Tuesday, February 5, 2013

The Doorpost


Have you ever had a day when you just wanted to scream at God and ask Him to explain what He was doing?  Have you ever just thrown your hands up and walked away from God for a time?  Do you ever shake your fist at God and tell Him that you’re tired of doing things His way and want your own way instead?  If you’re anything like me, then you would answer yes to every single one of these questions.

But, can we really have things our own way?  Are we really able to be in charge of our own lives?  The honest answer to these questions is NO.  Why?  Because we’ve been purchased.  We don’t own ourselves.  We were bought at a price and we’re not for sale – not even to ourselves. 

I remember the first mission trip I went on in 1995.  It was to Fairmont, West Virginia to rehab homes in the area.  While there, I learned a song and it was imprinted on my heart.  It’s called, “Pierce My Ear” and it’s based on the passage from Exodus 21 concerning laws about Hebrew servants.  Take a look…

“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him.  If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.
“But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’  then his master must take him before the judges.  He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.”
Exodus 21:1-6

In the same way, I’ve been taken to the doorpost of Christ’s home and I’ve been pierced.  I don’t want my own freedom and my own life but only the life that my Master has to offer.  I’ve been struck with this Biblical concept over the last couple of weeks.  MY plan for my life just is not happening.  MY desires are not being met and so often I can forget that I’m not in charge – that I don’t own myself or my life.  I forget that my body is branded with Christ’s blood - that I’m wearing a sign that says, “Redeemed by Christ”.  I now belong to Him and I am His servant.


But being a servant can be a painful thing.  I have to wait for my Master to grant me the desires of my heart, or wait for Him to heal someone, or wait for Him to save someone.  It isn’t easy.  But walking the road of servitude means we walk the road of Christ.  He also has been a servant…

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
    taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    and became obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11

My ear has been pierced – my life has been pierced.  But Christ’s very body was pierced for our sake. 

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”  Isaiah 53:4-6

This One, who was the very nature of God, made himself nothing and took the very nature of a servant.  When we are pierced and walk the road of servitude, we walk the road to Christ. 
Listen to the words of this song:

Pierce my ear, Oh Lord, my God. 
Take me to your door this day.
I will serve no other god. 
Lord, I’m here to stay. 

For you have paid the price for me. 
With your blood, you set me free. 
I will serve you eternally. 
A free man I’ll never be.

(I still haven't figured out how to attach an actual video to my blog so click on this link if you want to hear the song.  It's awesome!)

 
There’s no other way I would want to live my life.  I'm sold out for Christ and I’ve been pierced by His blood.  This life I live is not my own.  Yes, I stumble and fall.  Just in the past weeks, I've shaken my fist at God and expressed my displeasure at His choices for my life.  But I always come back to the doorpost.  I always come back to where my heart really is.  Christ always brings me back to Him.


Have you gone to the doorpost?  Have you been pierced?  Is Christ's blood covering you?  Has Christ redeemed you?  I encourage you - Set yourself before Christ as His servant.  Be pierced by Christ and find true life...
 
A slave for Christ,
Melissa

No comments:

Post a Comment