Category: Hope

  • What’s good about Good Friday?

    Tomorrow is Good Friday. The day we commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus and His death. It seems such a strange name for a remembrance of the day when humanity’s ultimate sin occurred.

    Yet it might not be as strange as you think. There are several possible reasons for the name. The most plausible comes from Old English, where “good” often meant holy or pious. That means it is Holy Friday. That tracks.

    There is also a theological reason. Without the crucifixion, there is no resurrection, and our sins are not atoned for. That makes the events of that day good, at least in their outcome.

    I’ve also heard that the term is a corruption of God’s Friday, but I can’t find any evidence for that perspective.

    Whatever the reason for the name, the effect of what happened changed the world. It was always God’s plan, but it bore fruit that day, both forward and backward in time.

    On the cross that day, outside of Jerusalem, Jesus made a profound declaration.

    When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:31-34

    It was finished. Mission accomplished. Game, set, and match. The wrath of God was satisfied.

    All who come by faith were now reconciled to God. What a day! 

    A horrific day in terms of the events that took place, but truly a Holy Day, a Good Friday.

    There will be no Gleanings until Tuesday because of the Easter weekend.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

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  • What Lies Ahead? God has a plan.

    Wooded trail disappearing around a bend - what lies ahead

    You don’t have to be a Rhodes Scholar, have an advanced degree, or have a genius-level IQ to see our world is in rough shape. Everywhere you turn, things are in turmoil. We sometimes ask ourselves, “What lies ahead?”

    It’s a fair question. Many of the problems seem insurmountable from a human perspective. What can we do about wars, crime, addictions, bad economies, corporate greed, governmental corruption, poverty, wholesale exploitation of ecosystems, and more?

    To be honest, not a lot. That doesn’t mean we don’t do our part, but big problems are a part of living in a sin-filled, fallen world. What lies ahead for this world is more problems.

    So, what keeps us from sliding into depression, despair, and utter hopelessness?

    As believers, we know the character of God, and we know that He is sovereign over everything. We know that justice will eventually prevail in the hands of God. Most importantly, God declares,

    “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

    God is speaking to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, promising their eventual restoration — so it’s a corporate promise to a people in a hard season of waiting, not a guarantee of individual comfort. That said, the theological principle it reveals about God’s character — purposeful, good, forward-looking — has deep resonance for believers in every generation.

    It doesn’t mean things will get magically better and all the problems will go away. It’s a promise from God for our future and hope.

    What lies ahead? Hard times, conflict, and more. Yet, we have hope because we know God has it under control and that better things are in store for us.

    When we see the world falling apart around us, hold fast to your faith, strive to live as Christ has commanded us, and rejoice in the promise of better things to come.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    What lies ahead – some thoughts on worry

    Tribulation and perseverance