“Most of all, love one another deeply. Love erases many sins by forgiving them.” 1 Peter4:8 NIRV
I am writing this devotion on December 31st. The only reason I mention that is because I have been flipping through the introductions and forewards of a few my favorite devotional books getting ready to start them over on January 1st. In the midst of these readings, God spoke anew of the grace that is found in love and mercy. Enclosed is the word I will ponder in 2025, a reminder to love despite hurt, and a visual from Narnia.
In the introduction to “New Morning Mercies”, Paul David Tripp, the author wrote, “As I began writing, I was excited to do some spiritual spelunking, that is, venturing down into the cavernous depths of the faith that I hold so dear. I did so, not so much as an expert, but as a pilgrim or an explorer. I sat down to write, not thinking that I had the gospel mastered, but that there was evidence in my life that I needed to be further mastered by the very message of grace that sits at the epicenter of everything that I do in ministry.”
This exert in correlation to my continued effort to finish “Pilgrim’s Progress” and continual life lessons all worked to unearth my word for 2025 which is pilgrim. Oxford Languages defines pilgrim as “a traveler or person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons.” Hebrews 11 tells us that we are strangers or voyagers in this life destined for a better place. When I think of America’s pilgrims and Christian, the protagonist in Pilgrim’s progress, I think of words like hardship, trials, grit, morals, follow-through, patience, resilience, hope, and faith.
In choosing the word pilgrim, I hope to remind myself, now more than ever, that the things of this life, although very real, are transient, and the thing that remains forever, my soul, is being refined to bring glory to God. I am responsible for the growth I allow God to make in me, and I am responsible for my reactions to all hardships that were originally meant, by the enemy, to harm me but can be transformed and used, by God, for my good instead.
In “Grace for the Moment”, Max Lucado wrote, “I choose love…no occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.” This is a bold statement. It takes into account no personal feelings. It’s a declaration. What better testimony can be made when our heart is raw, cut deep, and hurt threatens to consume us, yet we say no to the natural ways of flesh and declare that we will not be overcome. We will stand strong in the loving, changing, forgiving power of Jesus Christ. This declaration doesn’t focus the reason for hurt but focuses on the part we can control, our reaction to it.
In The Silver Chair, a book in the Narnia series, Eustace Scrubb is terrified of heights. Jill Pole, a schoolmate, stands at the edge of a high mountain and mocks Eustance for his fear of heights. He attempts to save her as she bobbles and tumbles over the edge himself. Eustace faces scary realities because of Jill’s actions. Aslan darts to the edge of the mountain and uses his breath to gently lower Eustance to the very distant foot of the mountains. Aslan didn’t cause Eustance to fall, but though he fell, Aslan protected him and gave him a remarkable story to tell.
Maybe you feel like Eustace. You feel like you’re falling off a mountain, not because of your own actions, yet here you are. Take comfort from Aslan’s power over Eustace’s fall. He can change your free-fall into a story of grace and love and mercy.
As we continue our pilgrimage into 2025, let’s be encouraged by two women from 1932. In an exert from the entry The Voice Devine in “God Calling” the Two Listeners wrote the following paragraphs, and 93 years later and ten million copies sold, I am not alone in being encouraged, inspired, and so very glad these two women listened to what God asked them to do in writing their devotional and keeping the faith.
“Certainly we were not in any way psychic or advanced in spiritual growth, but just very ordinary human beings, who had had more suffering and worry than the majority and who had known tragedy after tragedy. The tender understanding of some of Our Lord’s message was at times almost heart-breaking: but His loving reproofs would leave no hurt.
Always, and this daily, He insisted that we should be channels of Love, Joy and Laughter in His broken world. This was the Man of Sorrows in a new aspect.
We, or I, found this command very difficult to obey, although to others it might have been simple. To laugh, to cheer others, to be always joyful when days were pain-racked, nights tortured by chronic insomnia, when poverty and almost insupportable worry were our daily portion, when prayer went unanswered and God’s face was veiled and fresh calamities came upon us.
Still came this command to love and laugh and be joy-bringers to the lives we contacted. Disheartened, one of us would gladly have ceased the struggle and passed on to another happier life. But He encouraged us daily, saying that He would not break the instruments that he intended to use, that He would not leave the metal in the crucible longer than was necessary for the burning away of the dross. Continually He exhorted us not to lose heart, and spoke of the joy that the future held for us.”
To end, let’s read some lyrics from Phil Wickham’s “Hymn of Heaven” and be encouraged that though this life is messy and hard, one day we will have no more pain whether that be physical, emotional or mental. I have altered punctuation and capitalization for clarity.
“How I long to breathe the air of Heaven, where pain is gone and mercy fills the streets. To look upon the One who bled to save me and walk with Him for all eternity. There will be a day when all will bow before Him. There will be a day when death will be no more. Standing face to face with He who died and rose again, holy, holy is the Lord. And every prayer we prayed in desperation. The songs of faith we sang through doubt and fear. In the end, we’ll see that it was worth it, when He returns to wipe away our tears.”
It takes courage to surrender all the Christ. Every hurt, every burden, every fear, every injustice. But, with the measure we extend love and forgiveness is the measure we will receive. We have been forgiven much which means we can forgive much. Love is the key. Love for Christ, and His love pouring through us.
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from?” Psalm 121:1
