The Cross

February 2nd – Romans 5:8

1 Comment / Daily Devotional /

Romans 5:8

We, with our flaws, imperfections, and sins, are impossible of such a love as great and perfect as God’s. For His is a love without bounds, and transcends the depths of our brokenness. And despite our unworthiness, God offers His love generously, without condition, and freely. A love most beautifully exampled in the sacrificial offering of His only Son, Jesus Christ. Our Lord and Savior, who willingly laid down His life for us on the cross. In this act of ultimate love, we see the heart of God revealed. A heart overflowing with compassion, grace, and mercy. Jesus’ death was not a consequence of our worthiness, but a manifestation of God’s boundless love. A love so profound that it bridges the gap between our sinful nature and His holiness. Through His sacrifice, we are offered forgiveness, redemption, and reconciliation with our Creator. May we be filled with gratitude for the incomparable gift of God’s boundless love, and may it inspire us to love others with the same selfless generosity that He has shown us.

February 2nd – Romans 5:8 Read More »

August 19th – Colossians 1:22

Leave a Comment / Daily Devotional /

Colossians 1:22

“He has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him”

The unimaginable violence Jesus suffered is heartbreaking. Yet because of His great sacrifice, we can be reconciled to God. Covered by the blood of Christ, and clothed in His righteousness, we can be presented before our Father as holy and blameless in His sight. And although horrific, the violence of Jesus’ death is a powerful reminder of the gravity of sin. And the great cost required for redemption. His sacrificial act, marked by suffering and brutality, serves as the ultimate expression of God’s love and mercy. By willingly enduring this violent death, Jesus bore the weight of our sins. And He Himself took the punishment we deserved. Through His death, the separation between God and humanity was ended. And a path to reconciliation was forged. Jesus’ violent death emphasizes the great lengths God was willing to go to restore our relationship with Him. It shows the depths of His grace and the magnitude of His plan for salvation.

August 19th – Colossians 1:22 Read More »

August 14th – Colossians 2:14

Leave a Comment / Daily Devotional /

Colossians 2:14

“Having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”

We are all born sinners who need to be reconciled to our perfect and holy Creator. That’s why we must depend on Jesus. Because He is the only one who can cleanse us and prepare us to dwell in His house forever. On our own, there is nothing we can do to be good enough to stand before a righteous God. Our sin is too great, and our sentence is death. But because of His great love, our Father paid our sin debt Himself. God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, through whose death on the cross, became the perfect sacrifice and atonement. And it is only because of His shed blood can we receive forgiveness. A sweet forgiveness that restores our fellowship with God, and provides a path to eternal life. Once condemned, in bondage to sin, and separated from God, our Father took the perfect righteousness of His Son and put it on us. Why? To reconcile us back to Himself, and so we could experience the joy and freedom that comes with knowing our sins have been forgotten and the slate wiped clean!

August 14th – Colossians 2:14 Read More »

April 22nd – John 18:11

Leave a Comment / Daily Devotional /

John 18:11

Jesus prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane that God would remove the cup of the Cross from Him. But when God’s answer was no, Jesus let nothing stand between Him and that cup. Lovingly and willingly, our Lord saw the will of the Father done at the expense of His life. So in light of His precious gift, we need to take a long, hard look at our hearts, minds, and lives to see if they honor Christ and His sacrifice. Do we go to church and with our minds say He is Lord but not with our hearts? Do we call Him King only as a way to achieve our own thrones? When I search my own heart, I am ashamed. Because more times than I care to count I have displayed behavior that brought pain to the One who gave everything He had for me. But you know what? Jesus loves me anyway. He wants me anyway. He joyfully calls me His own when I could never be worthy of Him. And knowing Him has given me a joy and peace that, although I do not deserve, am thankful for every day.


April 22nd – John 18:11 Read More »

January 16th – Isaiah 6:8

Leave a Comment / Daily Devotional /

Isaiah 6:8

Have you ever thought you washed a window to crystal clear perfection only to find it full of streaks when the rays of the sun shined on it? That’s how it is with us. No matter how hard we try, or how clean we think our lives are, they are nothing more than dirty, streaky windows compared to the perfect goodness of God. But because of His boundless love, just like He did for Isaiah, God provides a way for our iniquity to be taken away and our sin forgiven. That way is Jesus Christ. Through His work on the Cross and the shedding of His precious blood the minute we receive Him as our Savior, the Holy Spirit goes to work. First he humbles and convicts us about the filthiness of our lives, then begins transforming, cleansing, and getting us ready for God’s service. No longer unworthy, and like the prophets before us, we can be eagerly obedient to God’s calling. And after our own life changing encounter with the Lord, with a thankful heart we too can say to God, “Here am I. send Me!”

January 16th – Isaiah 6:8 Read More »

January 5th – Psalm 31:14-15

Leave a Comment / Daily Devotional /

Psalm 31:14-15

Sadly, as long as there is sin there will be suffering. And this side of heaven we may not understand the reason behind God letting it in our lives. But like David, we can trust that no matter what we endure, God always has a purpose for our pain. I think of Jesus. Satan appeared before Him in the wilderness and offered Christ the crown without the Cross. (Matthew 4:8) Jesus could have walked away from the cup of agony He was about to drink. But instead He chose to His Father’s will done, no matter the cost. And because of what Jesus endured, we are now blessed with the gift of eternal life. We will all have painful times. But our future is held securely in the hands of the One who controls the storms. And God will be there as our impenetrable fortress every step of the way. So trust in His perfect wisdom. And cling to His beautiful promise to, “Comfort all who mourn, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting, so they will be called oaks of righteousness.” (Is. 61:3)

January 5th – Psalm 31:14-15 Read More »

December 7th – John 13:35

Leave a Comment / Daily Devotional /

John 13:35

As one of His last acts before His sacrifice on the Cross, the Lord performed a task usually reserved for the lowest slaves in the house. He knelt and began to cleanse the feet of the disciples. Such an expression of self sacrifice, Jesus did as an example of humble love. Throughout His life on earth, everything Jesus did He did in love. And He made it perfectly clear that we are to do the same. But such a calling isn’t easy. For undoubtedly as soon as you make a commitment to love others, along a person will come as a test to your resolve. But the goal of the Christian walk is to become transformed into the image of Christ. And God never calls us to go it alone, nor to do what He asks in our own strength. Our strength comes from the power of the Holy Spirt. And through His power we can walk like Jesus and serve others joyfully and humbly. Our strength comes from the power of the Holy Spirt. And through His power we walk like Jesus and serve others joyfully and humbly.

December 7th – John 13:35 Read More »

November 24th – 1 Peter 2:24

Leave a Comment / Daily Devotional /

1 Peter 2:24

I am thankful Jesus paid the sin debt of every person who has ever lived 

Knowing full well the agony He would endure, the Lord willingly and lovingly left His glorious place at the Father’s side. All to pay a debt He did not owe, and to give us a gift we do not deserve. And it is only through His great love and sacrifice that we can have eternal life. I love the quote by D.A. Carson which says, “It was not nails that held Jesus to that wretched cross; it was His unqualified resolution, out of love for his Father, to do his Father’s will—and it was His love for sinners like me.” Jesus suffered for us. He suffered for you, for me, and for all who receive Him as their Savior. He was beaten, flogged, spit upon, ridiculed, and nailed to a Cross to die an excruciating death. And It is by those wounds, that shed precious blood, in which we are healed. On this day of thanksgiving, may we praise the Lord above, who died to give us life, and who removed the penalty of our sins forevermore!

November 24th – 1 Peter 2:24 Read More »

April 26th – Luke 23:32-43

Leave a Comment / Daily Devotional /

Luke 23: 32-43

Luke tells us as Jesus hung on the Cross, He wasn’t alone. Because two other men, each a criminal, hung on either side of Him. Have you ever wondered why there were three crosses that fateful day and the significance of each? The answer is redemption, repentance, and rejection. The cross which bore our Savior is one of redemption. Jesus our Redeemer died for the sins of the world. And with His blood we are reconciled with the Father. The other two crosses, the thieves which hung to His left and right, represent the choice we must make.

On one side of Christ was a thief hurling insults at Him, taunting the Lord to save them if He could. His is the cross of rejection. He didn’t receive Jesus as His Savior, nor was he sorry for all he had done. Instead he was simply searching for a way out of his predicament. On the other side was a man whose cross represents one of repentance. In faith and reverence he requests, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” Christ’s answer? “Assuredly, I say to you today you will be with Me in Paradise.” So which cross will you choose? Eternal separation from God, or paradise with Jesus?

Blessings,

Sue

 

April 26th – Luke 23:32-43 Read More »

April 21st – John 19:25-27

Leave a Comment / Daily Devotional /

John 19:25-27

Jesus is in a terrible agony, with a deep concern in his heart. Concern not for Himself, but for His mother Mary and His devoted followers. Because He sees how they’re suffering at the feet of His cross. The Lord wants His loved ones to be cared for as only a family can. So as one of His last gifts, He asks His beloved John to care for Mary, accepting her as his own mother. And in turn, asking Mary to accept John as her own son. Of this gift of family John Piper once said, “ One of the gifts Jesus gave to us from the cross was the church. A loving, caring, sustaining, encouraging family beyond family. And it is a great encouragement to our faith that He illustrates the meaning of the church the way He did in the relationship between John and Mary. If Jesus could provide for the needs of His own in the moment of His greatest weakness and humiliation, how much more can He provide for your need in His present wealth of power and exaltation!” A great encouragement indeed!

Blessings,

Mari

April 21st – John 19:25-27 Read More »