dirt and sin, is just unbelievable. Unbelievable yet beautiful and completely true. Thank you so so SO much, girl! Your words never fail to touch my heart <333
ReplyDelete(Also, I love that part at the end: "Though Easter may has passed this year, what He did is eternal." SO TRUE. Thank you for the reminder <3)
Oh, girl, now you're going to make me cry. It is so unbelievably amazing, what He did. GAH. It gets me every time. :')
DeleteThank you so much for sharing this, Christine. God really used it to touch and speak to me this morning...so thank you, dear sister in Christ! When we stop to truly ponder the enormity of what He did for all of humanity--and how sometimes I even take it for granted--such grace breaks me. Thank you so, so much for your faithfulness in sharing that God-breathed reminder!! <3
ReplyDeleteOh you sweet girl. Now you've touched ME. My heart is full knowing God has used me to encourage others. You are so welcome, but I give it all to Him. These thoughts and words and feelings are all from Him, and...wow. Every time I think of it, it blows me away. He is SO good!
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