Devotionals

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It’s not a fairytale. It cost Someone dearly.

No prince charming or damsel in distress. No castles or ivory towers. No birds singing or people dancing. No blue skies, white clouds or green grass. No mushy words or happy cheers.

There were just woods from a tree, a few nails, a couple of hammers, some thorns, and a spear. There was a hill called ‘a skull’. The skies were dark, there were earthquakes and a solar eclipse. There were taunts and jeers. There were blood, sweat and tears.

It’s not a beautiful picture.

He was betrayed, for a few pieces of silver. He was mocked, spat on, and flogged. His clothes were torn to be divided amongst his torturers. He was judged and condemned, and forced to carry the very tree he would be hung on.

All that… for ME?

Knowing that it had to happen didn’t lessen the pain.
Knowing that there would be a glorious ending didn’t stop him from asking to be released from it all. And three times he asked.
Knowing that he would rise again and go to the Father didn’t stop him from crying out, “Why have You forsaken me?”

It’s not easy. It’s painful.

Knowing that I may one day reject his love and wander aimlessly for other loves didn’t stop him from taking my place on the cross. Knowing that I would fail at loving others didn’t stop him from dying for me.
Knowing that I would take his sacrifice for granted didn’t stop him from surrendering to the Father’s will anyway.

It’s a choice. Not a choice as to who deserves to be loved. But a choice to just love, period.

Because Love – it’s not blind or shortsighted. It just sees what the Father sees.
It’s a sacrifice - to put others first before my ‘self’.
And the real test of my Love is when everything is taken away from me, when I’m asked to nail to the cross and put to death my desires, my emotions, and my will. So that the Father could resurrect in me His desires, His heart and His will.

Because what the enemy meant for bad, God turned around for good.
He did, He still can, and He always will.

So yes, there is a ‘happy ending’. But not without a price to pay.
Because Love – it’s not made of fluff or cotton candy.
It’s bruised, scarred and blood-stained.

It’s radical. It’s bold. It’s extreme.

It’s REAL. It is FINISHED.

"But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13 MSG -

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