Jesus, Our Sacrifice (Lent) - Tuesday, March 13
"He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself."
Hebrews 7:27b (NIV)
The season of Lent is my favorite time of the year. It reminds us of what Jesus has done on the cross for all of us. When he was sacrificed on the cross for us, he carried our sins with him that we may inherit eternal life through Jesus, because he loved us so much.
People often believe they are making sacrifices in their lives when they do things for their family members. I hear people saying, how they work so hard for their children so they can have a nice home and attend a good school, or how they make sacrifices so that children can play sports or go on a nice vacation. Is that really a sacrifice? We should be happy God has allowed us to have a family with whom we can share our lives.
I know when we go to the reservations to share the love that Jesus has for us with our brothers and sisters, it is not a sacrifice for us because we love them and want them to better understand the love Jesus has for them.
The Native families who live on the reservations can never own their own home as long as they live there. All they can do is rent because of the rules that govern them on most of the reservation lands. For the young people, there are always the predators who come to the reservations to sell heroin and other dangerous drugs. Without a personal relationship with the Lord and knowing that someone really cares for them, life will always be hard.
But we have the answer in Jesus Christ, and we have seen the Holy Spirit working in the hearts of our Native brothers and sisters!
Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us first so we might believe in you and never lose our faith because you will always be there for us. Help us to work harder to share this love with others in need. Amen.