“by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.” [2 timothy 1:14]
guard the good deposit… this is such an important reminder that paul uses to preface his vulnerability as he shares his pain with his beloved friend in the coming verses. it is this guarding that must preface and fill our own hearts as we grieve and lament with our Savior this day, the day we remember his suffering and death on our behalf.
give yourself freedom today. freedom to feel the pain that our savior felt, freedom to experience it and grieve with him. grieve the effects of sin that we see all around us, be it a worldwide pandemic, isolation, or the loss of a loved one, recognizing the hurt and feeling the pain while resting in the hope and joy found in the cross of Christ.
this may seem like a contradiction at first glance but here we see paul walking through and feeling the emotions and the pain that tugged at his heart as he was isolated and abandoned, experiencing all too well the awful effects of sin all around him. all the while, holding fast to and standing steadfast in the hope and truth of the gospel.
that my friends is what it looks like to guard the good deposit, the gospel, that’s been entrusted to us. not standing in our own strength, not resting on our will, but standing in and resting on the one who is our solid rock.
feeling the wind, seeing the waves, allowing ourselves to experience the emotions that the Lord has given us. grieving and grieving well, but in our grief, finding our hope and joy resting firmly in the hope and truth of the gospel.
this, this is the mystery of suffering with Christ. we are filled with joy even in the face of intense hurt and pain. joy and pain are no longer mutually exclusive as we stand in the power of the Holy Spirit. our hearts are filled with joy even in the midst of intense suffering and pain.
joy because our salvation is not our own, but a free gift, given by and kept through the finished work of Christ on the cross.
as we journey through this day of remembrance today, cast your hopes and cares on the one who is your solid rock, who never changes. and remember, remember the price that your Savior paid to redeem you: to make you his own, to keep you, to hold you, and to purchase the good deposit that has now been entrusted to you, his dear child in Christ.
~ josiah bridges