Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It was cold and windy this morning so I sat at the kitchen table with a hot cup of coffee in hand while I waited for the Living God to wake up the world around me. My time didn’t have a whole lot of focus this morning and I wasn’t feeling drawn to any particular Message from my Instruction Manual. I talked to my God for a little while, I prayed for a little while and I read for a little while. Although I felt close to Him the way I usually do when I spend time with Him; no message penetrated my heart…UNTIL I looked out the kitchen window as the sun was rising, that is. All I could see on the horizon is what appeared to be like the 3 crosses on Calvary and the image made me weep. What a sweet reminder from my God this morning that all I really need to focus on is the Cross. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

It’s so easy for people of Faith to get wrapped-around-the-axle with lots things. Some are Bible scholars and some are music majors. Some are busy in 3rd world countries and some are as busy as bees volunteering to do things within the church building itself. Some feed the homeless and some minister to the helpless and all of these things are usually done with the right Heart by people of Faith. But no matter how many good things we do, no matter how hard we work in our attempt to be pleasing to our God; we often overlook the Cross while we’re at it. We fluff up our words to be sure that we don’t offend anyone and, outside of the Easter season; we rarely tell others about the Cross at all. But it’s only when we can stay focused on the Cross that we find our humility and it’s only because of the Cross that we find our Freedom. The Cross is our only Hope, and if we accept the Price that was paid on the Cross; it’s the Redemption for debts we couldn’t begin to repay for ourselves. When we remain focused on what our Savior endured on our behalf when He hung on the Cross so long ago; we overflow with gratitude and we’re eager share the story of the Cross with the world.

I’ll be focused on the Cross more than anything or anybody else today and I’m so thankful for the images that I saw in the sunrise that served as a sweet reminder to me of what my Faith is really all about. Not the things that I do or the Words that I speak, but the Cross and the price that was paid on my behalf so long ago…the Price for my Freedom…the Price for my Eternity.

How about you?

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.
Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.