-LOVE LIFTED ME
MERRY TUESDAY BY PARRIS BAILEY
“I KNOW MY REDEEMER LIVETH, AND THAT HE SHALL STAND AT THE LATTER DAY UPON THE EARTH, AND AFTER MY SKIN WORMS DESTROY MY BODY, YET IN MY FLESH SHALL I SEE GOD.”JOB 19:25-26
I pray that none of us ever have to experience what Job went through. The loss of his entire family, his entire source of income and then bodily health. Plus his wife and his friends basically pushed him “off the bridge”. It is hard for me to imagine worms eating my flesh for nine months, in fact it’s hard for me to imagine any of what he went through. The redeeming factor of course is that Job not only made it but had a encounter with God. This verse speaks volumes to all of us, our redeemer Christ himself is able to bring us through whatever situation we may be facing. In JER. 17:7-8 it says, “BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT TRUSTETH IN THE LORD, AND WHOSE HOPE THE LORD IS. FOR HE SHALL BE AS A TREE PLANTED BY THE WATERS, AND THAT SPREADETH OUT HER ROOTS BY THE RIVER, AND SHALL NOT SEE WHEN HEAT COMES, BUT HER LEAF SHALL BE GREEN, NEITHER SHALL CEASE FROM YIELDING FRUIT.” Despite our setbacks Christ brings a redeeming effect on our sorrows. In 1912 James Rowe wrote the words to this hymn and his friend Howard Smith so crippled in his hands with arthritis wrote the music.
LOVE LIFTED ME
“I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,
But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.
Refrain:
Love lifted me!
Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help,
Love lifted me!
All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling,
In His blessed presence live, ever His praises sing,
Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul’s best songs,
Faithful, loving service, too, to Him belongs.
Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves,
He will lift you by His love, out of the angry waves.
He’s the Master of the sea, billows His will obey,
He your Savior wants to be, be saved today.”
Let’s read what the Interpreter Commentary says about Job, “WAS IT NOT SOME WHISPER IN THE SOUL THAT LED HIM TO KEEP KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF GRACE, DESIRING A CONFERENCE WITH HIS MAKER? (SOMETIMES HE LEFT OFF KNOCKING AND WENT TO KICKING) WAS IT NOT THAT CRY THAT BROUGHT HIM TO CRY OUT FOR A MEDITATOR? SOMEONE TO PLEAD HIS CAUSE, TO STAND BETWEEN HIM AND GOD? A DAYS-MAN, AN UMPIRE? THAT MOMENT HE HAMMERED OUT HOT THE ANVIL OF HIS DESPAIR. HIS PAIN GOT HIM VAST WINGS. I KNOW THAT REDEEMER LIVES!”
Our circumstances may or may not change, but at some point we all just need an encounter with the God. After all, He is the God of the breakthrough.