Good Friday?

Today is Good Friday.  And to be completely honest, I am not so "good" today.  While this blog has been a huge outlet for me and God has revealed himself to me in extraordinary ways, I do not have it all together.  I am in the midst of extremely difficult circumstances.  I am in a place of brokenness.  I feel dead inside, defeated, and weary of doing what is right.  I am sure many of you have experienced this on some level.  Or maybe you are perfect and don't relate at all.  Either way... today, I am far from "good".

It's in times like these that I remember the cross. Good Friday is the day that Jesus died.  What is so good about that??  Everything. 

He was pierced for our transgression;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace

was on him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

But God shows his love for us

in that while we were still sinners,

Christ died for us.

 Romans 5:8

I hold on to this hope.  He hung on that cross with me on his mind.  He loves me and he knows my pain. He choose to die for me, not because I had it all together, but because he knew this was the only way to put me back together.  His blood washes away all the ugliness in my life and makes it beautiful. The punishment he endured allows me to have peace.  His wounds, they heal me.  

And it doesn't stop there.  After he died, they laid him in a tomb and 3 days later, the tomb was empty.  Jesus is ALIVE.  

And because of that, I am alive. Both now and forevermore.  My brokenness can be healed.  I am more than a conqueror. He gives me strength to keep going.  Even in the midst of tough times.

The result of his death is good. Even better than good... it is amazingly wonderful.

Watch:  Cardboard Testimonies: How He Loves Us