The Silver Lining

You're at a restaurant, and you go to pay the bill.  "It's already paid-for," says the waitress!  "Oh, how nice," you might reply, "But, I'm going to pay for it as well." 

Utter foolishness, you would say!  Only one person needs to pay, and you would go looking for the one who paid your tab to thank them.

And yet, is it not so, with us and the gospel?  Jesus has paid for our sin; that is why He came, He died and He rose again- “It is finished,” meaning: “It is paid for,” was his cry from the cross.

“When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said: ‘It is finished!’

And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”(John 19: 30)

Some might say that’s not good enough, (you have to work your way to heaven); or it’s too simple, (a straight-forward transaction), or that Jesus was not the God-man spoken of throughout history as the Redeemer to come.

So, some will insist on paying for their own sin, forever; separated from God, rather than accepting His payment.

It sure seems like utter foolishness!  Only one person needs to pay ~ and that’s exactly what Jesus did.  And our response is to say: "Forgive me, Jesus, for my sin.  Thank you for paying!"

The cost of our spiritual freedom was sufficient and is guaranteed forever.  I’ve taken Jesus’ payment for my sin and I know forgiveness, deep joy and, in the not-so-distant future, everlasting life.  Will you accept His “paid-in-full,” blood-written receipt; the one written all over your sin?

Good Friday is the darkest day in human history but in its ominous cloud is the silver lining for those who put their trust in Jesus Christ.

Small Mercies

Perhaps you have said it before: “Thank God for small mercies!” We were adding them up - a new acquaintance and I, and it wasn’t long before we had a virtual mountain of mercies. I was overwhelmed with awe.

Provision had come to my friend when least expected and not even asked-for; a vale of tears was being lovingly replaced with peace and joy - touches of indelible grace from our gracious God. As for myself, I was in desperate need of the timely reminder from Psalm 100, verse 5:

For the LORD is good; his mercy endures for ever; 

and his faithfulness unto all generations.

In the past week, I had lost sight of God’s great love for me; drowning in regret. A health concern for my Mom that should have been addressed a number of years ago was now before me. And I wept over the neglect of it. I came to believe that beating my breast and sighing: “Mea culpa,” were both necessary and appropriate; carrying the blame as a weighty penance. The burden of it all should have driven me to my Saviour, but I believed the lie that deeper guilt and deeper regret must be my constant companions for a long time.

Ah, what quietness has washed over my soul this day; all in the repeating of small mercies and in the study of Psalm 100. So I can now cry out: “Lord, may your tender mercies carry us through, your mercies that are new every morning.”