Lenten Reader | Day 14

When I was a new mom, I accidentally gave my 18-month-old daughter a bloody nose because I was rushing. It was an accident, and it left no long-term damage. But at the time it made me feel completely terrible. From that moment I vowed to plan better so I could put her needs ahead of my own. As a parent it was a lesson in self-sacrifice for your children.

In John 3:16-18, we are given the ultimate example of sacrifice for others. God sees the world as a broken place bathed in the darkness of sin with the only remedy to be the sacrifice of His one begotten son. In this sacrifice, He is demonstrating what pure, unconditional, eternal love is by sending His son to die for our sins so that we may have eternal life. God sends us the light in Jesus Christ so that by recognizing the Son of God we may shake off the disguise of darkness, acknowledge our sins, and be saved without condemnation. This passage liberates us from the fear of judgement because God’s love is so pure that it is freely given to all who make the choice to believe.

The choice between eternal life or death is simple, but simple is not always easy. We are asked to believe, to have faith. These are very easy things to do when life is going our way. It is when life is not going how we planned, when our sails are deflated, that we must remember God made the ultimate sacrifice because He loves us and has not forsaken us. He has a plan for us. As Tauren Wells said, “If it's not good, then He's not done no, He's not done with it yet. There will be joy in the morning.” The morning brings light from the darkness so that we may have the beauty of eternal life if only we choose to believe.

Jessica Ramsey