What Love Is This – Leah Wilkes
When I am at my worst and fall into a pit of despair, You’re there. When I run from your will as hard as I can, You run faster and catch me up in Your arms. When I turn from Your loving embrace, judging myself too wretched to accept it, You wrap your arms around my back and remind me of Your love’s infinite power. When I insult your grace and think only of my weakness, You don’t cast me aside, but rather, patiently remind me that You will finish the work You have started. When I cry out “I’m done I’m done” You simply reply… “I’m not.”
“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to You; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with You.”
Psalm 139:7-12
Your goodness is running after me. Despite my weakness, my doubting and my self-pity, You persist in running towards me with arms filled with affection. You are my God and my Father. You are my tender, thoughtful Jesus. Your presence is filled with warmth and your countenance is a steadfast gaze of love. How can I not love you? How can I not offer You my sacrifice of praise? When I lift my hands up and say “I believe, I believe, I believe” Your presence surrounds me. Oh to be constantly enveloped in Your embrace! I can assuredly say “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!” because You have promised that “goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”
“…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”
Rom 5:8-11
What love is this, that dies for a wretch and keeps loving through constant weakness and frequent doubting? Such love is divine and heavenly, immeasurable and grand. This is the Love of the Father from which there is no hiding. His love responds to prayers such as “Help!” and “Save me!” or my favorite of all, “Dear Lord Jesus…. just hold me.” “Much more” now for his children that call Him Father does he respond with willing affection.
This love is never overpowered by darkness, nay “the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with You.” When the enemy thinks he has the upper hand and you believe all hope is gone, the Lord smiles with an outstretched hand and seats you at a table in the presence of your very enemies. Those humiliated foes watch helplessly as you feast upon a bountiful provision of everything you have ever needed. The more you fill up with spiritual delights the farther the enemy is made to flee. Oh how he hates to watch as you tightly close your eyes taking one mouthful after another of strength, healing, peace, comfort and joy. Oh how he winces as the oil of gladness dribbles down your chin and you revel in the delights of the Lords table.
“He restoreth my soul” no matter how far it is gone and how frail I have been. “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”