Day 29: 50 Days of Impact

Have you ever been thirsty? I mean so dry that your mouth is raw and hurting, the only thing that will satisfy is a tall glass of water. I am sure you have seen video of people in a dessert searching for water, only to have their hopes destroyed when they find a mirage. We wouldn’t give a thirsty man salt water, or vinegar, we would help them out with fresh water. So if we are spiritually thirsty whey do we stand by when people are quenching their thirst with things that don’t satisfy?

 

“Jesus knew that his mission was almost finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, ‘I am thirsty’ (John 19:28 NLT).

 

“”they offered me sour wine for my thirst”(Ps 69:21b NLT)

 

Here on the cross accepting the drink fulfilling the prophecy.  Another important aspect was to show that even on the cross after all the torture and pain he was fully human, with human needs. There is a group of people who believe that Jesus wasn’t fully man. They believe he was all supernatural and this death on the cross was just for show and didn’t cause him any pain or discomfort. To deny Jesus his humanity is to deny who he is.

This man who earlier had told the samaritan woman “but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst again” (John 4:14a NKJV), was now himself asking for water. The guards in their feeble attempt to help offered him a poor substitute for sour wine.

We thirst for more in our lives, and if we don’t ask the right person we will be given a poor substitute that won’t satisfy or restore our lives. We need to ask for water from the one who provides living water. Are there people around you thirsty for the water only Jesus provides? I am sure there are, unless you are living as a hermit somewhere in isolation, we are surrounded by thirsty people who are filling their thirst with all sorts of foul substitutes.  It is time that as believers we start sharing the gift of living water to those who need it.

Father, thank you for the living water you provide through Jesus. Help us to share this water and hope to those around us who are daily drinking poison and other substitutes that don’t satisfy. Let our lives reflect the love you have for them, let them see that you love them deeply and that they matter you. Show us that we need to love them as much as you love them. Amen

 

Day 28: 50 Days of Impact

Trouble, it is something we can expect in life. Anguish is something we can’t avoid. Pain is inevitable to those living in this world. How we respond to these things is something we have control over. Jesus was no stranger to pain, anguish and trouble. On the cross and leading up to it he had many opportunities to use his birthright to reign down judgement on his oppressors, yet he didn’t. He showed compassion, forgiveness and even quoted scripture to let us realize that there is a way to get past the hard times in our lives.

 

⁴⁶ About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,^[c] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). Matthew 27:46

 

Here in the final hour before his death Jesus cries out one of the most used words from the cross. Maybe you have heard preachers or others say that in this moment it was when the weight of all sin was set on Jesus and God himself couldn’t look at him any longer due to the sin.

If we look at Jesus upbringing we would know that he was taught the scriptures of old and would have been well versed in the Psalms. Psalm 22 starts with the phrase,

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?

 

Was Jesus in this moment reminded of this Psalm, maybe he didn’t have the strength to continue reciting all of it, but if you take the time to read the whole Psalm you will quickly realize that it was all about Jesus, his life, death and resurrection.

How then can these words impact our world and our lives? Well as believers of the living God, we believe that he is the trinity, God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Spirit. To separate any from God is to go against what Jesus taught us and the bible explains. So, when Jesus was on the cross, God experienced the cross. So, God couldn’t have looked away as he was part of the experience and plan.

To tell others about this truth can be something that sounds out of this world and fantasy. But for them to understand that God never left Jesus on the cross, can help remind them that he loves them just as much and is not going to leave them in their times of anguish, troubles, and pain. We go through these experiences to either mold us into who we were meant to be or to draw us close to a relationship with God.

You can either run away from God during your times of trouble, get angry with him, or ask him to guide you through it, to give you direction and hope for what is to come. How will you respond to the trouble when it comes? Will you let your response impact those around you in a positive way?

Father, thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. I know you were there right with him during that hardship and were behind the plan of salvation from the beginning. I pray that we as believers will come to you in our trouble and ask you to mold us into who you desire us to be. Let our lives impact those around us. Let them see you in us. They matter to you so they matter to me. Amen

 

Day 27: 50 Days of Impact

All over the world, every week we hear of some disaster or tragedy that is affecting someone. We as Christians, have no excuse not to be helping those in need. It is never wrong to help those who are in need. To turn a blind eye and say, ‘that’s not our problem’ is to ignore the very command of Jesus to love one another. Michael W. Smith compelled us with the song ‘Love isn’t love until you give it away’. Are we hoarding the love of God, or are we sharing it with compassion, ready to make a difference where ever it may be?

 

“Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.”

John 19:25-27 NLT

 

Even in his death Jesus was show compassion. He wanted to ensure his mother was taken care of. What amazing love he has for people. Do we care about the people around us? I mean really care? Jesus at the brink of death was still thinking of others.

 

I sometimes wonder why we miss this point. We need to be a church who had our community in mind and working at helping the needs of those around us. 

 

How then will we go out and show compassion to those around us? Are we waiting for a big event to shake our neighborhood before we jump into action? Or are we ready to help those in need with the little things, blankets for the cold, shelter for the homeless, love for the unloved, or food for the hungry?

 

Must we wait until the church leadership makes a push forward and then we jump onboard, or are we willing to just go and do it on our own? Sometimes waiting for someone else to make a move will slow you down, get up and show compassion because you want to not because someone tells you it needs to be done, or organizes it. You may be the change maker needed to start something big. One person’s compassion can change a community and beyond.

 

Love isn’t love until you give it away. Are you ready to share love and compassion that was given to you?

 

Jesus, As we remember the day you died for us, let us remember your compassion for those in need and work to follow your example of love for the hurting. Thank you for your sacrifice, let us desire to sacrifice our needs for you. Use me to meet the needs of those around me, let me not try to hoard you love, I want to give it away. Amen

 

Day 25: 50 Days of Impact

I wonder how we would lives if we found out that our last seven sentences were being recorded before we died. Then these seven sentences would be shared with all humanity as the defining perspective of who we are. Would this change how we treat one another?

 

“When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.”

Luke 23:33-34 NLT

 

Jesus according to scripture had seven words spoken from the cross. The first being this account in Luke 23.

 

Jesus had just been whipped, mocked, beaten, striped of his cloths, humiliated, questioned by authorities, and nailed to a cross. He didn’t defend himself, he didn’t try to weasel his way from the cross. He didn’t curse or condemn those who were attacking him. No, he forgave them.

 

Imagine such grace and compassion for the world, could we be like this in our daily walk? Could we stay calm even when the world around us is trying to destroy us? Can we accept what ever is coming to us and then forgive those oppressing us? Trusting that God has a plan and knows that in the end he will be glorified? Would you be able to stand firm in your faith even to death? Would you be able to forgive those who your executioners as they killed you? I pray God would give me such strength.

 

Jesus even in this moment as he forgave them the guards below him were mocking him by gambling for his clothing. Yet he didn’t change his views, he still forgave them. He is still forgiving those who are willing to come to him. The gift of salvation he bore on the cross is freely available to all mankind.

 

We need to put into action the forgiveness of Christ. He forgave others even at the point of death and we need to share his forgiveness now while we are alive. Don’t wait until we are at the point of death. Jesus commanded us to seek and save the lost and make disciples.

 

Jesus, help us to forgive others and share your forgiveness to them. Help us to show them your love and that you desire to have a relationship with them. Give us guidance in speaking to reach them where they are, and to say what they need to hear. Give us boldness and courage to be great witnesses for you. If you could forgive those around you on the cross we prayed you will pour the same desire for the lost to us for those we meet each day. Amen