Quickened part 2
Yesterday I took kind of the long view. The eternal view. How, before the cross, we were dead in our trespasses and sins. And then, through the cross, how we were quickened--brought back to life. And not just any life, but Jesus' abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life. I think that's so important. Understanding the difference between life and death. How we WERE dead, but are now alive. And how the difference between life and death is love. No love, no life. Know love, know life. But today I want to come at this truth from a different angle. Look at Psalm 119:50, "This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me." And let me say it like this: So many "religious folk" out there see "hell" as a place. A destination. And they almost ignore the fact that people go through hell every single day. They forget that we need comfort in our affliction. We don't need condemnation. We don't need to be kicked when we're down. We need help. "I'm dying here." And only the Word of God (which is Jesus, which is love) can save us from that death. I said yesterday that before the cross we were the walking dead. But, in fact and in truth, so many of us still shuffle around like zombies. Going through the motions. Stuck in a rut--which is just a grave with the ends kicked out. Or, worse yet, running around like chickens with their heads cut off looking for love in all the wrong places. Spending--wasting--our three T's (Time, Talent, Treasure) trying to earn something that can't be earned. Chasing something that we already have, and robbing ourselves from experiencing it. Because all we have to do is receive it and release it. All we have to do is listen to that Word that (again) HATH quickened us. We need to stop waiting for God to do something and get on board with what He did. Let me quote my other memory verse for tonight. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). And while so many "religious folk" out there take this to mean if you don't say Jesus is your Lord and Savior, you're going straight to that destination of hell... I see it differently. I think we need to be saved oftentimes from our circumstances. And by "saved" I mean "carried through." We need comfort in our affliction. We need help. We need... love. Which is what the Word is. Which is what the name of the Lord is. Jesus is God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in OUR flesh. Love in OUR body. So calling on the name of the Lord means calling on love. Receiving and releasing the love of God. Letting what's inside come out by knowing and believing that its in there. The Word hath quickened us. Calling on the name of the Lord saves us. In that moment when we need it (HIM) most. Love will save us. Its the only thing that can. The difference between life and death is love. Knowing that we are loved is what equips and empowers us to live. Its what gets us through the day. Its the comfort in our affliction. Its just what we need, right when we need it. God's love carries us through!