12 / 52 – For the joy…

What joy?  What could He possibly want that He didn’t have?  What prize was so appealing, that this King, who literally holds the world in His hands, would consider the cross worth enduring?  What made Him say, “I must do this.  It will be worth it.”

Dear friend, it was you.

Can you imagine that?  The Son of God, having everything, giving everything, for the chance to be with you?  Sin had torn us from Him, and there was only one way to get us back – the cross.  His desperate love would cause Him to lay down His life for this joy – reconciliation.

Remember when you were a kid, and you didn’t like being alone at night?  The safety of your bedroom somehow vanished once the lights went out.  In the dark, your imagination would conjure up scenarios that you knew could never be true, but still caused fear.  And what was the cure?  A nightlight perhaps, but there was still an aloneness that made you uneasy.

“Dad!” you might call.  “Mom!”

And the second they entered the room, everything was alright.

Trusting in Jesus doesn’t mean that life will always be easy.  And it doesn’t mean that there won’t be heartache.  But it does mean that God, who’s bigger than anything that comes our way, will be with us.  And somehow that really is enough to get us through, even make life worth living!

For anyone reading this that is looking for meaning, for that fullness of life, the search is over!  Sin caused this gaping hole somewhere in the deepest part of us.  Like the most important something was missing.  Jesus made a way to fill that place with the only thing that makes us whole – a relationship with Him.  If that’s you, you can pray something like this:

“Dear God, I know I’ve made choices in my life that have caused separation from you.  But I believe that You love me, that Jesus came and died for me, to make a way to be right with You again.  Please forgive me for my sin.  Bring me back into that right relationship with You, and help me to live in a way that shows you I love you back.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Friend, if you just prayed that, go tell someone!  It’s a really big deal!  If you’d like to send us a message, we’d love to hear from you!  Use the contact link above to email us.  We pray you truly know and share the truth of the cross with those around you today!