Never Been…

It was another Friday morning, but not just any Friday morning… it was “Good Friday”. Reading in Matthew 26:36-56… the Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane praying to His Father

for strength to get through what He knew would be a horrible experience. Jesus was fully man, but also fully God… cannot even imagine how much anguish He was in with what He was to face.

This led me to think about the times in my life where I anticipated what was to come, but of course not really knowing what was going to actually happen. Although, my imagination can give me a very screwed-up representation of what might take place. You know the “what-if” game! I knew some of you are champions at this game too!

A few years ago, when I was going through some very hard, uncertain times I wrote this and it came back to my mind as I contemplated the above scripture:

I’ve Never Been This Way Before

It seems so unclear… the path I am asked to tread.

Finding comfort in the details would be a great help.

No facts are revealed.

All I know is… I’ve never been this way before.

I see all that is impossible.

Your Spirit within opens my eyes to all things possible.

You show me You are doing a new thing.

So that is why… I’ve never been this way before.

I will blindly follow You, Lord.

Each expectant step I take led only by Your Light.

Can I plan? No!

I must trust You because… I’ve never been this way before.

One day rolls into another.

Earthly time can be unkind.

Answer Lord! Do I stay or go?

I don’t know, cuz… I’ve never been this way before.

The frustration sets in so many times.

Uncontrollable tears flood down my face.

Fear, worry, anxiety… oh my wretched flesh! Why is this so hard?

Because… I’ve never been this way before.

Faith of a child sounds so simple.

You hold the best plans for my life in the palm of Your hand.

Trusting You should be easy too!

Even tho… I’ve never been this way before.

In Your arms I find comfort.

In Your Words there is peace.

You are my hope.

No matter that… I’ve never been this way before.

Crying out to God to know more, to understand more.

In a sweet whisper I hear You say, “I know.”

He knows… that is all that matters!

He knows… I’ve never been this way before, but He has.

I don’t think I have ever shared this publicly, but I believe now is the time! It is very personal for me, but I hope it helps someone else that may be struggling today!

At the Good Friday service at church, we were asked to write down the truth against a lie you believe about yourself and to nail it to the cross at the front of the church. My truth was, “I am complete to accomplish all God has called me to do through Christ Jesus.” I will not let my feelings of inadequacy hold me back!

Remember… You are not alone!

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin

No Greater Love...

Good Friday – I’ve often wondered why it is called “Good Friday”—if this is the day Christ was crucified… then why is it good?  Just think about that day… the day Christ gave up His life… does it bring mixed feelings?  On one side, no one would have a chance of eternal life in Heaven without this Great Sacrifice. So it is good for the sake of our salvation, but so sad that it was my sins and your sins that sent Him to that death on the cross.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

Focus on that verse for a moment… it is a mind blowing verse for me… would I be willing to lay my life down for a friend?  As I was thinking on that God showed me He was not asking me to just physically lay down my life for my friends, but to spiritually and emotionally lay it all down for Him!  Really think about that… if someone put a gun to your head and said “deny Christ or die” would you have the strength to die for Him?  I would hope I would. On the other hand, everyday we are asked to “die to self”… but how easy is that to do?

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

If you are at all like me, most every day I know I am a total failure at that… since I am not even close to perfect, but God can see if I have a desire and a willing heart to lay it all done for Him. And because of His unconditional, unfailing love, He gives us an “A” for accepted and not an “F” for failure… He made each one of us… He knows we are all works in progress… we are blessed, priceless children of our Heavenly Father! I am so thankful that He loved us so much to give us a second chance at life by giving up His Son to save all those who believe and receive Him.

Take a look at the story of Mary of Bethany pouring out the precious ointment on Jesus, just days before His triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. 

Mark 14:3-9 says:

³ Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had suffered from a skin disease. While Jesus was sitting there, a woman went to him. She had a bottle of very expensive perfume made from pure nard. She opened the bottle and poured the perfume on his head.

⁴ Some who were there were irritated and said to one another, “Why was the perfume wasted like this? ⁵ This perfume could have been sold for a high price, and the money could have been given to the poor.” So they said some very unkind things to her.

⁶ Jesus said, “Leave her alone! Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. ⁷ You will always have the poor with you and can help them whenever you want. But you will not always have me with you. ⁸ She did what she could. She came to pour perfume on my body before it is placed in a tomb. ⁹ I can guarantee this truth: Wherever the Good News is spoken in the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Mary didn’t do what she did for the memorial to her… she loved Jesus so much & with the mindset that His death was for certain & very soon, she gave it all up for Him. She showed her love like no one else did at that meal. This ointment was worth a lot of money, but that didn’t matter to her… she didn’t care what people thought of her “waste” of this ointment. Mary humbled herself in worship at the feet of Jesus. Are we pouring out our worship on Him just days before Good Friday & Easter? What do you have that is priceless possession? Your heart? Yourself?

If Christ just died for us then the story would be over, but He died because of our sin and He rose from the dead to break the bonds of death (sin) and the grave!  Remember… it is only because of Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and RESURRECTION that each one of us can have eternal life through Him.  Good Friday in itself is not good, but when we look at the whole picture… the whole story, the Greatest Love Story ever told… now that is good!

All of the time Christ spent here on earth needs to be remembered… needs to be shared… it is the Good News. Even remembering the sadness of “Good Friday” so that we can have hearts of thanksgiving to sing the praises of the risen Lord on Easter morning!

Rejoicing in Truth!

Carin