The Sacrifice God Made For You “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and…the Lord makes his life an offering for sin…” (Isaiah 53:10) A man took a job operating a drawbridge over a river. One day, he brought his young son with him to work so he could see what his daddy did for a living. The two were talking when the man looked down at his watch and saw the 3:00 pm train from Memphis was nearly due to arrive. He was about to pull the lever when he saw something that horrified him. His son had wandered off and became caught in the gears that lowered the bridge. He could go help him, but the train was too close and would derail if the bridge didn’t go down right then. With tears in his eyes, he lowered the bridge, crushing his boy. With a tearstained face, that man watched as the trainload of passengers went safely over the bridge, not one of them knowing what had transpired and the sacrifice that father made to save their lives. Our Father in heaven made a very similar sacrifice, crushing His own Son so that we may have life. Don’t go today without stopping to thank Him for that amazing act of love for you. Praise God that through the death of His Son, you can have eternal life! A Turtle on a Fence Post “Look to the rock from which you were cut.” –(Isaiah 51:1) Fred Rogers (Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood) often closed his live-audience presentations by asking everyone to spend one minute silently reflecting on specific individuals who had helped them become who they are. Minister Ken Stegall notes that when he was a boy and saw a turtle on a fence post, he knew someone had put it there. “It didn’t get there by itself ’cause turtles can’t climb.” Alex Haley, author of Roots, kept a similar picture in his office and said, “Anytime you see a turtle up on top of a fence post, you know he had some help. If you’re inclined to pat yourself on the back for your achievements, I have a verse for you: “Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn” (Isaiah 51:1). Each of us is a turtle on a fence post. We didn’t get where we are on our own. Pause for one minute and think of those who helped you become who you are. Bookmark the memories of those who have encouraged you.