Gentle

What’s so good about Good Friday? I’m currently doing a one year chronological Bible reading plan. With the Lord timing is everything. I don’t believe in coincidence. I believe in the sovereignty of God. So today, on this Good Friday, I’m in Exodus (because I began this plan on March 1) and I just read how the firstborn of Egypt have died. I am a firstborn. I have a firstborn. I know a lot of firstborns. Wow!

Jesus Christ, is the Lamb of God, the Passover lamb. Jesus Christ is also a firstborn!

You guys! Jesus was not the One anyone expected. We’re so bound and determined to fight our way to the top, to destroy anyone who gets in our way, to prove we’re right. He came into our world and we didn’t even see him because he wasn’t the hero we were expecting.

But oh! He is definitely the Hero we’ve been waiting for!

See the man there, healing the sick, holding the children, teaching the people, feeding the multitude. He is strongly gentle. He is compassionate. He is kind. He loves all of us. He loves us so much, he weeps when we die. He loves us so much, he dies as we mock him.

All. So. We. Might. Live.

This isn’t just Good Friday, it’s the best Friday.

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

— ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Happy FiveMinuteFriday!

Redeem

The day that I said yes to Jesus, there was an instant transaction that took place. He redeemed me before I even had a clue what that meant.

The dictionary definition of redeem is to gain or regain possession of something in exchange for payment.

“You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings.”

1 Corinthians 7:23

Before I knew Jesus, I didn’t really know what life was for. All I could see was pain, suffering, death, war, and destruction. I figured if this is all life was about, then there really wasn’t a good reason to be alive, right?

Then, the miraculous transaction took place. Not only was I immediately saved from eternal death, I was blessed with a whole new worldview that allows me to feel joy despite how it’s all falling apart!

Friends, whenever I am tempted to fall into old patterns of thinking, I preach the Gospel to myself. I go back to that day when the Lord redeemed me. He graciously, bravely got on that cross and paid the price for my sin so I could live! He did that for you too! Let’s agree to never forget!

Happy FiveMinuteFriday!

Possible

Do you believe in the possible? When someone discourages you and says you can’t, do you believe her or do you rally and think, I’ll show you?

Before Jesus, I fell into the first camp more often than not, simply because I didn’t allow myself to do much dreaming. Mine was the voice that would say, you can’t do that because it’s irresponsible, because you have kids, because what would everyone think? Sadly, I learned discouragement from my mom, probably because she learned it from hers and so on.

Then I met Jesus. He turned the world right side up. I began to dream dreams. At 43, I dreamed of becoming a missionary. The old voice of discouragement said I was too old, it’s too costly, what about your family? But suddenly, a new voice chimed in declaring, Abraham was much older than you when the Lord told him to leave his country to go somewhere new, a place he didn’t even know! So began my journey to believing all things are possible for God and if he’s with me, nothing and no one can stop me.

So now I’ve been practicing believing the possible for fifteen years. And friends, it does take practice. I now understand that we have an enemy who wants to destroy us. When I hear that little voice saying, you can’t, I know who it is because almost always immediately after he says, you can’t, I hear another voice saying, oh but you can! He is the Holy Spirit! He is the voice of my Heavenly Father saying, with him, anything is possible!

“So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!””

Mark‬ ‭9:20-24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Happy FiveMinuteFriday!