At the Foot of the Cross

At the Foot of the Cross

This morning has started off being one of those days that for the most part you hope and pray never happens again, yet on the other hand you know you have need for such things to happen. You see those things that challenge us, those people who disappoint us, the unfounded rumors spawned by insecurities, feelings of low self esteem in others that end up breaking our hearts, these are what drive us to the foot of the cross. I found myself there this morning, lying at the foot of the cross, a comfortingly familiar place, a place of peace,security, healing, and protection, a place like no other, a place that can only be found at the feet of Jesus. You see no matter what we dream, think, or suspect, there really is only one truth that matters; that Jesus came, died, paid the price for our sins, and that someday He will return for us, and we will rise and defeat death, just like He did. What happens between now and that day of resurrection should be nothing more or less than each of us living a life filled the the hope of that promise. Truly what else matters? One of my children asked me yesterday if I thought that they would die young, my answer: “live every day as if you were dying tomorrow”. Why you ask? Because if I live today as if there were no tomorrow I would never do anything that would leave hurting people behind, there would be no regrets, I would share with as many as I could the joy of the Lord! But more importantly it is not what we would do but rather what we would not do that matters most. We would not sow seeds of discord, we would not hurt people, we would never do anything to harm another, and surely we would do nothing that might cause us not to be with Christ when we do pass. James 4:13-17 reminds us that we do not have any right to plan for tomorrow, and Matthew 6:34 says not to worry about tomorrow, so why do we?
I am listening to a new Todd Agnew song called “I need no Other” and he is singing about the fact that we need nothing more than Jesus, and as he is sharing about Jesus healing I was struck with a truth that bears repeating. In Matthew 8 Jesus is approached by a Centurion who asks him to heal his servant, and he says to Jesus just speak the healing and it will be done. Jesus responds with saying that this faith this believing without seeing is true faith none like Jesus has seen in Israel and because of his belief the centurion’s servant was healed. My though was this, how much healing are we missing out on because we do not believe? In particular today I speak of healing of our minds, our hearts, our emotions, and so much more. Because we compensate for our inadequacies we become someone different than who Christ would have us be and never walk in the fullness of His grace. Because we are insecure we become arrogant, because we are fearful we boast, because we are shy we hide, and so on. When truly all we need do is go to the foot of the cross, admit who we truly are, and let the blood and healing touch of Jesus deliver us from bondage. When we neglect or deny the healing we effect negatively everyone around us, why? Because we are not walking in grace and mercy, and fullness of life, we are rather living in judgment, anger, and so much more, none of which is God’s will.
There are far too many wounded and hurting people in this world who call themselves Christians and go around hurting others as opposed to setting the captives free, its time to change. I pray that you would join me at the foot of the cross, join me in receiving the healing God has for us, and may we live each day as if it were our last, for after all it may be.
Gene Burroughs
Pastor Shasta Lake Church