What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all arms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.
O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms,
O how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all arms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.
What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms,
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all arms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.
Freedom was a post about the two-fold freedom christians have through the Lord Jesus Christ- free from the consequences of our own sin and free from anxiety and fear in everyday life. The hymn above, a recent rediscovery of mine, is a fantastic reminder of the peace we have, knowing that our God is supreme, all-righteous and knowing that he loves us!
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.Romans chapter 8 verse 28
This is something which is so unimaginable to those who haven't experienced it. The King of the whole universe actually loves us and cares for us. Despite our initial doubts, the bible is positively bursting with reminders of God's love; here is just one example:
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?...
...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Did you know that an entire book of the bible is dedicated to the matter of Jesus' love, and is written through the medium of a huge love song?
At its most simple, Song of Songs is a collection of songs written by the Israeli King Solomon- his #1 albumn: "Solomon: The Golden Years". The songs are sung between a young Solomon and his first-love, a poor but beautiful girl. The girl is assisted in her singing by a 'backing band' of maidens. The imagery used is poignant and powerful, talking in highely poetic language about intimacy and love. The topics discussed are ones that, even in our unbashful contemporary circles, we would be too modest to sing or talk about. This book, contained right in the middle of the Bible, is a beautiful look at sexuality in marriage.
But its more than just that! Looking deeper at Songs, it is a rich and beautiful metaphor, whereby its prose and story reflects the depth and purity of the love in which the Lord Jesus loves us, his church and chosen people. The Church is pictured as the bride of Jesus, the bridegroom.
As we read through it, we first learn about the couple's courtship and the desires each has for one another, then we see the grandeur of the wedding ceremony itself; finally we enter the honeymoon chamber and witness the secret love between the bride's 'my beloved and my friend' and the groom's 'most beautiful of women... a lily amongst the brambles.'
Did you know that God actually created marriage as a way to show how deep and secure his love for us is? Marriage is a visual reminder- with which we are faced every day- to remember just how sure God's passion for his people is. The Song of Songs helps us to begin to understand the way God feels about his church.
When I think about my own conversion, I see that I wanted the freedom of Jesus. However I failed to fully grasp- as I continue to fail, even today, 6 years later- the depth, riches and pure mouth-opening wonder of God's love for me.
In earlier blogs I have described the joy of being content and the joy of being free, now I add to those the joy of being loved!
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