By Greg Swinney
Bad news shouts at us from the television, newspaper, doctor”s office, and our checkbook registers. Some days we seem to wake up and find ourselves plodding through our routine in quiet desperation. We secretly just want to hear some good news. Please, just some good news that offers a little hope.
Anne Murray sang a song with the recurring line, “We sure could use a little good news today.” Her words, although more than 20 years old, ring true even today . . . especially today. All we want is some good news. The war is ended, reconciliation took place, the family was not injured, the high school girl had the courage to say no, the biopsy was negative. Good news of hope””that”s what our dry souls thirst for today. We passionately desire to step up to the well of hope and take a long, quenching drink.
The writer of Hebrews shares a word that inspires us as we gather around the Lord”s table. The broken body and shed blood of Jesus is good news of hope we can grab on to with all our strength. “We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It”s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us” (Hebrews 6:18-20, The Message).
Jesus, our high priest, gave the ultimate sacrifice of himself for you and me. He alone could be the perfect sacrifice in our place. It is as if Jesus were saying, “Let me take your sin and shame and, in its place, give you my righteousness and peace.” Because of this we can share the eternal hope of Heaven as we realize this world is not our permanent home. That”s good news!
As the Lord”s Supper is shared today, may the things of earth become strangely dim as the good news of eternal hope saturates our hearts.
________
Greg Swinney lives in Kearney, Nebraska,
Author: Christian Standard
Contact us at **@********************ia.com
