Tuesday 31 December 2013

Yes he walked my road, and he felt my pain

From the squalor of a borrowed stable,
By the spirit and a virgin's faith;
To the anguish and the shame of scandal
Came the Saviour of the human race!
But the skies were filled, with the praise of heav'n,
Shepherds listen as the angels tell 
Of the Gift of God, come down to man
At the dawning of Immanuel

King of heaven now the Friend of sinners,
Humble servant in the Father's hands,
Filled with power and the Holy Spirit,
Filled with mercy for the broken man
Yes he walked my road, and He felt my pain,
Joys and sorrows that I know so well;
Yet His righteous steps, give me hope again -
I will follow my Immanuel!

Through the kisses of a friend's betrayal,
He was lifted on a cruel cross;
He was punished for a world's transgressions,
He was suffering to save the lost
He fights for breath, He fights for me
Loosing sinners from the claims of hell;
And with a shout, our souls are free -
Death defeated by Immanuel!

Now He's standing in the place of honour,
Crowned with glory on the highest throne,
Interceding for His own beloved
Till His Father calls us to bring them home!
Then the skies will part, as the trumpet sounds
Hope of heaven or the fear of hell;
But the Bride will run, to her Lover's arms,
Giving glory to Immanuel!


As I sit here as the clock strikes midnight and we enter into 2014 I cannot help the tears flood me and stream down my face, another year of pain.  I have had an awful few weeks filled with pain and I have been trying to hide that from everyone at all costs, I am scared, I am tired beyond tired.  I'm tired of being tired, I am tired of being in pain, I am tired of feeling ill, I am tired of not sleeping, I am tired of my limitations, I am tired of feeling like this.  I am fed up.  I am hurting and I feel alone.  God feels far away, distant, irrelevant.

Then I remember these words… yes he walked my road, and he felt my pain, joys and sorrows that I know so well; yet his righteous steps, give me hope again - I will follow my Immanuel.

And then I realise Jesus walked my road and he felt my pain.  He has been here, he has done it and so he knows what it is like to be me.  He knows what it is like to feel pain and to feel sorrow, he knows what it feels like to be abandoned, rejected to feel awful beyond awful.

He did that all for me.  For the awful wretch I am.  So I can have life in him, so I can despite my broken sinful self one day stand in heaven face-to-face with my loving saviour in all his wonderful glory pain free forever!

And so I enter 2014 knowing that even if it brings more pain, more tiredness, more illness that whatever I face Jesus has faced it too - he knows exactly what I am going through and exactly how I feel. 

Immanuel, God is with us.