May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.
Without question, the example of love and perseverance displayed by our God and his Son Jesus stands above all else known to man. Take Christ’s perseverance: He came to earth knowing full well what was going to happen in 30+ years. Yet he kept marching towards the goal and did not deter his focus on the will of the Father. If we put ourselves in his shoes for a moment…it’s safe to say that we would scramble daily for an option to alter the path ahead. We would look for ways to change the course, pay off the debt…anything to not have to go through the agony that awaited us. Yet Christ did not…he soldiered on, one foot in front of the other, right up to his last breath on the cross. Need an example of real determination, rugged persistence, unwavering fortitude? Look no further than the Savior…head and shoulders above all others. And what put the wheels in motion that lead to Christ’s incredible perseverance? God’s love for his people. Every life that walked the earth was so dearly cherished by God that he sacrificed his own son! He sent his Son to earth knowing full well what was going to happen…like sending a lamb to the slaughter…allowing him to be arrested, beaten, ridiculed, and hung on a cross…to eventually die. I can say with confidence that there is no way I would be able to sacrifice my own son for someone else…especially someone that I might categorize as an enemy. It seems absolutely impossible…yet it’s exactly what God did. He sacrificed his son for those who loved him but failed, those who were indifferent to him and ignored his commands, and those who deliberately opposed him with evil intentions. There is quite simply no greater example of perfect love than this. God could have just wiped the slate clean, literally destroying the earth and all its contents and starting over…yet he did not. I have to believe it was because of his incredibly deep love for each life that he had created…a love that would not allow him to simply destroy it all and start over. Next time we face a difficult situation that calls us to love, may we turn to this extraordinary example set by our God. And perhaps when we see what he did for each of us, it will make our situation not seem so impossible…and maybe we will be able to display a small piece of the same kind of love that God showed each of us. May we persevere with true love for each other this day, finding strength and direction from the example set by our God. To God be the glory!
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