It if finished

John 19:28-30

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”  A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.  When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Easter is my absolute favorite holiday!  It is the holiday that gives us so much hope and reason to carry on.  Sometimes this world can be overwhelming and you might even get scared to think what the future holds.  The thing is, the Bible tells us that things are going to get ugly.  That this world is going to be a scary place to live.  All of this must happen to fulfill the promise that Christ will return. 

Just the same way, Jesus knew that in order to save us, he had to die on the cross.  It was too was rather ugly.  It was something that really never should have happened however to save you and I from our sins, it had to. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is my prayer today that you will know the love of Christ and the sacrifice that took place so that you could have hope.  When you hear the words, “It is finished”, remember it is was for you, it was for me, and it is for our children and all who accept Christ as their Savior.

God's Intention

“But forget all that—
    it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
The wild animals in the fields will thank me,
    the jackals and owls, too,
    for giving them water in the desert.
Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland
    so my chosen people can be refreshed.
I have made Israel for myself,
    and they will someday honor me before the whole world.”  Isaiah 43:18-21

One of the greatest lessons that I learned over this past year is how God has known what is best for me since day one. Even when I was not sure of the path I should go, God had made out the path already so that one day I would know He was there all along.  For example, I once was uncertain if my wife and I would make it together.  I share this acknowledging that I when we first got married I did not have a true relationship with God.  Now my wife is an amazing woman who I dearly love.  Yet somehow, I had gotten to a place where I wondered if perhaps we had made a mistake.  It was then that I found God, and began to follow His plan for me.  As the years past, my relationship with Him grew, and my marriage grew stronger with it.  Then I was in awe as it was revealed how well He knew me.  My wife was a perfect fit for me which God knew all along.  I am so humble that He placed her in my life, and she is the symbol of the joy only God can instill in one’s life.

Our journey of faith is one that we must follow trusting that the destination God has for us is worthwhile even when we cannot see it. I listened to a sermon talking about understanding how God intentionally uses people and situations to prepare us for future tasks needed for the building of His Kingdom.  In reading today’s verse, we are reminded of God’s amazing ability to change the path for His purpose.  In this case, it is the prophet Isaiah revealing of the coming of Jesus Christ to save us from our sins and restore the relationship between God and His people.  I love the description in verse 19, “For I am about to do something new.  See, I have already begun!  Do you not see it?”  How often do we go through life not seeing the end destination wondering if indeed we are going down the righteous path?  This is where we must be vigilant trusting in God and His word.  This is not to say it is easy because at times the path will seem unclear.  However if you grew up in a home like mine, you learned patience is always a virtue, and it is almost always rewarded.  Should we place our trust in God, we know we will be rewarded in ways we cannot see today but will be eternally thankful when it is revealed.

God’s love for us is unconditional. He cares for us infinitely, and protects us without fail.  He has proven it to us an endless amount of times.  As such, we are to be prayerful asking for wisdom of His plan for our lives and patience to be understanding when it may not fit into our wheelhouse.  History reminds us He has never failed us.  Why would He now?  Where are you questioning God’s faithfulness in your life?  How can you reassure yourself that God’s plan for your life is without fail?  My prayer is that we can rely with confidence on God’s intention for our lives.  Amen.

Tues Devo: What can they do?

Psalm 118:6-9 “The Lord is for me, I will not fear; what can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” (NASB)

Hello,

As we prepare for Easter this week, this Psalm stood out to me. The psalmist asks the question – what can man do to me? I think there are 2 points that we can take from this question being asked and see them in the light of the cross as well. The first thing that man can do to us is only what God allows. When we take this to the cross, Jesus could have called His legions of angels and been saved from the brutal death. But He knew that this was about the permanent long term plan, not the short term and temporary comfort. The second thing that man can do to us is cause physical harm or death. When we take this to what happened with the cross, we see that physical death is not bigger than God. We have a spiritual life that is eternal, and a God who reigns over physical death.

I pray you are encouraged today, and you will take refuge in the Lord – who is worthy of our trust and confidence.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill