“And now the LORD says—He who formed me in the womb to be His servant…for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength.”
Isaiah 49:5 (NIV)
Isaiah 49:5 (NIV)
Jim standing in the empty Garden Tomb in Jerusalem (February 2009)
As we celebrate our Risen Savior, let’s consider the sacred “Womb With A View”…
A womb is a sacred place held in the hands of God. As God knits together His precious handiwork, the Creator ordains the days and knows His purpose for His creation. ”For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16 (NIV)
“The first offspring of every womb belongs to me…” Exodus 34:19 (NIV) Consider the miraculous first offspring of Mary’s womb. The One who was with God in the beginning, the One through whom all things were made (John 4:1-4), was now being knit together by our Heavenly Father’s hands as a babe. Why? Because Mary’s womb was a womb with a view. Our Heavenly Father formed Jesus in the womb to be His servant. Our Servant. Our Savior and Our Redeemer. Amazing. Humbling.
Jesus loves the people of the world perfectly and completely. We needed a Redeemer because of our sin, rebellion and independence from God. Jesus’ view from Mary’s womb must have been both glorious and heart-wrenching. His creation and His people spread out before Him, He viewed the necessity of the cross. With His death and resurrection on the horizon, He viewed the new life that only His saving grace could bring. “…how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!” Romans 5:15 (NIV)
His view in the womb embodied a view from the cross. Psalm 22 is “A View From The Cross”:
“Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.” (vv. 9-10)
The Heart-wrenching View:
“I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.” (vv. 14-19)
“I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.” (vv. 14-19)
The Glorious View:
“The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him— may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.” (vv. 26-28)
“The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him— may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.” (vv. 26-28)
The View For Those Still Wombed:
“They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn—
for He has done it.” (v. 31)
“They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn—
for He has done it.” (v. 31)
He has done it. His view from the womb: the redemption and salvation of a people whom He loves. His purpose, obedience and sacrifice: our new life in Him, for Him and with Him. “‘Here I am. I have come to do your will.’ And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:9, 10
He did it once for all. A beautiful, miraculous, life-giving journey from womb to tomb then raised again! As we celebrate our Risen Savior, let’s consider the sacred “Womb With A View”. With humility, reverence and awe, let’s completely yield our hearts and life to His view for our lives from the womb in which we were knit together. Just as Christ was our servant, may we serve Him in obedience and love. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 (NIV)
© 2010 by Sharon Sloan. All rights reserved.
My Redeemer, thank you that I was and am in Your view since the beginning. Thank you for your obedience, even unto death on the cross for Your name’s sake and my salvation. I praise you for Your sacrifice of death and Your resurrection. By Your grace and strength, may my life be marked by humility and obedience, just like You. I am humbled that you came to save and serve me. Fill me so that I may be a servant for you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Warm and Joyous Easter Blessings From Our Family to Yours!
1 Timothy 2:5-6, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all…”
Romans 3:21-16, “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Philippians 2:5-11
Romans 3:21-16, “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Philippians 2:5-11
Unknown says
Beautiful my friend!
Love the new photo of you all! The children look precious in purple! 🙂
Happy Easter to you and yours!
Love,
Jill
Wendy Blight says
How your words blessed me this Resurrection Eve. Thank you, Sharon. You always point me into the Word, and I am so very grateful!!
Easter Blessings,
Wendy
Runner Mom says
Sharon, this is just beautiful! Thanks for including the pic of Jim in Jerusalem! This Easter has been such a blessing to me and my family–through worship and song at many church services. And, now,by reading the blogs that I didn't have time to read last week.
You are such a blessing to me, my friend!
Love you!
Susan
Edie says
Oh Amen Sharon! What a wonderful perspective. I hope you had a wonderful celebration of our Risen Lord and Savior yesterday.
Love your new profile picture!
Mich says
Beautiful post. Love the picture!
Hope you had a beautiful Easter!
LeeAnn@Encouragement Is Contagious says
Hi Sharon!
I love seeing the photos of you and your family. God has indeed blessed you.
I'm not sure if you accept blog awards or not, but just wanted you to know that I passed a BEAUTIFUL BLOGGER to you on my blog today. You, your gifted writings and your blog were instrumental in encouraging me to start my blog last August so you were one of the first I thought of to pass this on to. Thanks for allowing God to use you to bless me and so many others.
Lee Ann
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