Nov 28, 2016
by Donna VanHorn
I’m a visual person. Right now, I’m imagining a picture of the Bethlehem manger, overlaid with the shadow of a Roman cross. Only God knows whether the infant Jesus in those early months of His earthly life understood that it would end at the cross. Scriptures tell us He was committed to His Father’s plan from adolescence forward. And He lived such a blameless life that His death sentence seems a cruel injustice – at least in terms of our human understanding. Throughout his adult life, He was focused on the cross at the end of His road, never wavering, knowing it would result in not only victory over sin but also our being with Him for eternity. Can we be as bold and determined to keep our eyes fixed on the cross until the moment of our physical death? There are many potential distractions in this life. Keeping the Crucifixion – and His resurrection – in clear view, while we continue to celebrate the manger, gives us daily strength to overcome them and keep reaching for the cross.
1st Corinthians 1:18 “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
Have you enjoyed reading Donna VanHorn’s devotionals in the last few Sabbath Recorders? Her new book of devotional vignettes, Tune God In: Your Heart’s His Receiver, is now in print. Purchasers can make their checks payable to Donna VanHorn and mail to her at 1245 SE University Avenue #309, Waukee, IA 50263. Price per book is $17.78 (slight discount from publisher’s list price, and including shipping and handling). Purchasers need to be sure they include their shipping address. National retailers will begin offering the book early in 2017.
