Death brings life.
A few short days ago, this slough was frozen solid. Nothing moving. Nothing growing. Yesterday, it was alive with sound: frogs singing and peeping and croaking, water lapping.
The lake, frozen solid all winter, only smelling cold, now smells of life and movement - not nearly as pungent as it will smell in august - but I can smell lake again.
The sun has warmed the water by the culvert enough to bring about a hatch.
Little crayfish bumping and moving around.
Today, I focus on death. One death. Once. For all.
One bruised. One beaten. One mangled. One silent. One substitute.
All the sin. All the brokenness. All contained in one moment.
One cry for forgiveness. One deep darkness. One. Alone.
One bathed in sin. So we may be bathed in righteousness.
One saw the back of God. So we may see the face of God.
One faced God's wrath. So we may face God's grace.
One death. So we may live forever life.
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Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (King James Version)
Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
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A reading for Good Friday, written from Mary's perspective, with an interesting focus. Oh, this really touched my heart.
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Love ~e