Isaiah 53:10-12
“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Isaiah 53:10-12 NIV
Service is not often viewed as an American virtue. We are a society that praises innovators and those who opt to ruthlessly pursue their goals. To serve is often seen as making your lesser, not taking full advantage of everything you could do or be. Service is sometimes viewed as beneath someone with high aspirations. Likewise, someone who claims to serve may often be seeking their own self-interests, not the interests of others. Perhaps you’ve heard a politician talk about service here and then clearly serve their own desires rather than the people they are elected to serve over here. Learn to live in hope despite oppressive and vulnerable situations. As we discover the right perspective for understanding our hardships, we will be able to imitate Christ and embrace God’s greater and more glorious purposes which come to fruition in such situations. Knowing this, let’s not fall into the same trap that the disciples did. Let’s not fall into the same trap that you and I have fallen into in the past. We are not the most important person in our lives. We should be actively serving one another not looking for ways to exalt ourselves over others, because Jesus has served us. It was the Father’s will for the Son to go to the cross to die for sinners, but we must also realize that Christ willingly went to His death and bore the Father’s wrath in our place. It is simultaneously true that God sent and Christ went. Christ was not forced upon the cross, but willingly, through love, surrendered His life and died in our place. Out of all the ways God could choose to save us, why did He choose the most humiliating and defeating form of torture that existed? Because He wanted to take what, from the world’s perspective, was weak and despised so that He could demonstrate His strength. The ultimate symbol of weakness the cross became the ultimate demonstration of God’s strength. Defeat turned to victory, guilt to grace, condemnation to freedom, pain and suffering to hope and healing, and death to life. God graciously acted toward us to reconcile us to Himself, and this was accomplished through the suffering of the cross. What God did on the cross, He can do for you!!!
Father thank You for this day and the life we find in Your Holy Word. Lord open the windows of heaven and shine down Your abundant blessings upon my friend and family today. Lord You are God’s Servant, we bow in reverence and worship You. Lord may we never forget how You gave Your life to redeem us. Lord may we show our gratitude by serving You in whatever way You call us to serve. Lord thank You for taking what we deserved by going to the cross. Lord use my friend to love others unconditionally today. Daddy we love You amen. Be a blessing. Love ya !!
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