A Truly Good Friday

Recently in conversation with a friend, he shared with me his mother’s testimony.  She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and given 6 months to live.  That was over 30 years ago!  She is alive and well today.

It was a wonderful boost to my faith to hear this.  My doctor thinks I'm doing "remarkable," but I still have a cancer tumor.  I pray daily for God to dissolve it as it can't be removed surgically.  I am grateful for every day.  Grateful to be alive, and I trust for more years to come.

I have found it important as I pray to be grateful for what I have, and to not be demanding when I bring my requests to the Lord.  Prayer isn't a time to give orders.  It's a time to humbly submit ouarselves into the Lord's care - bringing our requests to Him, with thanksgiving.  When I get tired of the things I'm dealing with, I remind myself of how much I have to be thankful for already.  It helps to "balance" my prayer requests.

This Easter, I think once again that "by His stripes we are healed."  I pray for that.  I am so thankful for the suffering Jesus went through to provide for our healing.

"Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."  Philippians 4:6

"He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed."  Isaiah 53:5

"By His wounds you have been healed."  1 Peter 2:24

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy."  Psalm 103:2-4

I am so grateful for all His "benefits."  He forgives me, heals me, redeems me, and blesses me with love and mercy.  How good and faithful God is.

A butterfly got into my house through an open door recently.  Have you ever tried to catch a butterfly?!  I didn't have any kind of net, and I found it impossible to catch it.  The best I could do was to try and steer it towards the open door.  Finally it flew away.

In the midst of this, I felt the Lord speaking into my heart.  If I'm not careful, I can be like that butterfly - flying wildly all over the place and missing where I need to be going.  It was a special little reminder to keep my focus on Him, on the things that are important, on where I need to go.  I love the special messages that God speaks into my heart!

On this good Friday as we remember what Christ has done for us - and as we prepare for His resurrection victory - I have been meditating on His goodness.  I am so grateful for His sacrifice, His suffering for us, and the provision it brings.  It reminded me of something the Lord spoke into my heart when I was doing my deck walking and praying last week.

We had been having some stormy weather - lots of heavy, gray clouds.  As I looked out towards the ocean, the clouds were so low they looked like they were almost touching the water.  It was a striking image.  As I gazed at this the Lord spoke so clearly into my heart "heaven and earth are closer than we think."  It was an unusual thought, but I felt ministered to that God is so near.  He's not far off.  He's close to us, reaching out to us, ministering to us - we can almost reach out and touch Him He's so close.  The dark clouds almost touching the water were a powerful symbolism of what God was speaking into my heart.

In thinking of Christ's death on the cross today it made me think that what He went through brought heaven close to us!  He has provided the path, the way for us by all He suffered.  He bled and died to bring heaven to us.  He paid a debt he didn't owe to take care of a debt we couldn't pay on our own!  He brought heaven to us through His sacrifice.  I've been overwhelmed in thinking of that - overwhelmed with gratitude!

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:15

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."  John 15:13

"The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."  Mark 10:45

"Abba Father," He said, "everything is possible for you.  Take this cup from me.  Yet, not what I will, but what you will."  Mark 14:36

"I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."  John 14:6

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."  Acts 4:12

Through His suffering and death, Jesus has provided forgiveness so that we might join Him in heaven for all eternity.  I'm humbled by His sacrifice.  I'm undeserving, but He made a way.  Thank you, dear Jesus, for all you've done for us!

You have truly made this a "good Friday."