I dare not trust the sweetest frame

Hi there! Helen has asked me to write today's inspiring blog as she is away. I realise now, faced with an empty page, how daunting this must be for her. I had intended to plan something to write yesterday but got a bit distracted by a romantic comedy-athon with my housemates! However I think this is for the best as I probably would've got carried away and written an essay and maybe not be as led by God as I should be. 

What I would like to share this morning are a few lines from a song 'Cornerstone' which is an old hymn that has been rewritten by Hillsong. It is a song that has been a great comfort to me this year as it's all about trusting God in the midst of trials and suffering.

I don’t feel at all qualified this morning I should say. After coming back from New Wine and some great teaching, I have felt under attack from the enemy this past week. It figures, you find yourself in a good place with God, he hates it and will do anything to drag you down. So he has been prodding me where it hurts and I have been fighting some unpleasant thoughts and feelings this week. One of the films my housemates and I were watching yesterday was ‘Bride Wars’ which is about two best friends competing to have a better wedding than the other, which causes a breakdown in their friendship. It is a ridiculous film but despite that, it actually made me feel quite bad watching it, as it showed me how ugly sin can be that sometimes we can turn against the ones we love because we feel insecure and unloved. I feel very sad for some of the thoughts and feelings that have invaded my heart this week because I was feeling vulnerable. In short, I feel very aware of my sin and feel unworthy to be writing a post to you this morning.

Well fortunately, it's all about Him. It's all about Jesus.

The first line of the song 'Cornerstone' is this:

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness

He is my hope. He is why I can have integrity in writing to you this morning. It is entirely about what he does for us that makes the difference, specifically what he did by dying for us. It is why we can tell the devil to get lost! Another line from the song is this:

Weak made strong in the Saviour's love

For some bizarre reason we not only often as humans believe that we have to be perfect in order to come to God but also we need to continue to be 'good' to stay in his presence. NO! Jesus said to the Pharisees he came for the sick not for the healthy. The irony of this was the Pharisees didn't see was they were equally as sick and in need of God's love and forgiveness for their coldness of heart as the people they condemned as 'sinners'. What Jesus means is that it is those who know that they need God and who pursue Him who will be healed and helped. The weak are made strong in his love. 

The line I love best in the song is this:

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

But wholly trust in Jesus' name

I like it because the choice of the words 'sweetest frame' is surprising. It can be a subtle evil to trust in the good things in our life. The sweetest frames. A frame being something you lean on for support. Perhaps the love of a family member or friend. Or the kind affirming words someone has posted on your Facebook page. Or success in an area of your life. All good things but not where we should place our trust. We need to trust in Jesus as the one who affirms us because it is through him that we are made right before God. We especially need to not trust in our own efforts to be good enough.

Let me put all this in the context of how Jesus responded to one man. In John 5, Jesus comes across a man who has been sick for 38 years. Imagine that. As my study bible says about him: 'Hygiene and mobility were impossible and he likely begged for a living from people who came to use the pool. His situation seemed hopeless'. He is sitting beside the pool of Bethesda. It is a special pool that they believed had healing qualities (something about an angel coming every so often and stirring the water up and whoever could get in the pool quick enough was helped…) I don't know if it actually worked or not but the man is determined to try it still after 38 years so it makes me think that some people were healed. Jesus comes along and finds him there and asks him if he would like to be made well. The man responds by saying he can't get into the pool. In other words, he's sort of hinting to Jesus please can you help me get into the pool. 

Talk about your sweetest frame - Jesus is standing before him! Jesus the son of God who was there with the Father in the beginning, who helped create the world and flung stars into space. He puts his trust in some pool. Ok, so it's easier for us reading the account to see the irony as opposed to this man who didn't know who Jesus was but I think it's a very valid message for us. Jesus doesn’t help him to get into the pool, which symbolises what the man thinks he needs in order to be healed, rather he tells him, "Stand up, pick up your mat and walk!" Instantly, the man was healed!' 

What is your pool today? What is the thing you are hoping for or looking to for your sense of assurance or affirmation? What is the thing you think if you get you’ll be happy? What is it you think will heal you?

What is your sweetest frame? What are you leaning on today?

My word of hope and encouragement to you is this: realise that Jesus is standing before you asking you if you want to be made well. Jesus wants to help you, to heal you, to restore you, to guide you, to love you, to encourage you, to bless you, to inspire you, to forgive you, to set you free. There are lots of good things in our life, lots of sweet frames that are a source of blessing and comfort, but ultimately let us trust in Jesus as the one we wholly lean on. The one who achieves for us our righteousness.

God bless people, hope you have a wonderful week!

Here is a link to the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvLxZEU02uI