Our Shield, Our Brace

I want to feel your love, your pain as you rode upon the tree

The death, the life of the ever-risen King

We now arise with the armor of the Lord

Our Sword, our Shield, we’re marching as to war

Hear now our shout as it rises to the sky

“Your will, not ours,” may it ever be our cry

“Raise swords for the Lord for His victory is nigh.

“Sing loud, strike hard – give the Lord your very heart.”

As the earth fades away, we will look upon His face

We stand before the Lord, and we lean on Christ, our Brace

All light come around, for His eyes are like the sun

We cry “Oh Lord, ‘fore your Glory we’re undone!”

Calling out as we fall, “Mercy, mercy, Lord!

“Be our Savior and our Shield, protecting sevenfold

“We are nothing but a vapor; a darkened flash of light

“Silent echoes, misty waters to your glory blazing bright

“To the Lord be the glory! To our Master be the praise!

“We give you all our will, to the ending of our days

“Lord, you are our fortress, standing strong and true

“The heavens bow before, and belong to none but you

“Bring us to your throne; set us at your feet

“Take our body, soul, and strength as we fall before your seat

“With the angels, hear our cry, ‘Glory be our Lord’s!’

“To the Father, to the Son, to the Spirit evermore!”

With a touch, and a breath, He will grasp us infinite

Bringing close our new hearts to Burning Holiness

Breath fresh our new breath, we will soar in Christ alone

Eternally, we are free, in Father, Spirit, Son!

The Centrality of the Cross

As I walk further into my relationship with Christ, I cannot help but continuously be drawn closer and more intimately into his ever-gracious arms, resting in Him alone and pursuing His will alone. Admittedly, I have daily occurrences where I find myself following my own interests and failing to take into account the presence of God, and the commitment that I made when I devoted my life to Christ; that I would pursue Him, making the Cross the centrality of my faith and my life. 

The ever-increasing regularity of Christ within my thoughts has begun to overtake my typical way of thinking; no longer do I immediately jump to the benefit that I can reap from the situations that I find myself in; the divine conspiracy has begun to unravel within my mind, spreading like a welcomed disease. All manners of selfishness have come under attack by the cross of Christ; His death and resurrection; His atonement and salvation are now found in the background of all my thoughts. 

When I am suddenly overcome by the world; when my broken relationships and my daunting future looms above me, I have but to escape to my refuge, trusting in Him to offer the manner by which to approach the impossible future. When I am caught breathless by my inability to accomplish the future that I am pursuing, I have only to remember the infinite grace that is offered to me by He who was so gracious to come and die in my place. Not I be benefited, but Christ. 

Too many people lose sight of the impossible sacrifice that was made for us, that an all-powerful deity, who made the earth and dwells in a Kingdom that is purely perfect, would leave that Kingdom and come to the sin-tainted earth for the simple end of bringing His followers to his Kingdom. A perfect being in a perfect place came to an imperfect world to die as a perfect sacrifice to bring imperfect people to Him. This is impossible! It does not make sense! So why did Christ do it?

Because love changes everything. 

The love of God, His infinite and perfect love, gives an explanation for the actions of Christ on the world. God loved us enough to take all the sins of the world upon Himself - the Son was separated from the Father - for the first and only time, for the simple purpose of delivering us to Him. How could we ever cease to have this as the center of our thoughts?

The Sovereign came and died for us, and we think so highly of ourselves to give him two days a week and an occasional "thank you" prayer, while sectioning off the rest of our lives to benefit ourselves. I am of course the worst at this - I struggle every day to replace myself with Christ, but I pray that even through my struggles toward selflessness God would work His will and His plan, furthering the Kingdom and working His hand in the world. 

May we never forget the improbable, impossible sacrifice that Christ performed; may it ever be the center of our thoughts and the sole purpose of our interests.