Good Friday to You

First of all, I think you need to see some more pictures of Middleburg. The Girl took some good ones. I have to say, I like the one with the old Jag in the background – it really captures the place I think. I am learning to be more patient with my camera. I need to practice slowing down, finding the right shot, setting it up, etc. I think I will get there someday.

And second of all, and most importantly . . . it’s Good Friday! It’s true that I, and perhaps you too, have heard the story of Jesus’ death on a cross a bajillion times. And when you’ve heard something that much, it tends to become familiar – just a bunch of words and a story we forget is TRUE. And it’s the only reason we can have hope in this temporary world.

Praise God that all my sins have been taken from me and borne by Jesus, and I don’t have to carry their guilt into the future. I’m free!

One thing in particular that struck me today as I was reading the Word was how willingly He did it. He wasn’t a helpless victim! To think of how I’ve sometimes felt sorry for myself when suffering pain. But Jesus suffered more than anyone – not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually, too. He understands any pain we feel, because He’s already felt it. And He endured it so that God would be glorified.

And how good is our God to want to make a way for us to be able to be with Him forever?, to remove the barrier of sin that keeps us from Him. It’s a gift of grace and love that has changed my life. And I want to continue changing because of it.

“When the word of the cross breaks into our heart by the power of God's Spirit (I Peter 1:3, 23), and we awaken to the fact that God loves us so much that he takes the life of his own Son in order to bring us under his Shepherd-care and Shepherd-protection and Shepherd-provision and Shepherd-guidance, at that moment we die to the lie of sin. We die to the power of sin's deceit which tries to persuade us that a better future can be had through sin than through righteousness.” – John Piper

1 Peter 2:21-25
“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” - Peter writing to Christ followers