“He leads me in the paths of righteousness.”Psalm 23:3 NKJVIt was, at once, history’s most beautiful and most horrible moment. Jesus stood in the tribunal of heaven. Sweeping a hand over all creation, he pleaded, “Punish me for their mistakes. See the murderer? Give me his penalty. The adulteress? I’ll take her shame. The bigot, the liar, the thief? Do to me what you would do to them. Treat me as you would a sinner.”
And God did. “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” (I Pet. 3:18 NIV)…
The path of righteousness is a narrow, winding trail up a steep hill. At the top of the hill is a cross.
At the base of the cross are bags. Countless bags full of innumerable sins. Calvary is the compost pile for guilt.
Would you like to leave yours there as well?
from 'Traveling Light' by Max Lucado
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[Where Joy And Sorrow Meet] - Avalon
There’s a place of quiet stillness
‘tween the light and shadows reach
Where the hurting and the hopeless
seek everlasting peace
Words of men and songs of angels
whisper comfort bittersweet
Mending grief and life eternal
where joy and sorrow meet
There is a place where hope remains
In crowns of thorns and crimson stains
And tears that fall on Jesus’ feet
Where joy and sorrow meet
There’s a place the lost surrender
and the weary will retreat
Full of grace and mercy tender
in times of unbelief
For wounded there is healing,
strength is given to the weak
Broken hearts find love redeeming
where joy and sorrow meet
There’s a place of thirst and hunger
where the roots of faith grow deep
And there is rain and rolling thunder
when the road is rough and steep
There is hope in desperation
there is victory in defeat
At the cross of restoration
where joy and sorrow meet