Unsatisfied By Average

The Musings of a Stubborn Believer

Category: sacrifice (page 2 of 2)

Miracles…

I have a question.
This one thanks to a dear friend who challenged me to fall asleep last night thinking about Jesus, and miracles…

Jesus spared Himself no pains while He was here, to relieve the sufferings of humanity. And He spares no pains today to relieve the sufferings of sinners. To me, miracles are one of the ways He says “I love you” most profoundly. They are proof of His power, proof of His authority, proof of His fidelity and infinity… 
Gifts of Grace. 

But have you ever stopped to ask yourself if miracles cost Him anything?
–If the gift of life He gave back to Jairus’ daughter, or the widow’s son, was in fact a measure of His own?
Eternal and Creative as He is after all, it seems like He could give without losing. But is that giving?
Maybe He always filled others by pouring out Himself. 
And maybe… He still does. 

You think?

The Ultimate Self-Sacrifice…

Ok, get this…
The greatest prophet that ever lived finds himself confined to the solitude of a dungeon cell in Herod’s impregnable fortress… Yet, notwithstanding the darkness, the damp, his bodily suffering, his loneliness, his uncertainty, it is his heart that is pained most of all. And this time, it’s not because his followers have forgotten him, but rather because they haven’t…
I just read in Desire of Ages this morning that John the Baptist was pained because his disciples’ affection for him was slowing them up from receiving Jesus… It’s as if he would rather dispense with their love and die friendless than steal influence from the One he was about to give his life for… Oh, he was not always without questions of his own, but his loyalty never wavered…
That’s the ultimate self-sacrifice…
And how can I do any less? Oh Jesus, let me never accept affections that should be Yours…

Forgotten…

For as long as I can remember, I’ve prayed a prayer something like this:


“Oh, cover me with the shadow of Your wings… I want my self to be hidden. I want people to see You in me…”
A worthy prayer, it seems… Indeed, I still pray it. But lately I’ve been thinking, and I’ve changed the wording just a little bit…
I want nothing more than to come to the end of my day (every day), and have the assurance that someone, somewhere, loves Jesus more because I lived that day. When I have that assurance, no day is too dark to be worth living…
But there’s only one way to accomplish that. Ask for His eyes, His heart, His love, His life…
Be His ambassador. Don’t be afraid of sacrifice. Forget yourself…
Ahh! but see, there it is! Forget… Wouldn’t you rather be a Christian who forgets himself completely in the presence of his God, rather than one who walks through life toting self all around town in a suitcase, hidden all nicely, but available in case of dire extremity? I sure would…
That’s why I changed my prayer–
“Cover me with the shadow of Your wings… I want my self to be forgotten… “

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