Friend, there is a fountain we can freely come to satisfy our thirst that will never dry out. Spiritual refreshment for the day ahead. Hope to cling to when we feel parched and depleted. Jesus Christ is the quencher of our soul’s desire and He said, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life,” (John 4:14). Come, and be filled.
~Word for Life Says
He carried so much. More than “our sins and griefs to bear,”1 He carried the weight, the pain, the inner turmoil, and mental anguish the results of all the by-products of those sins and griefs, upon a heavy-laden heart and mind. Tears welled inside to the bursting, refusing to fall from the eyes that were singularly focused upon a greater joy.
It was the psalmist who wrote, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” Psalm 30:5, recognizing the temporary hold tears and sorrow have, especially when one’s heart is fixated upon a greater joy to be found in the morning.
For Christ, the illness of sin had made its mark on His body and throughout His person. Yet, in the heaviness of the load He carried, and the pain His holy vessel endured, we are told, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12:2.
Although the joy was there for what it would accomplish, let us not approach the pain He endured physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually in a lackadaisical fashion. Let us not brush aside what strength of heart and mind this endurance called for. Let’s not subtract what the man, the person of Jesus felt and suffered at the hands of all these afflictions.
So heavy it was, and so hard it was, we couldn’t do it for ourselves: “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God” 2 Corinthians 3:5.
The tarnished state of man could never find in himself the satisfaction this heaviness of sin required, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23. But in Christ, “ God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” Romans 3:25.
Sin was paid in full. Joy came at the thought and complete process and plan of the redeemed being ransomed from the clutches of darkness. But let us not be unmindful or take lightly the night afflictions He suffered through before the day dawned. In it, there was real pain and real sacrifice beyond the scope of what we can imagine. All for the joy that we might experience a glory unimaginable, where “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” 1 Corinthians 2:9.
The weight of what Jesus endured could not dim the glory of the greater joy in the morning. Aren’t we glad about it!
He suffered,
To save,
His greater joy
Came to our aid,
And satisfied the debt,
We could not pay.
His joy is complete,
In the sky
We shall meet,
The blessed Savior
Our sins impaled
Hands and feet.
Absent are tears
Or turning away,
Forever with Him
We shall surely stay.
Accepting His sacrifice
Paved the way.
The affliction of sin
Forever is gone,
A holy transformation
Undergone.
Awakening now
A new, joyous dawn. ©Word for Life Says, 2024
1 ©“What a Friend We Have in Jesus” by Joseph M. Scriven, Charles C. Converse
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I don’t know about you, but I find a certain beauty in “perfection” (and I use that word loosely). What I mean is that when things are where they belong or are functioning as they were designed to, it gives me a sense of satisfaction, a sense of fulfillment when all of the chips fall into their proper place.
But what about when they don’t? When plans don’t go off without a hitch or when a properly cleaned space, that once shone with order becomes an undone mess? How does that make us feel about that job, project, person, or place?
When things are “perfect,” altogether, and nice, without any mess, madness, or flaws, we tend to value those times, moments, and things a little more. But when it comes to people who are less than perfect (hint: that’s all of us), God showed us just how much He values us, and despite our imperfections, He chose to love us perfectly. When we were in our mess of worldly pursuits and fleshly desires, God saw the deepest need of our hearts and souls for a Savior who would heal, reconcile, and deliver people, and He provided the remedy for that need through our Lord Jesus Christ.
There are a lot of things we can do for ourselves, but one thing that is solidly taught in the Bible is that we CANNOT save ourselves. We not only do not have the power, but we don’t possess the capacity for the wisdom, love, understanding, eternity, and everything in between that it takes to not only come up with this plan of salvation but to fully execute it thoroughly, without flaw or failure, from the beginning of time to the very end.
Thankfully, it was God who took the initiative to not only come up with the plan but to implement it fully by His grace to save our souls. And the beauty of the story is, that He didn’t wait for us to get our act together to do it. His love wanted the plan because His love wanted the people. With that, Ephesians tells us, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (2:4,5; emphasis added).
God had compassion for struggling humanity and refused to leave them tangled in the way of sin without a way out, without a plan for deliverance. His love would not and could not settle with the very idea of it. So, when we were at our worst, God was working out His best for us. Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
He didn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up and get perfect to put His plan of love in motion. That is a sheer impossibility regardless. Further proof of that truth comes from 1 John 4:19 which says, “We love him, because he first loved us.”
With that, we are told, “Even when we were dead in sins…” Even when we were torn up from the floor up… Even when our lives contradicted everything He wanted for us… Even when we were going nowhere fast… Even when we were enjoying living lives ensconced by the dark… God stepped in with His plan of salvation and “commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Ephesians continues to tell us, that God “hath quickened us together with Christ.” As our Savior was raised from the dead, God in His saving love raised those who believe to a restored life, a brand new life made possible through Jesus Christ. God’s rich mercy became our lifesaver tossed out in the sea of sin where we were drowning, to bring us to the shores of His redeeming love. No, we didn’t deserve it, nor could we earn it on our own merit. God simply put this plan to save mankind from himself and the enemy of our soul into action because He loved us. Love was His only motivation. Love steered Him to take the course of action that put His only begotten Son on the cross in our place. Love and only love was His reason for everything!
Thus, as believers, we readily recognize this is nothing short of a God-sized miracle worked out in our lives. For it is “by grace ye are saved.” It doesn’t matter who you are or what your situation, position, circumstance, or status is in life, the only way one can enter into a renewed relationship with God is through the grace and forgiveness offered through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. You cannot earn your way into it. You cannot work your way into it. You can’t bargain your way there, either. Only by going through the doors of the plan of His grace can you be saved.
What would happen if today God sat down and took account of all the wrongs we have done? What would it be like if we stood before Him unable to pay what we owe? Guess What? We were there! We could never pay for it. Jesus knew the predicament that humanity was in. He knew that man could never get himself out of the debt of sin, so through Him, we obtained freedom from the old life we lived through grace, mercy, and compassion as people who do not deserve it but He loved into it.
We could not fathom how many times our accounts would have gone unpaid had it not been for the blood of Christ. But thank God, He acted in love to save us! Not just us – but everyone who comes to Him in faith regardless of their background. It is all a work of grace. It is all done as the ultimate act of love, even when we didn’t perfectly deserve any of it.
When Jesus encountered the young rich ruler who thought he checked off the list of do’s and don’ts perfectly, the Bible said, “Jesus beholding him loved him…” and then disclosed what the young man needed to do before he walked away sad (Mark 10:21).
God loves us and as any parent who wants the best for their child, He gave us His best even when…
But His best will only work if you and I will do what we need to do and accept it, accept Jesus.
Today can be your biggest turnaround. Today can be your day of freedom. Today, you can turn your even when into a now, and be saved.
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Lord, I thank You for the day You shined Your light into my life. Perfection is far from where I was. I, too, was in a fit of rebellion, intent on getting to my Damascus to do what I was pleased to do. But one day, You interrupted all of that in a good way. You introduced me to Your Son, Jesus. Humbly, I had no choice but to hear that voice that called out to me and fall to the earth in worship and gratefulness that You took the time to step in the pathway progressing to more sin and spoke in me a life brand new.
Friends, if you are a Christian, then you have been in Saul’s position. While we may not stand guilty of persecuting the Church, we all once stood guilty before grace. We were all miscreants without the benefit of mercy. Transgressors while ignoring the truth. On our way to being up to no good, we were hell-bound until Jesus stepped in and saved us.
Romans 5:8 reminds us, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Who we were, does not compare with what He did for us. But isn’t that the point? Never would we have been able to pay the debt we owed. Never could we earn our way to heaven. Only by “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24) are we able to say today that we are saved, born-again believers, washed in the blood of the Lamb, welcomed as a member of His holy family, and given a new life with a new purpose.
Sometimes, we absolutely need to remember where we came from and how we got here. It is nothing we can take credit for. But thank God for the day a light from heaven shone in my heart, and He saved me.
“And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” Acts 9:3,4
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Forgiveness is something none will make it to heaven without. It doesn’t matter who you are or what one has done in life, from the highest to the lowest, without accepting the life Christ offers through His salvation and forgiveness, we will not make it in. The Bible records, “If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared” (Psalm 130:3-4).
Who could stand? Absolutely no one! (See Romans 3:10). Without His covering and remission of sins, the pathway to heaven will be blocked; access denied! It doesn’t matter if one’s walk of life is a Pharisee or a prostitute, there is no an individual who is worthy enough to enter the gates of glory without Jesus’ forgiveness.
Question: What would happen if today God sat down and took account of all the wrongs we have done? What would it be like if we stood before Him unable to pay what we owe? We were there! Jesus knew the predicament that humanity was in. He knew that mankind could never get himself out of the debt of sin, so through Him, we obtain that freedom along with grace, mercy, and compassion as people who don’t deserve it.
The Bible reminds us, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,” (Romans 5:8). I guarantee if we were to look at ourselves, we could not fathom how many times our accounts would have gone unpaid had it not been for the blood of Christ. But thank God, He acted in love to save us! Not just us – but everyone who comes to Him in faith regardless of the background of sin.
The price has already been paid. You are free to turn to Jesus today and accept Him for yourself:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” John 3:16.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” John 14:6.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” Romans 6:23.
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” Ephesians 1:7.
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” Colossians 1:14.
“While we were yet sinners,” Jesus fulfilled the requirements the cross demanded on our behalf. He paid the price we could never pay. He didn’t wait for us to “get our act together,” for without Him, without the power of His Holy Spirit, we were never able to do this on our own.
So, with the preciousness of His life, He laid it down, so that we can experience what it is like to unload the heavy burden of sin from us and live joyfully in grace knowing how much we are loved by Him.
Adapted from the previous article: Sunday School Lesson – “Saved by Faith” Luke 7:36-50
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There is a road I have traveled for over 20 years. I have a love/hate relationship with this road.
This road is beautiful because it gives you the chance to get off the busy highway and take the least congested route to certain locations.
This road travels you through a beautiful neighborhood with equally beautiful houses.
This road is wide, allowing traffic to flow freely through the area. The width of the road could possibly accommodate two lanes of traffic on each side of the yellow middle line going down its center. Even though the road may be big enough for these extra lanes of traffic on either side, signs are posted all along the road saying, “Drive In Single Lane.”
On this free-flowing, 30 mph road, it is hard for some drivers to adhere to that sign. Sometimes the drive can be a bit contentious when a driver decides to ride your tail to encourage you to move faster (even if you’re already over the limit). And when that urging fails or the impatience of the other driver runs thin, they scootch around the other driver because the single-lane life is not for them.
Recently, I had an opportunity to travel this road that I don’t get the chance to frequent that often anymore and I noticed a big change. Now, there are new lines painted along the road. And in case you’re wondering, they were not lines that turned each side into two lanes. Rather, there were more yellow lines that narrowed the way of travel, letting you know in no uncertain terms: “Drive In Single Lane.” To further encourage adherence, middle partitions were put in the center of the road to block extra access.
Seeing these lines, I immediately thought to myself, “We need the lines.” On this road, those lines give clear direction and actually bring peace to what could have once been a contentious drive.
Sometimes I think we are trained to think open and free-flowing is always a good thing. It can be good with proper restraint and discipline. Alas, free-flowing for many gives the assumption that I can do what I want, when I want, and how I want.
But think on this, God’s Word is filled with instructions, commandments, statutes – lines, if you will, not to confine us, but to give us a life far greater. Jesus taught, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
You see, my friends, we need the lines. We need the instructions. We need the statutes and commandments. We need the road to be narrowed for our benefit so that we might gain a greater life.
“And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.” Isaiah 35:8
“Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Luke 13:23-24
“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” 1 Corinthians 9:25
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