I recently finished a book that a good friend of mine had been telling me to read for ages, and I finally got around to it. Hinds Feet in High Places did not disappoint. If you get the chance to read it, do so, it's a beautiful allegory.
One of my favorite parts comes right after the Shepherd asks Much-Afraid if she wishes to turn back from following Him to the High Places. Her response touched me, and echoed in my own heart as I read it.
"Do I wish to turn back? O Shepherd, to whom should I go? In all the world I have no one but You. Help me to follow You, even though it seems impossible. Help me to trust You, as much as I long to love You." (Hinds Feet in High Places, Hannah Hurnard)
After I read this, I started noticing passages in Scripture with the same message.
Jesus posed a similar question to the disciples in John 6.
Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Peter came to an important understanding: Christ isn't simply the best way, He is the only way. When asked if he wanted to turn back, Peter's answer was, in short, "Lord, to go anywhere else means death!" What a revelation!
David echoes this thought in Psalms 73:25-26.
"Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
When the world around us is going crazy, and we don't understand what God is doing, we may find it easier to cling to Christ when we realize we have nothing else to cling to. Nothing on earth will last, and Christ is our hope of heaven.
Press forward in the knowledge that in Christ we have a solid assurance, a loving Savior, a risen Redeemer. And cling ever tighter to Him, knowing that He is the only one who holds life. And when tempted to turn back, I pray that we to can say,
"Oh Lord, where would I go? You are all I need, and my only hope."
~Rachel
Wow sis! We definitely need to realize that there is nothing apart from Christ that can save us. It's been cool to see you living this out! Keep it up sis!
ReplyDeleteI hope all is well as everything has been "going crazy" with all your speech and debate doings!! I am reminded of Numbers 14. The land they were about to enter seemed "too hostile" and crazy for them. And in Numbers 14 verse 8 we read, "He will bring us into this land and give it to us" What an encouraging phrase, as He makes us more than conquerors.
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