Monday, April 4, 2011 - Spiritual Grit

Our daughter Julie at 34 1/2 weeks with Addy Faith.
Time to get my bag packed!

     In case you've forgotten, our granddaughter's name is Adalyn Faith and we'll call her Addy for short. Julie and Nick chose names for their beauty, meaning and built-in hopes and challenges. Adalyn means "kind spirited" and Faith means faith or active trust.  Addy Faith will grow into her name surrounded and supported by the prayers of her parents and all of us who love her, but she, like the rest of us, will face her own deeply personal trials about which no one else may know. 
     Surrounded by a full choir and congregation yesterday as we celebrated the 175th anniversary of FBC Benton, it was easy to feel buoyed by both the past and future and to feel the safety of numbers. However, when we face a crisis of faith alone, the cloud of witnesses fades into the background like outdated wallpaper filled with irrelevant designs. These lonely-but-never-alone moments hold the key to developing what Oswald Chambers calls "spiritual grit."  
     Jesus Himself faced such moments when His cloud of newly believing disciples evaporated from the Garden of Gethsemane, leaving Him exposed and alone.
"'You believe at last!' Jesus answered. 'But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered each to his own home. You will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for My Father is with Me." John 16:32
He could've called 10,000 angels to rescue Him, but His spiritual grit kept His feet on the ground and His eyes on the Father as He stuck to the Plan. The palm-waving crowds slept unaware as soldiers treated Him like a common criminal and carted Him away to be unlawfully tried for crimes He didn't commit. He was beaten until the blood poured, yet Christ's spiritual grit held Him in place to receive the blows. Religious leaders and military men verbally abused Him, yet His spiritual grit kept Him from saying the single word that would've sent them up in smoke. Mockers and sightseers stood at the foot of His cross screaming their scorn, yet His spiritual grit held Him to the cross to buy salvation and grace for a fickle world.
"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. . . " 2 Chronicles 16:9
     Lord Jesus, Your mercy on us when You felt alone astounds us. Our weak faith proves we could've been in one of those crowds who made Your call more difficult. We praise You for Your Love-in-action and for sticking to a Plan that probably didn't make much sense in the middle of Your suffering. Thank You for praying for us and for staying for us. Each stripe You received proved Your spiritual grit. Thank You for looking on our helplessness and doing what cost You the comforts of heaven. You came to suffer every indignity to save us. We'll never attain the spiritual grit You showed, but we're called by Your Name and we want to stick to Your Plan even when blessings and warm feelings are scarce. Help us, Lord Jesus, to succeed in the small trials today. Replace our squeamishness about suffering with spiritual grit.
In the Name of Jesus, the courageous, loving Son of Man!
Inspired by My Utmost for His Highest
photo from bakinanakin.blogspot.com