“How Great Thou Art, How Great Thou Art.”
We sing it. How do we live it?
Today, as I was driving along the UK motorway, I was listening to a wonderful Christian radio station. One after another came songs of encouragement and devotion to God, a God who heals and delivers from pain.
But why are there so many songs about the comfort of God’s Holy Spirit and the compassion of the Father? Because we are not only living in a broken world, but we ourselves seem to be living with brokenness — the very brokenness that Jesus came to save, heal us from.
Why are so many of us not living in the fullness of joy? Could it be that we simply do not recognise Jesus has healed us, forgiven us and set us free, and so we continue to walk in the pain we’re used to, instead of the pleasure He offers us. Could it be that our Inner Man has not come to expect victory, rejoicing and freedom, and so we do not receive it?
I think yes.
When we fully grasp the enormity of the Creator and that He, as our Father, has given us life and purpose, we can live in the hope and faith and love of the gospel.
Oh, let us live in the celebration of His goodness. With the faith to move mountains, which He provides, let us live a rejoicing life, saying, “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)
When will that time come to us? Can it come now?
When we ask for faith, and recognise we can live in the New Man (Ephesians 3, Romans 7, 2 Corinthians 4), we are equipped to walk in the knowledge that we are fully healed, forgiven and have been set free. He has healed us already!
There are depressions which are caused by chemical imbalances; for that we await God’s healing and often it will come through medicine. But just as there are physical ailments, so too are there spiritual ones. God has given us His Spirit so we can overcome. Isn’t it time to care compassionately for one another, pray and surrender and love one another, and see the healing power of God heal, deliver and save?
What we expect, that we will have. So let us expect to walk in the fullness of joy. We who have Jesus, have the message, authority and blessing of the Son of God. Let us remember that, not to deny our pain, but to rise above it, knowing the Spirit of Life is in us and has conquered sin and death.
