He Defends Me
Do you feel safe to sit with the Savior? Do you need to feel defended by God? In our most vulnerable and humble moments, Jesus doesn’t deny us, he defends us. And he doesn’t just do so privately. Two encounters will show us that even in our sin, he publicly upholds our dignity as his daughters. One woman lavishly loves Jesus after he forgives her from a lifestyle of sin. The other he saves and sends on her way to sin no more. Let’s sit with the Savior this week and extravagantly worship him as he extravagantly loves us.
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Have you ever had a moment that has taken you back to your middle or high school days? Maybe your daughter walked in the door after school talking about a mean girl. Or you sat filtering through the huge amounts of work to keep track of for your son. Maybe it was a TV show or a movie. Maybe you got to walk through those daunting hallways or see your child’s disorganized locker. And it brought it all back.
Recently, I sat across the picnic table from a sweet soul who shared she doesn’t care for all the high school social drama. Remember that? Me too. It triggered a reminder of what led me to Jesus. Like her, I was afraid of getting dragged into certain things and so I clung evermore to Jesus and the friends in my youth group. Our time reminded me of my first “yes” to Jesus. It brought flash backs of my first missions trip when the Scriptures went from black and white to color. And Jesus, well, he went from being a distant Savior to my personal protector, leader and friend.
Unfortunately, despite a fresh faith, there was still a nagging thought in the back of my head throughout my school days, “I’m a pretty good kid.” I stayed out of the bad crowds and the bad news. Trying to keep on the straight and narrow. If I were being honest, in my heart of hearts, I questioned if I really needed a Savior.
So as we read the passages for this week, my past heart probably looked more like Simon and the ones holding a stone, rather than the heart of the woman sitting at the feet of Jesus or the woman standing in front of her mockers needing saving.
Pride. It leads us to stand when we should sit. It causes us to boast when we should bow.
Luckily, my heart is not the same as in high school and it has come to the great realization of how much I need a Savior. How my sins hurt others and affect the heart of God.
And I am learning how to be vulnerable before the Lord.
How to sit at the feet of Jesus with all my stuff. My sin. My hurt. My doubt. My struggles. I am learning I am safe as I lay it all out before him. That if I go there, he won’t judge me. He won’t turn his face. He won’t chastise me. Or leave me. Even in the presence of others, he will defend me.
Like the women in our passages, even in our sin, he is still saving. Even when we are undignified, he defends.
Have you felt safe to sit at the feet of your Savior? Or are you standing, when he is inviting you to sit and let it all out?
If you are trying to muster the courage to go where you haven’t gone before with your Savior, remember “whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” And I might add, receives little.
Jesus wants to lavish the love of the Father on us, and when we know we need it, we have more room in our hearts to receive it.
Let’s be a group of women who sit at the feet of Jesus. Safe as we confess our sin. Savoring his love that leads to repentance, and moving forward in the freedom he offers.
Let’s live extravagantly loved and therefore love him extravagantly.