Reading your Bible for today 9

June 9: Colossians 2:13-15 

KJV Key Verse: Colossians 2:14
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Devotion:
How often do you think you are “hard done by”, or life is treating you a bit harsh, or your life is tougher than it should be? Have you ever sat down and spared a thought for others who are going through a bit more than you? I am not talking about the people in the world who have to put up with tyrants running their countries, not the people who have to live for a month on what we can go through in a day or two; I may be talking about the person who lives next door.

Christ has paid an awesome debt on your behalf. He has paid a debt which carries the sentence of death! He has gotten you off of death row! And all you have to do is say thanks. You have heard His Word. You have heard His Word preached. You have listened to someone explaining His Word to you. You have had the chance of hearing the truth so you can understand just what Christ has done for you. What about your neighbour? Have they been able to hear God's Word? Have they had a Bible opened up for them? Have they heard about the awesome thing which Christ has done for them?

Can you imagine having to live as one of the Israelites before Christ came to earth? Can you imagine having to keep every single law. Not just the “you shall not murder” laws, but the laws about not walking far from your home on the Sabbath. The laws about not working. The laws about what you can eat. The laws about fasting. The laws about observing various feasts. The laws about not looking with envy at anything that belongs to anyone else!

And then knowing when you break those laws, you have to pay for them with your life! What happens if you find for some reason you cannot get to the temple to offer a goat for your sins? What happens if you get caught doing something you should not have – just because of a lax in your judgement? You can thank Christ personally for what He has done for you by being nailed to the cross. You can thank Him personally for the awesome gift where He showed more mercy than we can ever imagine!

Points to Ponder:
Would you be willing to kill your pet just to “save your bacon”?

Christ laid down His own life in place of yours!