Today, the phrase "worthy is the lamb" struck me in a new way. Actually, it's never really meant anything to me, but I know it's important because of this verse:
And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. (Revelation 5:11-12. KJV)
10,000 x 10,000 seems pretty important, but I didn't get why. During worship at church, I felt the spirit whisper: "the Lamb is worthy of all your suffering." As I explore this idea in my heart, it feels true but painful. The sadness and the suffering that I experience here on earth is all worth it if I have the Lamb of God. Do I dare to believe that?
If I think about it, there would be no sacrificial lamb if the Fall did not happen and cause all the suffering, sin, and pain that resulted from it. Would I have chosen for this all to happen differently? Yes.
Today we prayed for a friend who has cancer. Would I have chosen that for him? No. Would I choose to remove it from him if I could? Yes. This weekend, my baby girl turned 4. FOUR!!! My baby is 4. It's not that Annie is 4 years old, that doesn't phase me; it's that the baby of the family is 4. There was supposed to be another baby- either about a year old or about 9 months. Yet Annie is the baby. Is that what I would have chosen? Not really. I've made my peace with it, and I am finding so much joy just in living the life I have here and now. But that's the beauty of it- I didn't get a choice to avoid suffering, but I still get the gift of the suffering and of The Sufferer. The sufferings of Jesus make Him a better priest for us: "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Yes, living in this world is hard and vexes my spirit, but God has provided mercy and grace and help. Praise the Lamb!
