Inseparable

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: I Samuel 10, 11, 12; Psalm 61

I Samuel 10:2b (NIV)
2b And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is asking, “What shall I do about my son?”

Psalm 61:1-2 (NIV)
1 Hear my cry O God; listen to my prayer. 2 From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Mark 15:34 (NIV)
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” – which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Good morning!

They were inseparable, the two of them. He was a young father, and that baby boy of his was the light of his life. I can remember watching them walk past my store front every Saturday morning. They were headed to their secret place; a fishing hole on the other side of the lake. Daddy held tightly to the hand of his little one, as they carried their poles and a can of freshly dug worms. They would spend hours together, watching the ripples in the water while casting their lines into the deep. Even when the fish weren’t biting, there they sat, father and son, sharing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and speaking to each other in soft tones, so as not to scare the fish away. It was their special time; those sweet moments where relationships grow and each minute suspends itself in timeless memory.

I wonder if the time spent at the fishing hole will be a pleasant recollection for my friend someday. I can think of nothing to say to him, as he tearfully stands by his son’s bed side. The monotonous and rhythmical sounds of the breathing apparatus keeping the young man’s heart pumping and lungs filling with oxygen increases the despair felt inside his hospital room. He was such a good boy. Surely he did not deserve to endure this unbearable pain. Was there no one who could save him? Why did that sweet child have to die? In his solemn and overwhelming sorrow, my friend picked up the clipboard and signed his name to the form authorization. He stood at the foot of the bed, watching the doctor unplug the breathing apparatus. As his son’s heart beat began to quiver and fade away, the father turned his face and left the room weeping. I watched in horror as his son took one last breath and observed a silent, flat line on the monitor above his bed. The boy he loved with all his heart was gone.

As a parent, there is nothing worse than the sense of grief that flows from separation and loss. I would give anything to keep my children safe and free from suffering. I would die for them a thousand times over if they could live a happy and fulfilled life. How I long to give them the gift of life that lasts forever.

When our Heavenly Father allowed His only Son, Jesus Christ to die for the sins of the world, He knew the price He would pay. They were Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the three in one, holy perfection personified on earth and in heaven. They were inseparable. The Father loved his created ones with a passion and purpose. He breathed life into their bodies and give them hearts, bones and flesh. God provided every good gift for their ultimate happiness and well-being. He wanted nothing more than to spend their days together, sitting by the river of life, sharing the in the sweet communion that comes from intimate and holy relationship. His children chose to run away, over and over again. How the Father must have suffered watching his precious ones turn away, refusing to listen and follow. It was more than He could bear.

The Father’s Son felt His suffering and grief. He said, “I will go and bring them back to you. I would rather die for all of them than to see this chasm of separation and despair continue. Let me be their bridge. I will gladly sacrifice my life for each and every one of them, so they can come back to you. Let me go, Father. I am willing.” It was in that moment of utter separation when our Heavenly Father turned His face from the Son he loved more than life itself. In that holy moment, the sinless Lamb of God bore the sins of the world, choosing to separate Himself from a perfect and holy God. He gave up His life so that we could have forgiveness, restoring our relationship with Him, and experience the joy of everlasting life in the presence of our creator, redeemer and friend.

How much does God love you? He loves you enough to separate Himself from the Son He adores. God watched His perfect child take on the sin of the world on the cross. Jesus did this to bring you new life. Are you able to understand the high price that was paid for your salvation?

It was the pain of separation and loss of relationship that sent Jesus to the cross for you and me. He offers us a new life today. God misses you. He longs for you. Won’t you choose to come home to the Father through the blood of Jesus Christ?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: forgiveness. There is no greater love than the love of our Savior. God loved us so very much, that He sent His only Son to bridge the gap of sin that separates us from Him. He promises that when we call upon the name of Jesus, our relationship will be restored once and for all, and we will live forever with Him.
____________________________
© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.