And here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, here I am to say that you’re my God. You’re altogether lovely, altogether worth, altogether wonderful to me. I'll never know how much it cost, to see my sins upon that cross.” Tim Hughes (from the song Here I am to Worship)
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.” John 4:34 (New International Version)
Supplication: “the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly” New Oxford American Dictionary
On a hill in Camp Pendleton stands two crosses. They stand to honor fallen Marines and serve as a place where comrades can pay their respects and mourn the loss of a friend. The hike to them is grueling. It’s steep, slippery, and by all accounts a difficult ascent. On the way, Marines carry rocks, sometimes boulders up the hill to place them at the feet of the crosses in remembrance of Marines who have lost their lives defending freedom, liberty, and justice. But those crosses ultimately don’t represent the Marines who died. They aren’t a memorial to human sacrifice. Those crosses represent the sacrifice of our Savior. They represent the price He paid to redeem us. For centuries we have been marking our graves and paying respects to the fallen with crosses. But why? Maybe it’s to represent the faith of the deceased, maybe it’s a supplication to the Almighty to extend his grace to the one entombed, or maybe it’s to honor the sacrifice made in the life and death of the buried. For each individual the reason will be different, but the symbol remains. On easter we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, and on Christmas we celebrate His birth. But it’s not known what time of year Christ was executed, and He probably wasn’t born on December 25th. In fact those holidays we use to celebrate Christ originated as pagan holidays. But God has a way of destroying the monuments of the world and making them His own. The cross was created to be a tool of death, but Christ turned it into the ultimate representation of life. For those Marines honored by the crosses on Camp Pendleton, they represent life. Their lives are remembered, honored, and continued in hearts and minds of those who lay stones and memorials on the hill. And God willing their lives and all of our lives are spared through the grace of God who sent His only begotten Son to die for us on The Cross.
Daily Journaling Questions:
How did I help someone in kindness today? What did I learn today? What am I thankful for? Who did I love today? What about today do I want to remember forever? What are my goals for tomorrow?
Thank you for reading. You mean a lot to me.
Jake
YOU ARE READING
Daily Self Growth Journal Pt. III
Non-FictionThis is the third in a series of interactive journals designed to help people grow personally, spiritually, and possibly even professionally. There is a daily message that contains a motivational quote, a Bible verse, a vocabulary word, and a messa...
