Focus: Jesus spoke from the cross “Father forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing’” (Luke 23:34) The cross, man’s instrument of torture and death, became God’s heart for saving us. We are grateful that God is merciful. Jesus carried out his mission and delivered us up to the Father for forgiveness. The cross is our image of being forgiven. The cross is also our image of separation from God. Sin separated us from the presence of God and knowledge of God’s great love. We “knew not what we did” because we had no indwelling of God’s presence. Spending time with God helps us recognize what we are doing.
Prayer: Father, we thank you that you sent Jesus to save us from sin. Father, we thank you that you understood that we were separated from you and could not see clearly. Help us to see clearly your great love, and give us grace to see when we are moving away from you. We trust Your working in us and thank You for drawing us closer to You. Amen
Read: Romans 8:35-38 NIV
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
Meditation: Look at the cross and remember a time when you felt separated from God. Did you feel all alone? Maybe you prayed that God would come and help you. Maybe not? Did you make it through or are you trying to make it through right now? If you look back, can you sense where God was in the midst of your situation? Can you sense God in your situation right now?
Benediction: “O God, eternal and ever blessed, order what is disordered in our lives. Bring our minds to Thy truth, our conscience to Thy law, and our hearts to Thy love, through Jesus Christ our Lord,” Amen Adapted from the Prayers of the Church of Scotland
