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AND
STILL HE WALKED
He
could hear the crowd screaming "crucify him!" "crucify
him!!" ...
He could hear the hatred in their voices. These were His chosen
people. He loved them, and they were going to crucify Him. He
was beaten, bleeding and weakened . . . His
heart was broken,
But
still He walked.
He
could see the crowd as He emerged from the palace. He knew each
of the faces so well -- He had created them. He knew every smile,
every laughter, and every shed tear, but now they were contorted
with rage and anger . . . His heart broke . . .
But
still He walked.
Was
He scared? You and I would have been, so his humanness would
have mandated that He was. He felt alone. His disciples had
left, denied, and even betrayed Him. He searched the crowd for
a loving face and He saw very few. Then He turned his eyes up
to THE ONLY ONE THAT MATTERS and He knew He would never be alone.
He looked back at the crowd, at the people who were spitting
at Him, throwing rocks at Him, mocking Him and He knew that
because of Him, they would never be alone.
So
for them, He walked.
As
He looked out past the crowd, into the distance, into time,
He saw my birth, my face and my life. He heard my cries and
saw my tears. He knew I needed salvation. He knew He had to
die so I might live. He knew my cross would be too much for
me to bear, and because He wants me to have eternal life, He
bore my sins upon His cross,
And
for me, He Walked.
When
He got to Calvary, to that place called Golgotha (meaning the
Place of the Skulls), the sounds of the hammer striking the
spikes echoed through the crowd. The sounds of His cries echoed
even louder. The cheers of the crowd, as His hands and feet
were nailed to the cross, intensified with each blow.
Loudest
of all was the still small voice inside His heart that whispered
"I am with you my son," and God's heart broke.
He
had let His son Walk.
Jesus
could have asked God to end his suffering, but instead He asked
God to forgive me, not to forgive Him, but to forgive the ones
who were persecuting Him.
As
He hung on that cross, at three p.m., on Good Friday, hanging
between heaven and earth, dying an ignominious and an unimaginable
death, He looked around. He saw not only the faces in the crowd,
but also the face of every person yet to be, and His heart filled
with love. As His body was dying, His heart was alive. Alive
with the limitless, unconditional love He feels for each of
us.
And
that is why He Walked.
Just
before nine p.m., He dismissed His Spirit, looked up to heaven
and cried out in a loud voice: "Father, it is finished
. . . Into Your hands, I commit My Spirit."
He lowered His head into the locks of His hair and breathed
His last.
When
I often call His name in my hour of need and get no response,
and wonder if He is in fact real, my faith kicks in...
and I remember His Walk.
When
I think of those horrible relationships I've ever been in, and
recall all the lies that were told about me, and how badly I
want pay back, I recall the lies that were told about Him that
made Him Walk.
When
I sometimes feel like giving up and just dying because my body
is sick and racked with so much pain, I remember His mercy comforts
me and that’s why He Walked.
When
I look at my bank account, and see nothing in it, and wonder
how I will make it through another day, I remember He has blessed
me with EVERYTHING that I’ll ever NEED,
and
that is why He Walked.
When
life's daily issues seem too much to bear and I feel I can’t
go on any longer,
I
remember His Walk.
When
I think no one has problems bigger than mine, I remember His
trial and His Walk.
When
I often wonder if I could ever be forgiven for all my sins,
I remember why He Walked.
When
I need reminding of how to live like Christ, I think of His
Walk.
And
to show Him how grateful I am that He willingly and graciously
died an unspeakable death in my place, I wake up each morning,
turn my eyes up to Him,
And
I walk.
I
hope the above passage brings a measure of Faith, Hope and Healing
to anyone reading it who finds him or herself going through
a difficult time, whether you are that homeless person, that
survivor of domestic violence, that person battling a grave
illness, or whether you are that man, woman or child whose family
has been devastated by man’s inhumanity to man . . . Life
has a way of throwing curve balls at us every now and then,
and while anyone can say, Hold on! Have faith!, it is easier
said than done.
I
don't have EMPIRICAL PROOF to prove that He lives other than
my life, but my faith tells me that He was God in the image
of man, and therefore He suffered and experienced ALLTHE PAIN
that you and I experience on a daily basis as we go through
this thing called LIFE. His MERCY and His GRACE have kept me.
He understands and He IS ALWAYS PRESENT to comfort those who
seek Him.
When
things are difficult and you feel like giving up . . . when
your daily issues seem too much to bear and you feel like letting
go . . . when depression weighs you down and you feel like ending
it all . . . when it seems like your days are always nights
. . . when things just don’t seem to make sense any more
and you feel like throwing in the towel . . .
remember
to turn your eyes up to HIM and walk.
May
His Grace, Peace, and Blessings be with you and yours. . . Always.
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"The
Walk" used by permission © 2001
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