In His Steps

For even hereunto were ye called:

because Christ also suffered for us,

leaving us an example, that ye

should follow His steps.

I Peter 2:21

To be considered an American classic, a book has to have been in constant publication for at least 100 years.  By the end of the 1980's there were only two such books in our country  that fit in that category.  One of those books is entitled "The Last of the Mohican's" and the other is a religious book entitled, "In His Steps" by Charles Sheldon.  In this book, a young minister (after a series of events) challenged his congregation to do what they felt Jesus would do in every situation of their lives and commit to it for one year.  This book follows the changes that came about in the lives of some of the parishioners during that year...a debutante, newspaper editor, railroad executive, young lady with a beautiful singing voice and a couple of other persons as well.  Someone gave me a copy of this book when I was in high school and I have tried to read it every couple of years since that time.  I dearly love the book because it is so inspirational and challenging at the same time.

A few years ago, we saw in our country a motto that seemed to appear on everything from key chains to  bumper stickers...WWJD "What would Jesus do?"  That was the question the young pastor suggested his parishioners ask before making any decision.  Interesting isn't it, how WWJD would come to the surface in our country about a century from the writing of the book?  No matter be it the 1800's, 1900's, 2000's or even much earlier, Christians have been challenged in some way to follow in Jesus' steps which leads to a life of great joy but that can also include suffering as well.

Even in high school, this book took me back to an incident when I was the age of five or six and a definite learning experience.  It was a very snowy morning.  I loved those mornings when I could look out my bedroom window and see the snow that had blown up in piles by my swing set and on the roof of the next door neighbor's house.  The first snow was always so beautiful.  When I could stick my head out the door, everything was so quiet.  This was very tempting for children who couldn't wait to get out in it throwing snow balls, making snow angels and getting the sled out of the garage with it's year's worth of cob-webs on it.

This particular day was no exception.  Daddy was about to head out the back door to the coal shed that stood between our garage and outhouse.  Daddy grabbed the coal bucket and had his big galoshes on over his shoes.  I began to beg..."Please let me go too."  Daddy said that I couldn't go because the snow was too deep and if it got in my galoshes, my only pair of weekday shoes would get wet.  That would mean that I'd be in the house the rest of the day with my leather shoes sitting near the big coal stove that stood tall in our living room.  I kept begging and begging.  Finally, Daddy said I could go on one condition.  I would have to walk in the steps he made for me as he led the way to the coal shed.  Things went well.  He took small enough steps to make a trail-like path for me to walk behind him.  The air was crisp, the morning on the cloudy side but I was one happy little girl in the backyard of our house that day.

Daddy got the coal while I stood in the coal shed watching him use a small shovel to fill the bucket.  I wanted to sneak a small piece of coal in my coat pocket because I loved chewing on coal in small measures.  Today we could call it natural food I guess.  I kept myself from yielding to temptation and followed Daddy out the door heading to the back door of our house.  Things had gone well until we were about halfway to the back steps.  I began to look at that beautiful, smooth-surfaced snow on either side of the path my Daddy had made for me.  I had stayed carefully in his steps.  I didn't have any snow in my galoshes or on the legs of my snow suit (gray with pink trim).  The more I looked from side to side, the stronger was my desire to take just one step outside the boundaries my Daddy had set for me.  Soon, I stepped with my right foot to the side just a little onto the smooth surface of the undisturbed snow.  It was much deeper than I had anticipated.  Not only did my right boot get filled up but I lost my balance and down I went.  I was covered in snow from the waist down....both galoshes full of snow.

My Daddy heard me begin to cry, turned and came back for me.  He brushed what snow he could from my snow suit but it was too late for my shoes.  Daddy picket me up and hustled me to the back porch of the house.  He hurriedly pulled off the galoshes and removed my shoes before the snow had too much of an opportunity to melt and cause more damage than it could have otherwise been.  I really thought I was going to get a good "whippin" but Daddy stayed very calm.  As he brushed the snow off my snow suit, he said, "You know what this means, dont' you?"  I think I commented about my shoes having to sit by the stove.  He went further though and told me while other kids were out playing in the snow, I would be inside the house the rest of the day.  He said after work, he would pull my little sister Kay on the sled for awhile but I would have to stay in.  Believe it or not, that's just what happened.  Even though I checked my shoes off and on all day and knew they were dry by the afternoon, that didn't matter.  I had been told to stay in Daddy's steps that morning and in one brief moment, I ended up in the house the rest of the day, the day of the first beautiful winter snow.  There was no negotiating, talking about it or compromising...my fate was sealed in concrete.  I've never forgotten that day.  My Daddy looked disappointed at my disobedience...my Mother was furious...but I'm so glad now that Daddy stuck with the consequences.  It was a valuable lesson for me up to this very day.

There are memories I've carried with me from that day with some lessons thrown in as well.

I still like:

*  First snow day of winter

*  Coal sheds (although I have given up chewing on pieces of coal)

*  Being pulled on a sled (which hasn't happened since way back then)

*  Warm leather shoes for winter

*  Making snow angels if I could find a yard big enough, and

*  Snow forts and throwing snow balls.

I still don't like:

*  Galoshes

*  Snow suits that get wet

*  Galoshes

*  Slow drying leather shoes, and, oh yes,

*  Galoshes

That snow day my Daddy was my authority and I'm grateful he insisted on obedience and didn't reward my disobedience.  When I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior at the age of ten, another authority came to be known to me.  I learned from Jesus that I was to walk in obedience and that He always had my best interest at heart.  That has never changed in my life.  Jesus has never wanted me to get off track, away from His chosen path.  Anytime I have gotten away from the very clear steps He has laid out for me in His Word, the results have been negative in nature.  My little galoshes were meant to keep my feet dry and warm.  Without them, I could have gotten very cold and maybe even sick.  I hated wearing them...hated wearing a bundle some snow suit.  Everything that day had to do with obedience, authority and protection.

The Apostle Paul tells me in Ephesians 6, that I am provided with spiritual armor to put on everyday that will keep me protected.  My feet are even covered with the preparation of the gospel of peace.  I have a choice of putting on this armor every day.  Without it, I am unprotected.  Without my spiritual snow suit and galoshes, I am a walking target for Satan to attack.  Believe me, it'll amount to more than having mere snow in my galoshes.

My prayer is that I will stay in His steps, stay suited up, walk in obedience, not even daring to look to the right or left of the path He has so carefully planned for me.  I want to move straight ahead lest I get things of the world in my spiritual galoshes and that just isn't worth the consequences.

PRAYER

Dear Jesus...Thank You for going ahead of me, making Your way plain.  In Your steps is joy unspeakable and full of glory.  I may be called upon to suffer as I walk that path but being in Your presence no matter the circumstances is worth any discomfort on my part.  Give me the courage to follow You no matter what and do on a daily basis what I know would please You.  Thank You for forgiving me of my sin and setting me back on the right path...back in Your footprints.      Amen.

GIVE ME MORE THAN ONE OF THESE

Having  been asked to speak at a nursery worker's banquet, because of being a nursery director myself, I had no idea how I would approach the subject with just giving a list of good/bad characteristics.  I wanted very badly to take a Scriptural approach, but let's face it, there isn't much in the Bible directed to nursery workers.  Whatever notes I took over the course of about three weeks just weren't taking any shape.  They were centering on alot of do's and don'ts, good qualities and bad but not what the ideal servant of God should be.  Most pastors could relate what an ideal church worker would be, but I wanted to hear from the Lord on the subject and not other human beings.

I spent those weeks thinking about the subject.  It would have been nice to have just one chapter from Paul that dealt only with the subject of nursery workers but that wasn't to be going to happen.  I looked through Bible dictionaries and concordances and found very little.  I did the "open Bible to the right page, point at a verse" thing...you know what I mean, but that wasn't working either.  Last resort, I prayed.  Yep, I prayed.  I'm ashamed to say it but that's the order things went in.  I can't say the Lord gave me something immediately.  I did find that I began to relax and not be so frenzied about the process.  I felt in God's timing, He would provide the Scripture I needed.  Two days prior to the banquet as I was finishing reading through  I Corinthians, I came to 15:58 and it reads:

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye STEDFAST,

IMMOVABLE, always ABOUNDING in the work

of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your LABOR

is not in vain in the Lord.



There it was.  There in that verse were four qualities or characteristics any nursery director would love to have in every work.  But then again, probably every pastor, music director or church leader would give anything for a church full of members with those four qualities.

These four qualities took me to various dictionaries.  In a nutshell, this is what I found about each characteristic:

STEDFAST...

This is a person who patiently endures.  These folks are reliable, faithful and loyal...they are steady to the task.

IMMOVABLE...

These people occupy a certain position and are going to stay put no matter what.  They also cannot be deterred from belief or service.

ABOUNDING...

These folks are always doing the over and above.  They arrive early and stay as late as they must to see a job to completion even if others don't.  They are usually enthusiastic and positive in their dealings with people.

LABOR...

This word doesn't just speak of work in a casual manner.  Labor is always work, but work isn't always labor.  Labor is a very intense, nose-to-the-grindstone kind of work.  Labor is difficult work that is often physical but can demand mental exertion as well.  God's work is some of the hardest one can do simply because there is an enemy at the turn of every corner opposing anything done for Christ.  Our labor will be for nothing unless it is done for God alone and in the power of His Holy Spirit.  

I looked at those things and could pick out ladies on my own staff who had one or more of those qualities seen in our verse.  I had a few and even less than a few with all four of them.  It wasn't hard to look at all four qualities and see how important they would be in the nursery division of our church.   However, that verse wasn't written by Paul for nursery workers even though they can be included.  Paul was writing to every Christian in the Corinthian church and thus, to us as well.  These qualities are things even now that should be incorporated into the life of every laboring church member.

Who is that STEDFAST church member?

He is faithfully in church.  He is patient when he doesn't get his usual parking space on the hottest Sunday of the year.  He is loyal to the pastor and program of the church.  If the pastor preaches an extra 10 minutes, he doesn't sit looking at his watch.  If a guest should sit in his pew, he looks for another place to sit without asking the person to move. (Asking someone to move from one's "spot" at church isn't an unusual thing to occur in churches.)  This member is at church to serve, worship and learn.

What about that IMMOVABLE Christian?

She has her place of service which could be the choir, teacher, etc...and she faithfuly carries out her responsibilities.  For her there is nothing more important than being in her place.  If she plans to be away, she has her responsibilities covered and faithfully prays during that time for her substitute and the work that is to be done while she is gone.  She takes her job(s) very seriously and it would take a herd of buffalo to pull her away from any of them unless the Lord led her to something else.  She is loyal to her spiritual authority from the pastor down, so don't talk about them in a negative way around her.

Then of course, there is ABOUNDING...

These are people with energy galore who are always looking for extra ways to serve the Lord.  They are the ones who sign up for those things that no one else wants to do.  They arrive on time and most often early.  They will call in if something has come up that keeps them from fulfilling their responsibilities.  They may be the same ones who stay late until everything is complete.  They will stay with that straggler child whose parents fail to pick him up right after church or church activity and do it with a smile.

Oh yes, last but not least....WORK/LABOR...

This is what it's all about.  The three previous qualities are thrown into the mix of work.  That's what it's all about...God's work...the most important work we can do on this earth of ours.  It won't always be done within the four walls of our churches.  God's work is done behind the desk of an office where people observe carefully our witness for Christ.  It's seen in the volunteer work we do in schools, hospitals, etc.  It's the ethic that is with us when we do our dishes or mow our lawns.  The list could go on and on.  Everything we do is to be done heartily and for God's glory.  It gets done by rolling up our sleeves and doing the work God has called us to and to be faithful to our tasks.

You might ask, "Did Paul say all that?"  Well yes and no.  Paul used those big words with the Corinthians knowing they would know what the words meant.  Look though how Paul started out the verse:

"Therefore, my beloved brethren"...speaking to fellow Christians, people he loved.

"be ye"...no suggestion from Paul in this verse.  He was giving a very loving but firm command.

The Lord speaks to you and me out of love, yes in the form of a command that we are to be stedfast, immovable and ALWAYS abounding in the Lord's work.  That word "always" is an important one for it speaks of consistency that is expected when it comes to any work for God.  May we be ever faithful to those things God has called us to, not for personal attention but for His glory alone.

Dear Father...

We grow weary at times, but You have promised in this special verse that our labor is not in vain.  May every single thing we do be for You.  We pray we will always be faithful to You...that we will be stedfast, immovable and that we will always abound in all we do for You and others.  May we be consistent in our service.  Give us strength, love and whatever else we need in serving You better.  Amen



A MERRY HEART

A merry heart doeth good

like a medicine:   but a broken spirit

drieth the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

There was a day when just about every child in our country knew by heart most nursery rhymes.  I still have a picture in my mind, from when I was about five years old of Old King Cole.  I learned that he was a "merry old soul and a merry old soul was he."  I pictured a fat old man on a golden throne dressed in a red robe that had white fur trim on it.  I saw him as having a crown on his head that was a little lop-sided because he chuckled and laughed so much.  When he laughed, I pictured his tummy jiggling just like Santa Claus' supposedly did.  We had imaginations then (no TV), lots of books and people who read them to us.  Even as a little girl, I wondered if it would be possible for regular people to be merry old souls.

I saw this merry spirit in Miss Irene, my first grade teacher and others at Lincoln Grade School.  I saw it in Nellie Barker, the first Sunday school teacher I remember having at a pre-school age.  She was from England and we loved to hear her talk in her perky, friendly way.  I think of my most recent choir director, Fred.  Even when in serious conversation, that merry heart of his just comes shining through.  You leave his presence with a smile on your face whether you felt like smiling when first seeing him.  In all cases, and more, such people have been an encouragement in my worst of times and probably are responsible in great measure for whatever sense of humor I have now.

Our Scripture speaks of a merry heart.  We are to know that this merry, cheerful spirit is not something we just conjur up whenever we want to.  This merry spirit is something that is born in the heart and comes from God.  I realize that there are people who don't know God from a totem pole who give off an air of friendliness, caring and even glee; but, the REAL thing, comes from a relationship with the Lord.  This spirit springs from an inner joy that isn't controlled by circumstances.

Let's begin by defining what is meant by "merry" as Scripture views it.  In  Hebrew, the first definition given of this word in noun form is "good."  The verb form of the word "merry" means beautiful, best, better, cheerful, at ease, gracious, joyful, kindly, loving and pleasant.  When we read all of that, we have to agree that that's a whole lot of "merry."

Without any pretense, the person with the merry heart brings refreshment and at times, healing to just about any situation, thus the use of the word "medicine."  It isn't the kind of medicine a physician would prescribe.  When taken as ordered by a physician, such medications can affect a persons entire well being.  Some medicines may relieve pain or some may be preventative.  However, the medicine of the merry heart touches the emotional, mental and spiritual side of an individual all of which may in turn affect the physical side of the person as well.  I have known many people with merry hearts who are healing influences to others just by their very presence.

The other half of our verse cannot be overlooked.  Solomon in his wise writing through inspiration of the Holy Spirit addresses a broken spirit.  Matthew Henry in his commentary writes, regarding Proverbs 17:22:

"A broken spirit, sunk by the burden of afflictions, and especially a conscience wounded with a sense of guilt and fear of wrath, dries the bones, wastes the radical moisture, exhausts the very marrow and makes the body a mere skeleton.  We should, therefore, watch and pray against all melancholy dispositions for they lead us into trouble as well as into temptation."

A very kind orthopedic surgeon once told me that there is a definite correlation between the healing of a broken or surgically repaired bone and the inner spirit of the patient.  He stressed that having healthy marrow in the bones is of the utmost importance to overall health.  He smiled with a twinkle in his eye and said that in our day, an awful lot of folks are walking around with rotten bones.  So I guess we could say:

                        Broken Bone + Broken Spirit = Slow Physical Healing

I have to wonder how many people, especially Christians, are walking around with severe physical problems because the are first suffering from broken spirits and they may not realize it.

The merry heart is a wonderful thing to have...something we all should desire.  The broken spirit, however, does not just cause the spirit of a person much damage, but also is extremely damaging to the human body as well.  We will face problems and hurts, so the sooner we turn them over to God and deal with them spiritually, the healthier and merrier we will be.

There are some places we can begin to work on this.  Confession is a good place to begin.  If we can't think what sin we might have in our lives, a quick scan of Colossians 3 gives us a good check list.  The Holy Spirit is always ready to help us out in this area.  Turning everything of concern over to the Lord can lighten the spirit.  Being people of the Word and prayer can ensure we keep that extra skip in our spiritual step.  Let me add a suggestion.

Let me add that people who have this spiritual quality of being merry in heart are always appropriate in behavior.  This isn't a person has to be the clown of the party, who giggles a lot or who acts like a six year old wouldn't even act.  In fact, those with a merry heart may at the same time be going through heartache they would never reveal to anyone.  Being a person with a merry heart is not a goal...it's the end result of a sold out relationship with Jesus Christ. 

As a side line thought, those who are merry probably do a lot more singing than talking.

James 5:13 tells us:

Is any among you afflicted?

Let him pray.

Is any merry?

Let him sing psalms.

Scripture also promises that a merry heart can be ongoing and not a temporary thing.

Proverbs 15:15 says:

All the days of the afflicted are evil:

but he that is of a merry heart

hath a continual feast.

Notice that it isn't the afflicted who are evil but the days of the afflicted.  We live in a terrible, confusing and troubling world.  All of us can fall into affliction just because of the times we live in, but we don't have to stay there.  For those merry in heart, life is one big spiritual feast even though they may be going through times of great suffering.  Circumstances change nothing for the merry in heart.

Old King Cole may have been a merry old soul but what about us?  Can others view you and me as being merry of spirit...healers, encouragers...filled with the joy of Jesus.  He came that we might have life and have it in abundance.  There are those troubled in spirit who need to see the joy and merryment of the Lord Jesus in us.

PRAYER:

Dear Jesus...I long to be a reflection of You.  I believe every positive quality found in the Bible was a part of You as You walked on this earth.  I know that a merry heart isn't something I can pretend to have...it's either a part of me or it isn't.  Help me to be an encouragement to others, but before that, I want all You are to be a part of me.  Thank You for allowing me to be a part of Your kingdom plan.   Amen.

Been Wounded Lately?

He healeth the broken in heart,

and bindeth up their wounds.

Psalm 147:3

The first time I can remember hearing the word "wound" was when I was a little girl in the 1940's.  World War II was raging and I heard my parents talking about soldiers from our town who had been wounded in battle.  My mother explained to me that a wound was a really bad hurt that bad soldiers had caused our own soldiers.  She explained that it would be like my being pushed down on the sidewalk and skinning my knee except that for soldiers, it was much worse.  Mother wasn't very graphic, but I knew what a badly skinned knee was.  I knew it hurt and I knew it made me cry.  My skinned knees and elbows usually healed with a kiss from Mother, that "red stuff in the small bottle that didn't burn" and a band-aid.

I've had a lot of physical wounds since that time in my life.  I carry a couple of scars on the back of my right hand where a very friendly dog accidentally scratched me.  Boy did it hurt and I have to tell you that for weeks, the back of my hand was a sight.  It wasn't enough to have any stitches but it probably took a month or two for my hand to heal.  During the healing process, my hand was very sore to the touch and was not pretty to look at.  Right now though, I can touch those scars, and they don't hurt anymore.  I can look at the criss-cross scar on the back of my hand now and remember a loveable dog and it's wonderful owners.   However, I'm not going to be addressing physical wounds in my words to you. No matter how bad they are, I have found that wounds of the heart and spirit inflicted by others can be so much more painful.  Just as the healing on the back of my hand took time to heal, so do our inner wounds.  Healthy healing really does take time.

Our wounds of the heart can turn out the same if we let them.  However, I know people who have held onto bitterness for years.  They relive their wounds over and over only to find that the infection of bitterness has taken over their lives.  Christians holding onto such bitterness, may find their testimony negatively affected and perhaps their health as well.  We're not meant to hold on for dear life to those hurts that probably in most cases, we couldn't have done anything about anyway.  Wouldn't it be better if we let our hurts and wounds grow us spiritually.  There are good things that can come from wounds.  The following are some examples from nature:

     Wheat that is thrashed...for what....that you and I may have bread

     Peeled oranges................for what....healthy food, juice and refreshment

     Pressed fresh flowers.....for what....perfumes and resulting products

     Beaten olives...................for what....oil for the golden candlestick in the tabernacle

     Olives couldn't just be pressed to render oil from them.  Scripture says that the oil for the golden candlestick had to come from olives that were beaten.  That particular oil caused the light from the candlestick to burn clearer and brighter.  I often think that when you and I feel the most wounded (beaten up) is when our light for Christ can shine the brightest and clearest.

I don't minimize the wounds we are sometimes called upon to endure, but I have learned that our wounds can be turned into blessing for God's glory.  He wants to use every single thing in our lives to somehow touch the lives of others.  We are living in a world-weary day with people who are looking for Christians who live out their faith in such a way that a relationship with Jesus Christ looks inviting.  Some Christians may even watch us to see how we get through  the wounds that are often inflicted upon us.  When people know we have been through a terrible time of wounding, they may not understand the sweet spirit that can radiate from our lives during those times.  When we go through our own thrashings, others hopefully will be lead to the Bread of Life.  Our wounds for a time may be very red, hurtful and noticeable.  As we keep functioning in Holy Spirit power, we will later look at a personal scar or two and we may even be able to smile.

Some things we can remember:

1.  God knows every hurt of any kind inflicted by anyone that touches us.  He wants to comfort us like a mother would tend to her child's physical boo-boo.  There are some folks, however who refuse the comfort of God and want to roll around in self-pity, always seeking the sympathy of others.  Others can do only so much...God comforts as no one else can.

2.  Every wound in our lives is to be basted in praise.

                                       In EVERYTHING give thanks:

                                                   for this is the will of God

                                             in Christ Jesus concerning you.

                                                      I Thessalonians 5:18

3.  Along with the above, we need to be careful how much energy we give to our hurts and wounds.  Such loss of energy can affect us mentally, spiritually and maybe physically.  When wounded, we still need to take care of ourselves physically.   Attention still needs to be given to our prayer life that isn't always complaining to God, but that offers times of praise as well.  Bible reading is a must.  I might suggest though that when sorely wounded, Revelation might not be the best book from which to read.  Select those Scriptures that are a balm for the soul.  Select some of those passages ahead of time when not hurting for your spiritual emergency kit and keep that list handy to refer to in times of difficulty.

4.  Remember that there are wounds that are contageous.  Physically there are infections that can spread because of exposure to someone else.  There are vulnerable people who will take on the hurts of others and we don't want to be a spiritual hinderance in their lives.  We should limit sharing information about our wounds only with a very few trusted, spiritually mature persons.  Sometimes speaking openly about a specific difficulty can minister to people, but  I am talking about the habit of just venting our hurts with anyone who will listen.  That isn't beneficial for anyone...speaker or hearers.

5.  I have to say somewhere in all of this that we must avoid self-inflicted wounds.  Too often we take on the problems of others.  In doing so, our minds can be marked and scarred causing constant turmoil.  I have decided that I am at an age where I just can't do that anymore.  I tend to go off on guilt binges.  I've decided if I have done something wrong to someone, I will  apologize, learn from it and go on.  I'm weary of people who get ticked off at just about anything because so much rides on their mood of the day.  I allow things like that to do too much damage to my own spirit.  That's not God's intention for any of us. 

 We can also  wound ourselves with worry.  We moms are especially pro's at this activity.  I have determined that I will have a concern for those around me, but only God can take care of  things no matter how much of it I mentally take on.  I will do what God wants me to do and leave the rest with Him.  It's a huge order for me but in His strength I know I can have victory.  If it doesn't work, it sure isn't His fault. 

6.  We must pray for those who have wounded us and forgive them.  This is about as tough as it gets, but we are commanded to forgive even when people hurt us deeply.  We forgive because God forgives us and He commands us to forgive.  Jesus in His model prayer said, "Forgive us our trespasses AS we forgive those who trespass against us."  That's a lot of forgivin'.

7.  Take everything to the Lord.  He doesn't mind tears and doesn't need fancy long prayers when we sit in a heap of hurt.  There have been times I've just had to say through tears, "Lord, help me!" because that was all I could utter with the broken heart that was throbbing inside of me at the time.  We tend to go first to everyone else with our hurts instead of where we are supposed to go.

                                           Cast thy burden upon the Lord,

                                                and He shall sustain thee;

                                        He shall never suffer the righteous

                                                          to be moved.

                                                        Psalms 55:22

Let's never forget  the wounding that Jesus endured for us.  He suffered pain...the worst of pain...undeserved pain...and it was for you and me.

                                But He was wounded for our trangressions

                                          He was bruised for our iniquities:

                                         the chastisement of our peace was

                                             upon Him and with His stripes

                                                          we are healed.

                                                            Isaiah 53:5

Wounded...bruised...chastisement...stripes...all four of those things were deliberate physical acts.  He endured hateful, aggressive torture not counting the malicious taunting involved.  This occured all for you and me.  Through all of that, you and I have spiritual wholeness and healing.  In light of His suffering, the wounds we sustain on this earth for a time seem to pale in light of all He endured.

PRAYER:

Thank You, my Savior, for bearing all You did for me on the cross.  The hurts I endure on this earth are nothing compared to what You bore for me.   May I never forget Your willingness to be wounded for me.  Thank You dear Jesus for who You are in my life everyday.  Forgive my being forgetful of all You did.  As You forgive me, may I be willing to forgive others.  I love You.   Amen