YOU & I
You give me breath
You give me life
I give to you
I live for you
You are within me
You move through me
I am surrendered
I am yours
This is a poem I wrote recently, during Summer Kids Camp at El Rancho. It came from the very depths of my heart. From that place of intimacy with God that we find when we are in His Presence. GOD'S PRESENCE. Now that, is something I've been thinking a lot about! I recently had this revelation about it, which I shared with some people. It is this - Jesus' death on the cross was a majorly big deal for Him. Not only in the fact that He was going to suffer incredible physical pain, and have the weight of ALL sin and guilt and shame cast on Him... But in also in the fact that in taking on that sin, He was, for the only time ever in eternity, going to be separated from God. It's hard to comprehend for we are but humans, but within the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are One. Jesus' death tore Him apart from the relationship with God He had. The intimacy of Father and Son was broken.
Think about what it's like when you are distant from God. When you know you're in sin and aren't living in closeness with Him because of it. How does it make you feel? Hurt. Sad. Lonely. Hopeless. Dejected. Afraid. LOST. Now imagine how much worse it would have been for Jesus. Far out. The realization of this, for me, emphasized how great a sacrifice Jesus made. And through that, I see the greatness of His love.
Okay, that's Part 1. The next thing I came to understand absolutely gobsmacked me. You know when you're worshiping and you can feel God in and around you? The Spirit is alive and the feeling can't be described in words but you just know God is real and God is here? When we enter into God's Presence, we are stepping into the Most Holy Place. Back in the Old Testament days of the Jews, they had to have a tent set up and there were many rules about offering sacrifices for the people's sins and only High Priests could enter the Most Holy Place and be in God's Presence. But now, not through animal sacrifices or sacred rituals, but through Jesus giving His own blood on the cross and defeating death... WE can stand in God's Presence. WE can go into the Most Holy Place. WE can have intimate relationship with the Father. ANYONE who accepts God's forgiveness and grace and has the Spirit in them can do this freely!
Do you get it? See what I saw? The death of Jesus which separated Him from God, is the very same thing that allows us to draw close to Him!
I don't know how you feel as you read this - but it absolutely excites me to the limit! To finish this post, here's the Scriptures all this is based off, that lead me to understand these things. I hope maybe something is sparked in you because of it. And I encourage you, jump into the Bible. Discover new truths and come into greater knowledge of all God has for you!
"The old rule, then, is set aside, because it was weak and useless. For the Law of Moses could not make anything perfect. And now a better hope has been provided through which we come near to God." Hebrews 7:18,19
"He (Jesus) offered one sacrifice, once and for all, when he offered himself." Hebrews 7:27b
"We have, then, my friends, complete freedom to go into the Most Holy Place by means of the death of Jesus. He opened for us a new way, a living way, through the curtain - that is, through his own body. We have a great priest in charge of the house of God. So let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed clean with water. Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise." Hebrews 10:19-23
