08 02 07 Good News / Bad News


"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."
(Isaiah 53:4-5)

I started out today reading the Word, then looking over the various devotionals I receive by e-mail. I was feeling pretty good as I read Pastor Swindoll’s encouraging words to keep our bodies in shape, as we carry the Holy Spirit inside of us and it is our bodies which are instruments unto the Father’s use:

“Yet our bodies are indeed the ‘temple of the Holy Spirit’
and we are to ‘glorify God’ in those bodies”
(1 Corinthians. 6:19-20).

I am making an effort to stay healthy as I quickly approach 50 in a few years!

Then I read from the Purpose Driven Life daily devotional and was really encouraged! Listen to this concerning what I call God’s gift to missionaries and ministry workers, COFFEE: “We are not alone in not being an accident. That little bean inside the coffea berry is no accident either. God has built all sorts of beneficial secrets into his creation and then left us to discover them and use them. God, you are so awesome! To have plants, animals, natural resources, and an environment in which they can all thrive together is one thing. The brains to make something out of all these resources and the potential to use what we make for good or for evil are even more incredible gifts you have given your creatures. Who could have thought up a God like you; Certainly none of us. So enjoying my coffee today has turned into an unplanned act of worship”

More GOOD NEWS for me as I continued to drink my morning cups of joy, and then I read the news headlines:

Strong Quake in Russia's East Kills 2;
Powerful Typhoon Hits Southern Japan;
Hundreds Missing in Sri Lanka;
7 Killed in Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

So much for enjoyment huh? Enough BAD NEWS! But then the verse from Isaiah came to mind, that our Savior was indeed bruised and battered, not just for our sin, but for our pain, our ailments, and our suffering. He endured that we may be encouraged to endure. We have an advocate in heaven who suffered far more than we will and He cares for us even today. He knows our pain. He feels our hurts. No matter where we live, what we look like, or what language we speak, Jesus cares!
This is the message we need to take with us, as we go. God so loved (and still loves!) each of us, that He went through the grief of sacrificing His only begotten Son to die for our sin and to suffer for each of us. Jesus willingly accepted His Father’s will so that we might be freed of the pain of separation from our Creator God. He left His Spirit, the Comforter, to dwell within every believer to comfort us in our affliction and encourage us through life.

Every morning, as we enjoy God’s gift of coffee or whatever substitute you use (you’re missing out!), think of what we can do to bring His love, joy, and compassion to a hurting world. As good as we might feel today, someone is suffering! It’s a good idea to search the headlines and just pray for the various areas of need, that the Lord’s presence will be felt and someone will hear the GOOD NEWS and give their life to Christ. Amidst all the BAD NEWS, the GOOD NEWS is joy does come in the morning. Christ is coming for all who believe in Him and have repented of their sin. That is a JOY no situation can destroy, “By His stripes, we are healed”!