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Sympathetic Savior

Photo by: Tyler Nix
When trudging through difficult situations, I find myself searching through scriptures for some sort of comfort. Something to ease the pain or to bring peace or even to confirm I am right and the whole world is wrong, I am searching for validation. Grasping, really. Anything that will quiet the storm brewing in my mind and the whirlwind of my emotions. One passage always brings easement no matter the battle. Hebrews 4:15-16 (NIV) states, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are--yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

Did you know we have a sympathetic Savior? Typically, this passage is preached to encourage us in our struggles with temptation, assuage condemnation, and to open the altars for repentance. While that is certainly applicable, I have found a new appreciation for these verses.

When I feel betrayed, I think of how Jesus loved and invested in his disciples knowing full well who would betray him and who would deny him. He loved anyway.

When I feel alone and misunderstood, I think of Jesus' life on earth. No one knew Him intimately. In whom could He confide? He poured out his sorrow on the Father and He loved anyway.

When I feel overwhelmed, I think of Jesus at Gethsemane. This is the only one of two times we see his raw, human emotion in scripture. Agony. Surrounded by people who could have prayed for him, who could have testified on his behalf, who should have had his back, yet they slept. He loved anyway.

When I feel an injustice has been done, I think of the crucifixion of Jesus. He died for my sin before I was born, bearing my shame knowing I would not, I could not, live a life of perfection. He knew I would betray him with my actions, deny him with my lifestyle, reject him with the busyness of my everyday schedule. He loved anyway for certainly He knew I couldn't live without him.

And so it is at God's throne of grace that I receive mercy for my actions, my bitter moments, my angst and it is there I find grace. Sweet grace to love anyway, to forgive anyway, to be angry and sin not, or to not be angry at all. Grace to not try to fix everything myself, to allow Him to defend me, and grace to cast my cares on Him for He loves me anyway.

And He loves you anyway.

But for now,
I walk this broken world
You walked it first, You know our pain
But You show hope can rise again up from the grave.

-Matt Redman, Unbroken Praise, Abide with Me 



 

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