«I am with you to save you and deliver you» (Jeremiah 15:20).
MICHELANGELO BUONARROTI, the prominent Renaissance artist, embodied the ideals of the humanist culture of his time. As one of history’s great men, this eminent Florentine succeeded and became famous in different areas of knowledge. As an architect, painter, and sculptor, he is one of history’s greatest artists; but I recently learned that his ability with his hands was not limited to paint brushes or chisels: with his quill he also proved to have the heart of a poet.
In several of his Poems he allowed glimpses into the depth of his spiritual life and the struggles he faced within from living up to what God expected of him. In Poem 32, he speaks of his distress with these words:
I live for sinning, for the self that dies;
My life being mine no more, this life in sin.
Heaven made me good; I dug the pit I’m in. My will—of my own will—I’ve willed away.
Have you ever expressed yourself using these words: «I live in sin?» David stated a similar truth when he said: «Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me» (Psalm 51:5, NIV). And Paul underscores it with these words: «For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice» (Romans 7:18, 19, NIV). anyone dare deny the validity of David or Paul’s spiritual life? Of course not, because spiritual greatness begins when we acknowledge we are small and pour out our soul before God.
Michelangelo seems to find the solution to his conflicts in Poem 33:
Strip me of me myself, and with your shield, your rock, your genuine and gentle arms, protect me from myself.
He asks God to strip him of himself, and to have God’s shield and weapons defend him from his worst enemy: Michelangelo himself. Whether our worst enemy is within us or not, God’s promise still stands firm: «l am with you to save you and deliver you» (Jeremiah 15:20). God can defend us—even from ourselves.
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Angelica Cuate
