In My Boat: Trusting God in the Midst of the Storm Sample

  Mighty to Save

I need saving a lot. And I guess I am not alone in this. 

First of all, we all need saving, due to no fault of ours, but we all need saving, all the same. Our lives were precariously close to eternal damnation, and Jesus, looking forward in time and thinking about each and every one of us, decided to bear the shame and pain of the cross—to give His life for us. I always like to believe that if it was only my life at stake, Jesus still would have come to give His life for me.

Worship Leader and Songwriter Cory Asbury puts it quite succinctly with the lyrics in ‘Reckless Love’:

No shadow you won’t light up

Mountain you won’t climb up

Coming after me. . . 

Jesus is the same—the same Guy who reached out to save Peter when he was sinking. When He died all those years ago, He was reaching out to the future to set us free. Even when we are at fault, even when we are weak, even when we were warned, we can always run to Him and He is always willing and mighty to save.

There are times I have felt like I was not worth saving. I have doubted if it would do the Kingdom of God any good to keep me, if I was worth the stress or the effort, and if I could be loved enough to be saved. You may feel like this, too. But then I am reminded that:

1. Jesus already did the work: He already died, He already got whipped, He already got nailed to the cross. He already got insulted and spat on. He already got called a crazy person, a liar, and a cohort of the Devil. He already rose up after three days. He already ascended to heaven, and He is already sitting at the right hand of the Father. Jesus already did the work for you to be saved.

2. He had all the facts: When Jesus set out to save and liberate us, He had all the facts. He could see how messed up you would be and yet He did it all the same. He could see Hitler, Idi Amin, Osama Bin Laden, Pablo Escobar—He could see all the dictators, the false prophets, the liars and thieves, and yet, He was willing to give His life. He is not surprised by your flaws or by the mistakes you have made. He could see the abortions, the murders, the cheating, the stealing, and the lying, and yet, He chose to be nailed to the cross so you could be free.

Prayer

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. I experience Jesus’ mighty power to save. 

Amen!