Even If....

My Lenten journey has prompted me to consider the tenacity and depth of Jesus', commitment to live out God's plan for the redemption of the human soul.   Think about it.  How many people do you know who are willing to embrace suffering and physical death on behalf of someone else?  Even people who have made fun of, or rejected you?  Someone you don't even know?  Jesus never flinched when it came to doing God's will.  More than once He noted that His will was to do God's will.  He even looked upon those who demanded His life with pity and great love.

But something keeps running through my mind:  God could've come up with another way to redeem humanity.  After all He is God and He can do anything He wants to do!  But He didn't!  He chose the path of personal suffering for His very own son as the only way to redeem humanity.  And Jesus knew it.  In fact he told His followers many times that He would suffer and die so God could be glorified.  Confusing to them and confusing to us.  But it's the ultimate example of obedience and trust.  Jesus trusted the Father so much because He knew that while God acts with justice, He is motivated by deep and abiding love.  

Trusting God is the point of Lent and Holy Week.  We can trust this great and awesome God because His love for us is greater than any we have ever known.   Even when things don't go our way, or we experience personal loss and suffering we continue to trust Him.  Jesus did and He suffered immensely.  But at the end ALL He had to hold on to was His Father, our Father, God almighty.  Kutless' song, Even If reminds us of God's unending faithfulness:

Sometimes all we have to hold on to
Is what we know is true of who You are
So when the heartache hits like a hurricane
That could never change who You are
And we trust in who You are

Even if the healing doesn't come
And life falls apart
And dreams are still undone
You are God You are good
Forever faithful One
Even i the healing
Even if the healing doesn't come

Deuteronomy 31:6 reminds us that He is not a forsaking, or abandoning God.  Even if we are crumbling and shaky He is firmly planted and cannot be moved!