Black Friday

“For God demonstrated his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving. Now that the turkey and leftovers are in the refrigerator, many people are turning to the start of the holiday shopping season. Today has been deemed Black Friday. As we turn on the TV and read the newspaper and get email messages, we keep hearing the words, “Black Friday.” This is the time of year when retailers hopefully are moving from operating “in the red” (at a loss) to operating “in the black” (making a profit). Stores offer lower prices to lure customers in, hoping that they will in turn spend a lot of money on gifts. The debt accumulated all year is finally paid.

I can’t help but think of another “Black Friday”, a day when the greatest price was paid for the greatest gift ever given. 2000 years ago, an innocent man gave His life so that others might live. Jesus, the Son of God, left His heavenly home, to be born into an ordinary family and live an ordinary life in an ordinary town, until He began His extra-ordinary ministry on earth. For 3 years, He healed the hurting, taught those who would listen, and preached the truth to all. The conclusion of His time on earth was paying the price for the sins of the entire world, past, present, and future, and providing the gift of eternal life to any who receive it. In a word, He paid the debt that we owe, a debt we were powerless to pay.

Thought For Today: Now that Thanksgiving Day is over, let’s continue to live with thanksgiving in our hearts for the greatest debt that was ever paid. May we keep our focus on Jesus in the days and weeks to come as we remember the real reason for the season.

Today’s Prayer Focus: Thank God for paying the debt we owe. Deo Volente.