The Good Words Bookshelf

Showing posts with label encouragement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label encouragement. Show all posts

Monday, March 25, 2013

Christ's Nail Scarred Hands

We look at Christ's nail-scarred hands and wonder at the kind of love that endured such suffering for us.  Try as we might, we cannot fathom it.  Our puny minds grapple with why, and how, and what-if' and come up short.  We search the scriptures for greater understanding.  "But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities."  (Isaiah 53:5, KJV)  

We conclude it's impossible for us to love like that.  And we imagine what the world would be like had Christ chosen not to die for our sins.  What a horror the world would be if he had turned his back on humanity.  

It is because of us, the way we are--our selfishness, our greed, and all our other vices--that Christ died.  It's because of us that Jesus was crucified as a substitute for us. As we ponder this, we can only marvel and conclude "What love!" 

On the day we celebrate his resurrection from the grave, we think of those nail-scarred hands.  We rejoice at his loving sacrifice and triumph over the grave, and sing, "Jesus is alive.  Hallelujah!"
 
Have a joyous Easter!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Welcome

Welcome to my blog. I'm Barbara. I’ve named this blog “Good Words for Women” for several reasons: women of all ages need to hear “good words” from others that will inspire and empower them. We need to hear, and speak, good words for the sake of our own good health, for encouragement in coping with the vast number of tasks we undertake daily, and in order to pass on our good words to the loved ones in our lives. Who better to do this than women?

From time to time, I’ll share with you some of the words, thoughts, ideas, events, and incidents that have inspired me in the past and continue to inspire and make a difference in my life, and the lives of those around me. Perhaps by now, you’ve even got your own list of good words, thoughts, and incidents. Great! I hope you’ll share them with me. So, let’s get started.

Love. Love is perhaps one of the greatest words of all time. Love covers all faults, forgives all wrongs, and endures all indignities. We all crave it and we never get enough of it. It comes in all forms: God’s love for us, our love of God, maternal love, physical love, brotherly love, love of nature, love of country, love of animals, to name a few. Love can free the captive heart and lift up the downtrodden soul. All genuine love originates from God and is sustained by God, for God is love. Here's what one very wise man said about love: "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

Now, that's a good word.

Copyright © 2010 Barbara Hemming. All Rights Reserved.