It’s the fifth Sunday after Epiphany, and the words of Psalm 147: 1-7 (KJV) come to mind. “Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praise unto our God; for it is pleasant and praise is comely. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground. Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God.”
There are three hymns that come to mind when I think of the awesome power of God and the love His Son, Jesus Christ, gives to us. The refrain words of “On Eagle’s Wings” suggest that “Christ will raise you up on eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of the dawn, make you shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of His hand.” (Evangelical Lutheran Worship-787) Another hymn is the words of “Take My Life, That I May Be.” My pledge is to give everything about myself-my life, hands, voice, money, feet, lips, intellect, will, heart, and love- to the Lord God Almighty. My whole life is to the glory of God, for I know my life will be abundant if I only open my heart to the One who gives Eternal life. (Evangelical Lutheran Worship)-685) The final hymn, “You Raise me Up,” speaks to the times “when I am down and my soul is weary, when troubles come and my heart is burdened, then I am still and wait in the silence until you come and sit awhile with me.” (Brendan Graham and Rolf Lovland) Christ raises me up to stand on the highest mountains, to walk on stormy seas. He makes me strong so that I can be more than I ever thought I could be.
Many people spend their whole lives trying to find the meaning of life when all they really need to do is take Christ’s hand and open their hearts to the love He offers. They seek out material things, drugs, or alcohol to fill the voids they experience only to realize that the world can’t fill those open holes. There is only one person who is the way, the truth, and the light: Jesus Christ. He asks us to follow Him, to love God, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. He vowed to stay with us throughout every storm, every troubled sea, and every hard decision. He makes us more than we ever thought we’d ever be. His light fell on all of the paths that I walked. I give my heart to Christ and that has made all the difference in my life. When it’s time for me to leave the earth, He will raise me up on wings of eagles to my Eternal home.
Anna Hartt
