Thought for the day
"One day a drill sergeant came out and threw a hand grenade into a group of young soldiers. The men all ran away and took cover away from the grenade. Then the drill sergeant told them that the grenade was not set to explode and he just did it to see their reaction.
"The next day a newly recruited soldier joined the group. The drill sergeant told the other soldiers not to tell the new soldier what was going to happen. As the drill sergeant came out and threw the grenade into the crowd of soldiers, the new soldier, not knowing it wasn't going to explode, threw himself on top of the grenade to prevent it from killing the other men. He was willing to die for his fellow soldiers.
"That year the young man was awarded the only medal for courage and bravery that had not been won during battle."
How many people would you be willing to die for? Be honest now! Maybe your husband or wife, one of your children, but the list starts to get pretty short after that, doesn't it?
Can you imagine dying in the place of a convicted criminal? Someone is scheduled to die on death row for murder, and you say, "Please let me take his place!" Not very likely, huh? Paul was so right when he said, "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:7-8).
Why would Christ do that? As long as I define love by my own personal limitations, it will always be impossible to comprehend. Only the love of an Almighty God could be willing to sacrifice so much. I am led to respond in praise, and in a desire to give all my love and obedience to the One who loved me more than life itself.
Verses
Revelation 12:11
Our brethren have defeated him through the blood of the Lamb and through the might of their faith. For they preferred death to apostasy.
Exodus 15:26
and He saith, `If thou dost really hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, and dost that which is right in His eyes, and hast hearkened to His commands, and kept all His statutes: none of the sickness which I laid on the Egyptians do I lay on thee, for I, Jehovah, am healing thee.
1 John 5:4
for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
Luke 20:47
"who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."
Psalm 35:27
Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, "Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant."
Prayer
God, You’ve given the greatest treasure that is available to all people. We don’t have to fit into a particular segment of our population nor are we required to live during a certain time period to receive this unsurpassed gift. The gift of Your grace is available to every generation and exceeds any temporary material blessing that we’ll ever receive. Your grace not only brings reconciliation through Your Son, but it continues to pour into us grace upon grace, much like the waves of the ocean. Thank you that You gave in abundance so that we could be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God through the incarnation of your Son, Jesus Christ. How unlimited and ceaseless is your grace upon grace!
No comments:
Post a Comment