Pivotal Points

I love to read! I go in spurts though. Sometime I am a voracious reader and then there are those times that life gets so busy that reading anything other than the newspaper is just not possible. I have discovered that some of life's most astonishing truths can be found in a mere paperback. This week I read a book that changed my life or at least the way I looked at it. This has happened to me on more than one occasion. When it does I tell everyone who will stand still long enough about the book. My husband often comments that there is no need to read a book after I have because I interrupt him with each new nugget discovered on the pages before me.
So about this week's book- it is called Exquisite Agony By Gene Edwards. What an author, what a book! There are so many profound truths that I just broke down and cried. "Tell me, tell me" may be what you are thinking, so as I best I can I will try.
First of all who crucified Jesus? If this is such a simple question and answer ask various people. We sing a song that asks,"Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" Who is the "they" referring to? Was it those who drove the nails in, those that shoved the crown of thorns on Christ's head, those that mocked and spit and cursed, the governmental leaders? Well, the answer in my book was that it was God who crucified Jesus His son. People were just the means to accomplish God's plan for the redemption of mankind. You may be thinking that you already knew that God sent Jesus to die for your sins and mine but to say out loud that God did the crucifying is hard. God intentionally made His son suffer so you and I would not have to.
God often has to crucify us at the hands of people we love, or things we are holding onto, or in various other ways. We kick, we scream, we cry, we question His love for us. Even Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane asked His Father, "If it is possible, let this cup pass from me..." Have you ever asked God to take a burden or pain from you because it seemed to heavy to bear? At least we are in good company! Jesus' next sentence is the most important one of all,"Not as I will, but as You will." Can you and I say to God,"Use whatever,whoever, whenever and so long as you deem ever to get me to the place that I am truly crucified with Christ? Of all the people in the room can you be at peace that God chose you to be crucified by a person you love or a thing you held dear? After coming to grips that this must be so in your life, can you be nailed to the cross without fighting back? Can you arise from the event without looking for those who seemingly did the crucifying? Jesus arose from the dead and did not look backward, only forward. So it is with you and I. Surrender, trust, and obey. These are the pivotal points!