See, God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and more…so daily provision for me is no big deal to Him because He owns it all. 

 

 But for God, to give His only Son to bleed and die for my sins….  I can’t begin to understand that kind of love!

 

I am so glad that He gives me His protection, and my daily bread!  But I sometimes forget what it cost Him!  

Isaiah chapter 53 puts it this way.  Take a look…

 it was our pains He carried—
    our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought He brought it on himself,
    that God was punishing Him for His own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to Him,
    that ripped and tore and crushed Him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
    Through His bruises we get healed.
We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost.
    We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong,
    on Him, on Him.

He was beaten, He was tortured,
    but He didn’t say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
    and like a sheep being sheared,
    He took it all in silence.

 

I had a realization of this passage a few years back and ended up writing the following poem.  I share it now with you

JUST FOR ME!

There was no crown, for Jesus made, of silver or of gold.  

He was but a lowly Shepherd, to His flock and fold.

But He wore a crown upon His brow; it was a crown of thorns. 

A crown that ripped, and tore,

And I’m the one who gave to Him that awful crown He wore!

He didn’t sit high, upon His throne and reign in majesty,

But He hung upon a cruel cross, for all the world to see.

He suffered untold agony!  …And I’m the one He did it for…

He did it, just for me!

He fixed His eyes upon the throng that stood around His cross,

And there He saw me standing…all alone, and lost!

I caught His gaze, and felt His love…and I KNEW it was just for me

That He chose to suffer and bleed, and die upon that cruel tree!

No robe of scarlet did He wear, but He left Himself naked, so that I could stare

And see the beating He took in MY place…how they tore out His beard,

And marred His face!

The second time I caught His gaze, it said, “I do forgive! 

My blood that’s spilled, is your ransom paid…I’ll die, so you can live!”

Then, He looked towards Heaven, and said three words, “It is finished!” 

That’s what His Father heard;

But when I looked, and saw Him there, with His arms stretched open wide, 

I heard Him say, “I love you this much!”  ….Then He closed His eyes, and He died.

This, I will never forget!  This picture, I’ll always see!  ….

For in my heart, I KNOW for sure…

He did it! …Just for ME!

-Anita Mondragon published 2009

 

Let’s remember ALL that Jesus has done for us, and truly be thankful in our hearts every day for His sacrifice!