Sunday, June 23, 2013

Every Hour I Need You

You're my one defense, my righteousness, oh God, how I need you.

In one line, I hear an entire message.  Amazing how powerful some words can be and how adding them to music can stir the heart and the soul and truths can be laid bare.

Jesus, you are my one defense.  You are my "last line of defense."  You are the only line of defense.  You protect me from myself and others and keep the evil one from doing me harm.  I will likely never know all the things you have protected me from, all the dangers and pitfalls you have prevented me from stumbling into.  But, you are not just my physical defender, you are my defender from judgment.  You are my defense attorney.  And my entire defense is that I plead the blood of Christ.  I have no merit on my own to beg for mercy from the righteous judge.  But, you traded your righteousness for my sin.  You are my only plea.  I have no back-up plans and I don't need one.  You are all I need.

You are my righteousness.  I have nothing good in me.  My righteousness is as filthy rags.  On my best day, I can never come close to being righteous.  Yet, you have taken my filthy rags of sin and put them on yourself and placed your righteousness, like a garment, over me.  I have become righteous because you have washed me clean.

And I do need you so very badly.  Daily, I struggle, whether it's with emotional/mental turmoil, trials, sin, the world I live in, anger, physical pain, fatigue, being a wife and mother, the mundane details of life that bog down, paralyzing fear, doubt and confusion, frustration, making decisions, family, friends, loneliness, or homesickness.  I need you in all those things.  If I didn't have You, I would curl up in a ball, shrivel up, and wither away just from being overwhelmed alone.  I cannot walk this road alone and I cannot imagine how anyone could live life without you.  I wouldn't survive.  There are days when I feel like I can't breathe, so I have to remember to keep my eyes on You and put one foot in front of the other.  I don't need to see where I am going, I just need to see You.  Father, I most definitely need you.  Hold my hand, Abba, daddy, and please don't let me go.  My heart yearns and aches for your return and home.

Just one line.  Such a rich song.


1 comment:

Unknown said...

That song goes through my mind all the time! Such a good reminder!