Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
Paul the apostle was one of the most learned men of his day and had a vocabulary that matched his great knowledge and wisdom, yet there was a time when Paul could not put into words what he had fully experienced (2 Cor. 12:4). Sometimes in life we experience events where words alone can never really convey the height or depth of all that we have gone through. In the tragic loss of a spiritual son and brother, we as a church family find ourselves standing in such a place. Words alone can never really express our heart.
If I had to sum up this experience in one sentence it would be in the words of Corrie Ten Boom, who had four members of her immediate family murdered by the Nazi’s and was herself interned in a death camp during world war two.
“There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.” -Corrie Ten Boom
In my life I have experienced some personal tragedy and have walked with friends and other believers in times of tragedy, however, I have never been in such a deep pit as this one. This was devastating and I came to a place of weakness that I have never touched before. Somehow, I touched the sufferings of Christ (1 Peter 4:13 & Phil. 3:10) and although it was only a very, very, tiny touch it was beyond anything I have ever known; it was beyond my natural man’s ability to cope. I literally felt the marred body of the Lord Himself holding me, as I had no strength within myself to hold on to Him. There are times in this life where we have to face suffering and it is in those moments that we discover the Lord to be much more than we had previously known. He really is deeper than any pit we will ever find ourselves in.
So His appearance was marred more than any man and His form more than the sons of men. Isaiah 52:14
When we think of the wounds of Christ we tend to think only of His palms, ankles and side (John 20:25-27), however the Bible paints a much greater and more horrendous picture of what He really looked like. The marred body of the Lord Jesus is a powerful testimony of His love and compassion for us.
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20 “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” John 14:18-21
In this tragedy the Lord has come to us. He has not left us or abandoned us. In fact, I believe He is now inviting us to know and see Him as we never have. Sunday, as we gathered as a church family for the first time since the tragedy the Lord Jesus appeared in a vision to me during worship. What I saw was the marred man that I had sensed holding me all week. I could only make out His face, not in detail, but I could tell it was marred and somewhat disfigured. His body was covered with white clothing. He looked at me with a very earnest yet gentle expression and spoke, “Byron, do you really understand now, do you really understand I love you? Do you see it?” I responded, “I understand now, I finally understand You really do love me, I see Your love.” He then stepped toward me and into me and I went into Him. He is inviting us to enter into a much greater revelation and experience of His life, love, compassion and oneness with Him.
If we will respond to this invitation the Lord will disclose or manifest Himself to us (John 14:21). The Greek word used for disclose means to shine forth or out shining. This speaks of a glorious manifestation of the Lord. We have touched His suffering and we will rejoice in His glory (1 Peter 4:13).
I will end with one other gem Corrie Ten Boom received while in the death camp.“God will give us the love to be able to forgive our enemies.”
God is good.
Many Blessings, BW