Thought for the day
A little boy invited his mother to attend his elementary school's first teacher-parent conference. To the little boy's dismay, she said she would go. This would be the first time that his classmates and teacher met his mother and he was embarrassed by her appearance. Although she was a beautiful woman, there was a severe scar that covered nearly the entire right side of her face.
The boy never wanted to talk about why or how she got the scar. At the conference, the people were impressed by the kindness and natural beauty of his mother despite the scar, but the little boy was still embarrassed and hid himself from everyone. He did, however, get within earshot of a conversation between his mother and his teacher, and heard them speaking.
"How did you get the scar on your face?" the teacher asked.
The mother replied, "When my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught on fire. Everyone was too afraid to go in because the fire was out of control, so I went in. As I was running toward his crib, I saw a beam coming down and I placed myself over him trying to shield him. I was knocked unconscious but fortunately, a fireman came in and saved both of us."
She touched the burned side of her face. "This scar will be permanent, but to this day, I have never regretted doing what I did."
At this point, the little boy came out running towards his mother with tears in his eyes. He hugged her and felt an overwhelming sense of the sacrifice that his mother had made for him. He held her hand tightly for the rest of the day.
In a similar manner, Jesus Christ bears a scar -- many scars, in fact. There are those who find that somewhat embarrassing ("You mean to tell me you worship a man who was crucified?"). However, realizing that his ugly scars are the result of his efforts to save me, they suddenly take on a special beauty.
Those scars led Thomas to say, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). They lead me to say the same thing. I'm so thankful that something so ugly and horrible has taken on such beauty, because of the great love that Jesus Christ had for me.
"He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed." (Isa. 53:5)
Verses
Hebrews 10:35-36
Do not throw away that confidence of yours, with its rich hope of reward; you still need endurance, if you are to attain the prize God has promised to those who do his will.
Joel 3:10
Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, 'I am strong.' "
Deuteronomy 12:28
"Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.
Luke 18:1
Also [Jesus] told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward -- faint, lose heart and give up.
Proverbs 28:25
Greed causes fighting; trusting God leads to prosperity.
Prayer
Father, how grateful we are that we live in the time of Your favor. You favor us with Your goodness, love, and provisions. But most of all You favor us with redemption through the precious blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus paid the price and we are recipients of His love and forgiveness. We give thanks for our salvation and we pray for anyone who has not made that divine appointment with You to make this the day of their salvation, for now is the time of Your favor and now is the day of their salvation. Amen.
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