Charles Stanley's devotional today:
It is the fellowship of the Cross to experience the burden of the other.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Cross: Why We Believe
John 1:29
We loosely toss around the phrase “the cross” like everyone understands the validity and weight of the object to which we are referring. But many people do not understand at all what the cross represents—even some Christians.
The cross is the place where Jesus died a sinner’s death for us, the place where all shame, guilt, and sin are laid bare, the place where life begins.
Despite the wrong choices we have made in life, the heaviness of our sins, or the inconsistency of our faith, we can all find common ground at the foot of the cross— the place where we can cast aside the troubles of our mind and receive the benefits of salvation. It is there that God redeems our lives into something truly valuable and beautiful, just as He has always planned for us.
Upon seeing Jesus as a baby, Simeon exclaimed, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35).
The cross, though thick and dull, is the place where hearts are seared before God and true freedom begins. Despite what we may perceive about God, He desires the best for our lives and wants us to receive the freedom He has so readily made available to those who are willing to accept it.
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