Sobering and inspiring quote from David Seamands in his book Healing of Emotions (Victor Books, 1985), 50,51.
God who loves us so much that he was willing to plunge into the turbulent and murky waters of human life and be identified with us all the way.
–In His very conception, submerged in the amniotic fluids, the waters of the Virgin Mary’s womb,
–In His birth and infancy, fleeing the swirling waters of King Herod’s insane death decree.
–In His boyhood, learning through the waters of growth and development, maturing from the discipline of earthly parents and religious authorities.
–In His twenties, immersed in the waters of obscurity, soaking in Scripture, being saturated in patience and divine wisdom.
–In His thirties, plunging into ministry in the polluted waters of sin-corrupted lives, baptized with sinners, walking, eating and living with them, but untouched by their contamination.
–And finally, engulfed in the whirlpools of deceit, denial, and betrayal, entering the murky depths of death itself … even thedeath of the Cross. God is in our pain with us and for us all the way, even at great cost to Himself.
Now we have reached the very core of the Good News – the Cross. Jesus identified with the worst of us right to the end, as He was crucified with two criminals. Here in the deepest waters of all, “He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone” (Hebr. 2:9 NIV)
This identification in death was crucially important, as the author of the Book of Hebrews tells us… “He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death… For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way… Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:14-18 NIV).
Here is complete identification with us, the ultimate proof that God understands our pain and our suffering. The point of this passage and others from the Epistle to the Hebrews is that because God now fully understands, we never need hesitate to bring anything to Him. Indeed, we are urged to “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebr. 4:16, NIV).
