I write this at the end of Good Friday. A tree stands in a field and the sun is rising behind it. There are gorse and thorn bushes barring the way to the tree. But we must travel there, despite the cuts and pain we might feel.
What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?
I am thinking back to this phrase from Matthews gospel. It cuts home. When the moments that God wants us to be strong, I am weak and I know God works through weakness but I am full of excuses some days about why I didn’t spend time with God.
When Jesus was at His most fragile and exposed for all to slander, most turned their back on Him.
If you think about which character in the crucifixion story you would be, who would that be?
One day you might be Peter denying God, another day you might be at the foot of the cross praying like John, the Mary’s and Martha. You might be the Roman soldier just doing his job despite recognising that this is the Son of God. Some days God needs my help and I fail to act but I get shoved into action and in doing so I am like Simon of Cyrene. Other days I feel like Judas when I sell Him out to my own wants and greed. In truth everyone fell short on that day, apart from Jesus – He played His part to the last breath.
We see to the right a place for the body to be laid. A place of rest. Jesus has died and with Him all our sin.
There is hope.
God forgive us our actions when we have turned our back on you and followed our own selfish wants.
Help us to be like your Son, sacrificing oneself for others.
Help us to reach out and even when times are hard, to help and encourage, to exhort your love.
Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice, I pray I can live up to your expectations following the Holy Spirit.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
Amen
with blessings
Graham
365 Exhortations 