We often forget the pain that Jesus chose to take on for us on “that old rugged cross.” Isaiah 53:5 tells us:
“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
The King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the One Who could have called down legions of angels to rescue Him. Jesus experienced pain that none of us will EVER know the extent. Our Lord, Our Savior. The Lover of our souls. No pain we could ever endure can ever equal that of our Savior Who took OUR sins upon Himself. How can we not praise Him? Thank Him for His sacrifice? When I think about how much God loves us, I am humbled by it. Honestly, there is no greater love. John 3:16 tells us that:
“God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that Whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have ever lasting life.”
When you have accepted Jesus as Savior, made Him Lord over your life, your life is not your own – it is His. I have belonged to Him for 35 years. I can testify that there is truly no greater love than knowing you belong to Him. He has brought me through the highs and lows of life and it is just in the knowing that He is with me through it all that brings a smile to my face. You see, even when you become part of His Called Remnant, Matthew 5:45 tells us:
“He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
We who belong to Jesus still experience “rain” because we live in a fallen world. The difference is we know that whatever we go through, God is with us.
NO ONE CAN SNATCH US OUT OF THE FATHER’S HAND
The pain that we experience in this life is NOTHING compared to what Jesus experienced on our behalf. Thirteen years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I underwent a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation.
GOD HEALED ME
Sometimes if the enemy can’t succeed with his attacks, he will come at you with the same weapons he has previously used in the past. Determined to make you fall or doubt God. Don’t succumb to his attacks, when he tries the same tactics over in your life – because IF you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, made Him Lord OVER your life – your life belongs to Christ. Don’t allow what faces you to make you doubt that God is greater. I tell you what I know:
JESUS DEFEATED SICKNESS, ILLNESS, DISEASE, SIN AND DEATH ON THE CROSS.
We are VICTORIOUS in Him! This year, when I went for my annual mammogram, it showed that an old enemy had come back to fight a new war in the body of me. This body of mine belongs to God. My body is a vessel unto Holy Spirit. My Body belongs to God. This new war does not negate the war that was won over the enemy 13 years ago. This is a new battle and my God, to Whom I belong fights for me. One of ol’ slewfoot’s biggest tactics is to come back in your life and try previous weapons again to see if your faith has been weakened. He is looking for weak points in the wall of you to try to defeat you! Listen, we have no strength in and of ourselves, our strength comes from God! This is where we call upon our God and we trust in Him! This is where we put on our spiritual armor found in Ephesians Chapter 6 and we rely not upon our own strength, but on that of the One Who our victory has been purchased!
JESUS! JESUS! JESUS!
I write this to you through the pain of just having gone through a double mastectomy. But as I pray through the pain, I think of my Savior Who withstood the pain of ALL the sins of the world upon His sin-less shoulders. He took on more pain than ANY of us will ever have to face because He loves us. I rejoice in the One Who makes me whole. The One Who faced this with me 13 years ago. The One Who said He would NEVER leave nor forsake me. The One who is not only the Healer of my body but Lover of my soul. Oh, how I pray that You who read this will know the peace that alleviates the pain. There is no greater joy in the midst of pain than knowing that WHATEVER you go through in life, if you belong to Jesus – He is RIGHT there with you and He will bring you through it.
Jesus endured the pain on the cross knowing the victory it would bring. Isaiah 53:5 tells us:
“But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.”
No matter what we face in this life, we stand victorious over ALL our Savior purchased for us. When whatever it is that pains you begins to feel unbearable, remember Jesus and all that He endured on our behalf. The pain we feel is REAL and I am not in any way belittling that, but when we choose to look beyond the pain and to put our eyes on God and not on our circumstances than God shows up big time and reminds us that He is GREATER than anything that ol’ slewfoot or the world can try to put in our way. He reminds us that although we are still IN this fallen world, we are not a part of it! We belong to Him! The peace of God passes ALL understanding but experiencing that peace in the midst of pain is truly a testimony of to Whom We belong. Our victory is found in a God Who love us more abundantly than ANYTHING life can throw our way. He IS the God Who STILL Heals. He IS the God Who STILL redeems. We only have to keep our eyes on Him. He reigns!
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