How are they to love God if they cannot even love themselves? How do we expect them to come to know a Savior who loves them, created them in His image, and sees them as His special children when they do not see themselves as any of those things?

Until they hear the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they will continue to search for the truth in false gods and worldly cures.

People still go to the cross of Jesus to “hunt” for the truth about salvation or find healing in their inner “sacred ground,” the soul, and it is a very real battleground as they try to live on the Jesus Path.

Remember, our pain and discomfort in this world are only a small infliction before the great, everlasting glory that is to come.

More than that, we know God works for the good of those who love him. When we put our lives in his hands, he will take our weaknesses, wrongdoings, and misery and make them his own, incorporating them into His glorious plan.

I sometimes wonder what must have been going on in our Savior's mind as He lived His last few days on earth. He knew what was ahead of Him - the beating, the torture, the crucifixion, the weight of the sin of the world. Even though we know suffering in our own lives, this pain is something we, as humans, cannot begin to comprehend.

But Jesus also knew the end game - He was on his way to resurrection!

Knowing we are on the way to the resurrection gives us hope and courage.

People are the same the world over. And yet God loves all people. While God loves all people, He still hates sin. He is just and does not merely look the other way. Someone must (and already did) pay the price. Jesus, the Son of God, suffered so people of every tribe, nation, and language could seek His mercy and receive His grace.

In the mysterious presence of the Christ found in his Word and Sacraments, God nurtures and sustains our faith. In the light of the Word, we see our need for a heart of repentance, and we find the strength to endure.

How did we get here? By the grace of God! As people hear the good news of Jesus, God is still re-creating. He creates faith in Jesus out of unbelief. He gives forgiveness for our failures and life for death. In His Word, he delivers the Spirit of life and strengthens us for life in His kingdom.

Our lives have purpose and meaning. We work in the gardens in which we have been placed. We shepherd the people God has given us to live with. We seek to bless the lives of our neighbors. By God’s grace, as we journey to the foot of the cross, we see God redeeming and restoring.

Yes, God’s anger is real concerning sin, but His suffering servant has canceled the power of sin.

Even in the middle of the somber reflection of Lent, there is room for joy!

In today's world of self-help, putting faith in something other than your own work is called naive and ignorant. But we know all of God's works have meaning and purpose. We won't understand it all, but we find comfort in his Word and in Our Savior.