On My Cross

Those were my nails

That was my crown

That pierced Your hands and your brow

Those were my thorns

Those were my scorns

Those were my tears that fell down

And just as You said it would be

You did it all for me

After You counted the cost

You took my shame, my blame

On my cross

-My Cross By FFH-

This has recently become on of my favorite songs.

And it brings with it a new realization:

CHRIST.DIED.FOR.ME.

How many times do we hear this?

Almost too many I think, it has become so common 

that we have ceased to realize exactly what He really did for us.

He took our place. We were suppose to died that day, and we didn't.

Why? Because the Son of the God we had turned against stepped in,

and before we knew or even cared who He was, He took our place.

Not only did He die for us, but He suffered extreme torture for us before that.

I've had a new insight this week into what it was that Christ really did for us

and I wish for all the world I could relate it to you, but I'm finding it very hard to put into words.

So, I encourage you to listen to the above song (at lease once), and to consider

what it is you have truly been saved from.

Today is Good Friday.

The annual remembrance of the world's darkest day.

The day we all should have died. But didn't.

Because the Son of God, a complete stranger took our place.

 Took your place.

In His Hand

 I was reading the other night out of the book Hinds Feet on High Places. If you've never read it it's a wonderful allegorical story about a christian's walk with Christ.
Anyways this is the part I was reading:

"Shepherd!" She shrieked, 
"Shepherd! Shepherd! Help me!
Where are you? Don't leave me!"
Next instant she was clinging to him, 
trembling from head to foot, 
and sobbing over and over again, 
"You may do anything, Shepherd. 
You may ask anything- only don't let me turn back. 
O my Lord, don't let me leave you. 
Entreat me not to leave thee nor to 
return from following after thee.... 
Don't let anything turn me back."

He lifted her up, supported her by his arm, 
and with his own hand wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"There is no question of your turning back...
No one, not even your own shrinking heart, 
can pluck you out of my hand."


I read it, then stopped and read it again. And by the time I had read it through twice I had tears streaming down my face. Going back a few weeks, I made a realization that practically everything I have ever struggled with came from within. I'm not really prone to be swayed by outward influences, but if something is going on inside of my head or heart we have a serious problem. It's the one thing I fear. Myself, and my own selfish desires.
But as I read this I realized that NOTHING can pluck us out of the hand of God. I had known that but somehow I must have thought I was the exception, and that when my mind dragged me down a darkened pathway, away from Him, if I didn't get myself out of it quick, then God would forsake me and leave me there ashamed that I wasn't strong enough. But no. He knows we are weak, it doesn't surprise Him. He holds us up, supports us with His arm, even when we fall. He wipes our tears with Him own hand. And there is nothing, NOTHING that can pluck us out of His hand. Not even our own shrinking hearts...
Which means that we cannot walk away from God. We may fail, we may fall. We may think the path He has chosen for us is to hard, and as much as we love Him we just want to walk away. But you can't walk away from God, because if you try... He'll chase after you. No matter how far you run, how low you sink, no matter how long it takes. He will come for you, and He will find you. No matter what.
Because nothing can pluck you from His hand. Not even your own shrinking heart.