You Are My King
Hi, this is Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to “Joni and Friends.”
And welcome to a chance to sing with me a contemporary praise song that I think you know,
“I’m forgiven because you were forsaken,
I’m accepted; you were condemned.
I’m alive and well your spirit lives within me,
Because you died and rose again.
Amazing love, how can it be
That you my king should die for me.
Amazing love, I know it’s true
And it’s my joy to honor you in all I do I honor you.”
Thanks for singing with me. Don’t you love that line, ‘that my King would die for me’? Whoever heard of such a thing? But that’s what Christ did. He died for you and for me. Many years ago, that thought alone helped transform my view of my wheelchair. Often at night when visiting hours were over, and the nurses were on break; when my roommates in our six-bed ward were all asleep, I would picture, I would imagine Jesus coming to visit me. I didn’t actually see Him, there weren’t any visions or apparitions, I just used to imagine Him walking quietly into my room while my friends were asleep, and I’d picture Him gently lowering the guardrail of my hospital bed then slowly sitting on the edge of the mattress. I pictured Him dressed in a rough burlap cloak with a rope belt and sandals. I’d see Him lean over and, with one hand, gently brush my hair away from my face, or maybe dab my wet eyes with the backside of His hand. And then, with His other hand spread wide, I used to imagine him showing me the nail scars in His palm. And with wise eyes He would say to me, “Oh, Joni, if I loved you enough to die for you, don’t you think I could be trusted even with this, your paralysis? Can you not trust me?”
And when I thought about it, it made sense. I mean, if someone loves you enough to lay down His life for you, even, especially even, when you could care less about Him; even while you’re yet a sinner, then it’s reasonable that you could trust Him with everything else, absolutely everything, even a lifetime of paralysis. “Amazing love, how can it be, that my King should die for me.”
That’s why I love this song so much. It’s my joy to live a life that is worth the blood of Jesus. A life that reflects what I think about the sacrifice He offered at the cross. So today, may you and I walk in a manner that is worthy of Christ and His death. May we do nothing to stain His good reputation, or to mar His precious name. May we do nothing that will cast a bad light on Him, or make Him look foolish, or not worth trusting. May we never sow seeds of discord among others about His goodness and graciousness. May we instead live godly (and I mean godly), righteous and sober lives to the glory of His holy name. After all, this is the King who died for you and me.
Music: “You Are My King” by Billy James Foote; © Copyright 1999 worshiptogether.com Songs (ASCAP) (admin. by EMI CMG PUblishing).
© Joni and Friends
