“God I fall down to my knees with a hammer in my hand; You look at me, arms open. ‘Forgiven, forgiven. Child, there is freedom from all of it.’” – Crowder, Forgiven
On Ash Wednesday, I was a blubbering mess. I had hit rock bottom, my absolute wit’s end. I felt like I was hanging on by the smallest, weakest thread.
Fourteen years of chronic pain will do that to a person; I don’t care how strong you are in your faith.
I had a Jacob moment, demanding God bless me; a Moses moment, demanding He show me His glory.
I raised the white flag and surrendered my life, my will, my goals and my soul to Him like never before. And it was in my very crucifixion moment that He finally brought me to resurrection — to new life as I have never known it before.
There’s so much more to this story — this journey of healing — that I can’t wait to share. But something tells me this is only the beginning… and that for now it’s not quite ready to be shared. Because He’s not quite done writing it yet.
But one thing is certain on this Easter Morning, this Resurrection Sunday, and that’s this: God writes a way better Story than I ever could — than we ever could.
Whatever your story, whatever your journey, would we share in this song today:
“O, praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead: Jesus.” *
For King and Country proclaims in their song “Not Over Yet,” “We’re revived and breathing to live a life of freedom.” Galatians 5:1 tells us, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Would we no longer live in captivity of fear, shame, guilt, regret, anger, bitterness, resentment and remorse, but would we find in the surrender and in the sacrifice of our own hearts the most inexplicable, undeniable, mind-shaping, soul-strengthening and body-renewing freedom.
“O, praise Him. O, praise Him. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.” *
O, praise Him who bestows upon us more of His blessing and shines upon us more of His glory than we could ever imagine.
O, praise Him who rescues us from the dominion of darkness and raises us to walk in the light of life.
O, praise Him who saves us from the death of captivity and delivers us to life-giving freedom.
. . .
*Hymn: Jesus Paid It All, Elvina M. Hall, 1865
