Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- November 18, 2013
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there. Mark 15:37-41
Christ’s compassionate and courageous death on the Cross gave immediate access to God for all who seek Him in faith. No more does a person need to go through a priest for God’s forgiveness, Jesus is now the High Priest with instant access to the Lord’s forgiveness. Christ’s death tore down the curtain to the most holy place, so all can be holy as He is holy. Jesus felt abandoned by God so sincere faith followers could abandon themselves to God. He became sin to forgive sin.
How do you express your gratitude to God for the compassion and courage of Christ for you? How do you by faith, access God through your High Priest Jesus in confession and repentance of sin? Sin is so serious that your Heavenly Father sacrificed His only Son as payment for a debt you couldn’t pay. Thus, a true confession is not conditional, nor does it make excuses. Instead, contrition courageously asks forgiveness and by God’s grace repents and makes restitution.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
Furthermore, a solitary soldier and many women who had supported Jesus’ ministry remained with Him to the end, or in three days soon to be the beginning! Yes, it is the compassion and courage of the earliest Christ followers that fuels our faith to compassionately and courageously follow Jesus. Society will ebb and flow in its interest in a Savior, but our passion intensifies as we receive His love. We stay engaged to support Christ’s work, especially when others fall away.
Compassion and courage are steady staples for servants of Jesus. We seek out the spiritually lost, the emotionally bankrupt and the physically displaced to invest our time and money in them for Christ’s sake. Compassion is love in action and courage carries it on its broad shoulders of bold belief. Obstacles are only stepping stones for God to show Himself real and resourceful. Hence, continuous courage is fueled by faith in Christ. While others hide out in fear, we remain faithful.
This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus. Revelation 14:12
Prayer: Heavenly Father fill me with the compassion and courage of Christ, so I remain faithful to You.
Related Readings: Exodus 34:6; Joshua 1:7-9; 1 Corinthians 16:13-14; Colossians 3:12
Post/Tweet today: Compassion is love in action and courage carries it on its broad shoulders of bold belief. #compassion&courage
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© 2013 by Boyd Bailey. All rights reserved.
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I like the wisdom that jumps out when you said: a true confession is not conditional, nor does it make excuses. Being courageous then assures we will not be lame. I just feel like in our society today the big game is the blame game and that is why we are not getting healed, we stay lame. BE-LAME!
Dear “Kmac4him”,
We are so thankful you are a fellow wisdom hunter! We appreciate your sincere and heartfelt comments to the devotionals. Your responses
to this devotional and to the devotional, “Money’s Betrayal” have been both insightful and thought provoking.
I look forward to further responses from you on future devotionals. And I am thankful you have a heart for God and are convicted by His Truth!
Blessings to you and yours.
Believing and Trusting~
Gwynne
Gwynne Maffett
Wisdom Hunters