Shadow of the Cross
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“You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9, NLT)
Growing up in a Christian family, I learned at an early age that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins. I was taught that I was a sinner and Jesus was my Savior. In Sunday school class, when the teacher would ask a question I knew that if I said “Jesus” for the answer, it was a pretty safe bet that I’d be right. As a teenager, I would sing the song “Jesus is the Answer” and firmly believed that He was!
Jesus’ death on the cross became something I knew and believed but really didn’t impact the way I lived.
“He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion”. (Philippians 2:5-8, The Message)
I knew this truth of Scripture but continued to harbor jealousy, pride, and worry in my heart. It was for me head knowledge not heart living. It wasn’t until years later that I began to comprehend that what Jesus did for me that day on an old rugged cross ought to cast a shadow over everything in my life!
Think about it. The God who created the universe and calls the stars by name, who holds galaxies in place and formed man in His image came to this earth, made Himself poor and took on human form so that He could die in our place. What more could He do to prove His love for me?
Slowly God chipped away at the walls of my heart as I began to understand what it really meant to live in the light of His salvation. I began to see my sin the way God sees it. Sin separates, it puts a wedge between God and us and there is no discrepancy with sin. In God’s eyes it’s all the same.
God let me see that my jealousy at its core was saying “God, what you’ve given is not good enough for me.” My worry was saying “God, I can’t trust you. I’m not sure you can handle this, so I’ll do it, thank you very much.” My pride was saying, “I’m better than You God.”
Then I began to reflect on Jesus’ incredible sacrifice for me and ask the question: Am I living my life in such a way that it cheapens the price Christ paid for me?
In my brokenness, I had to admit that when I am jealous, greedy or prideful and allow that sin to control my life it’s as if I am blatantly spitting on the cross. I’m living like it has no meaning in my life. When I allow fear, anxiety and worry to overtake me, I am really saying, “Even though you made the greatest sacrifice of all for me I can’t trust that you have my best interests at heart.” When I am unwilling to let go of the guilt of my sin, I’m really saying, “Your death on the cross isn’t great enough for my sin. I need to help You out and pay penance by carrying around this guilt.”
As believers, the cross ought to influence everything we do, everything we say, and everything that we are. When we struggle with guilt or worry, we need to look back to the cross, when we a tired and weary we need to look back to the cross, when we are discouraged and empty we need to look back to the cross and remember.
“You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9, NLT)
The cross should cast a shadow on everything –the way we live each day, our motivations; it should compel us to radical obedience and complete surrender.
Have you accepted Christ’s gift – His death on the cross for your sins? If you haven’t, now is the time to accept the free gift He offers. If you have, will you choose to live in the Shadow of the Cross?
Father in Heaven, Thank you for the unimaginable gift of salvation. You reached out to us when we had nothing to offer You in return. You wept and You bleed for us. You took our sin upon Yourself. May we live as people who truly believe the depth of Your love and the truth of Your forgiveness. Amen
Question: How does the truth of the cross affect your situation today?
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: Thank you for answering with a prayer, Patricia. I’m supporting you in that! What immediately came to mind, is a friend of mine who is “supersensitive to electro-magnetic radiation”. She is moving out of the city to get as far away from power lines and from Wi-Fi as possible. It takes her almost a week to recover from driving her car for 1.5 hours, as there is electronics in the dashboard. She knows from 4 feet away whether or not I’ve got my cell-phone on! Pardon me, Patricia, this is not a comparison. People that suffer like you do, and like my friend does, are definitely drawn closer to God, just for survival! God has a special reward for you! What a witness such a life is, to those who see your faith and listen to your praises. Your story will continue to go with me. Shalom.
Dear father God,
Lord i lift up Patricia to you at this time and ask for a healing upon her body as she has suffered long enough with what she is going through. She needs Your relief form sickness and to be completly healed in Jesus Mighty Name amen
Thank you for this devotional. I suffer and have suffered for many many years 24/7 everday… All due to the fact that my body does not respond well to anything that has any form of “chemical” components in it (That includes clothes..cannot wear shoes at all). As the years have passed every part of my being is screaming out to my heavenly Father for some relief. For not only am I impacted by the enivronment of this world and from personal products all humans use, making them a toxic chemical environment all in themselves…I also now have to live through feeling the earth’s vibrations and the constant thumping noise that resonate’s from the sounds created by the many vehicles on ground and in the air. There is never any respite… the torture is so great I found my self saying to Jesus “Lord it was a horrible death that man put you through, but at least you didn’t have to live it year after year, day after day, second after second.” I always feel guilty when my agony reaches this level for I love my Lord with all my heart Without Him I never could have made it to the time that I’d even have these thoughts for truly I would have chosen to find a way to end my own life. I have many verses that carry me through the moments that I feel it is inhumanly possible to live with horrible daily suffering.. Many in the Psalms. Such as “My mind and my body may grow weak but God is my strenth He is all I ever need. Psalms 73:26. My most favorite in Isaiah 40:31. “They shall mount up with wings as eagles.”. This one carried me through way back in the early 80′s before any physician could find out what was happening to me. They had me diagnosed with so many diseases it was unreal.. and they were all wrong. All day I would repeat Isaiah 40:31. That verse helped me to keep trying no matter the pain. And truly I cannot leave out Romans 8:18. “For I reckon that the suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be reveled in us.” . There are so many scriptures that because of Jesus, God has given me strength as I live through a “hellish physical existence” that no one can cure nor give me relief on earth but my God. Since he gives me the ability to get through each moment I do believe that it is all for a reason as because of it there are many who have come to know Jesus Christ.. but help for themselves to discover what is wrong with them and why doctors are only making them worse. For the majority do not even begin to look at the cause and for some trying to treat worsens the individuals health even more. Sorry to be so long.. I really enjoy reading the devotionals every day. Thank you for listening. God bless and keep you safe in His arms as you serve Him today and each one to come.