No Scar?

Monday, January 19, 2009 - 11:36 PM

Below is my favorite poem written by the beloved author Amy Carmichael. It moves me every time I read it and convicts me to go deeper, deeper still no matter the consequences. When I think of exactly what Jesus did for me, I am too overwhelmed to put it in words. There is no suffering we will go through that is larger than His suffering for us. Sometimes I focus too much on the scars of this life. This poem makes me focus on them as proof that I am His devoted servant and much loved child. It makes me realize that to follow Him already assumes that there WILL be scars because our Master suffered so. How can we not be willing to do the same? Jesus still carries the marks of His scars and holds out His hands for us to see, saying "These are the scars I received in the house of my friends;" and "Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hand." How can our loving Savior ever forget us for even one second while we are engraved on the palms of His hands that are always outstretched for us?

And we need not fear receiving scars for Him but rather consider them badges of honor for being allowed to be one with Him. We never enter any suffering or trial that our Savior has not first gone before us into. That means that by holding his pierced hand, we are assured we will emerge victoriously and hopefully more purified so that His reflection shines more clearly through these vessels of clay in which we live.

While in this flesh, we will experience fear in our hearts but if we quickly give that fear to Him, He will replace it with His peace. I am still learning this truth. It is not easy but but necessary.
And if we trust His love for us, we will understand that He always sees the bigger picture and is working on us for a higher good. We need only trust Him.

Do you have any wounds, any scars? How far have you traveled with the Master? He is always ready to take us as deep as we are willing to go. I find that exciting. The point to which we trust Him determines the depth of our intimacy with Him. There are no limits! Praise God, we can go just as deep as we want to and the more we love Him the deeper we want to go.


THE SCAR

Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
Hast thou no scar?

Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers, spent,
Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent
by ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned:
Hast thou no wound?

No wound? no scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And pierced are the feet that follow Me;
But thine are whole; can he have followed far
Who hast no wound nor scar?

by Amy Carmichael