Morning Devotional:
When I got home from work last night, I developed a horrible backache. I have suffered from chronic back pain since I was a child. I can press through pain most of the time, but after taking the maximum amount of pain medication I could, the pain was still too intense for me to handle. All I could do was lay on the couch, sob, and cry out to God about my pain.
I got to the point where I said to the Lord, “You just don’t understand the pain I am feeling right now!” But then I realized yes, He does – because the pain I was feeling was nothing compared to what Jesus felt on the cross.
In Matthew chapter 27 we read about how Jesus’ executioners offered Him wine mixed with gall to drink, which He refused. A while ago I learned that this combination is said to have a narcotic-like effect, much like opium. If Jesus had taken it, it would have likely numbed his pain, dulled his senses and eased his suffering. Yet, He chose not to drink it and by doing so, He willingly endured the full brunt of the pain and suffering imposed upon him to accomplish that which Paul describes so well in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
I may endure pain in this life but it doesn’t come close to the pain that Jesus suffered. It wasn’t just the physical pain Jesus would endure on the cross. He would choose to keep a clear and unclouded mind to the very end, enduring the pain of being forsaken by the Father as He became sin for us. That right there shows me how much He loves us.
– Beth
Burning Question:
It’s National Simplicity Day! What could you do to simplify your life right now?
Bible Quiz:
Question: Who was on a ship with 276 passengers wh0 fasted for 14 days?
Answer: Paul (Acts 27:33-37)
Storytime: Wrong Way Dad!