At The Foot Of The Cross

Isaiah 25:1 – O Lord, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will give thanks to Thy name; for Thou hast worked wonders, plans formed long ago with perfect faithfulness.

My cousin claimed victory two weeks ago Wednesday. He closed his eyes one final time and went on to the learn the next lesson. There are many ways to say that someone died, in this case I can say that he claimed victory.

How? Well, he finally realized that he had all along what he'd been searching for, and he claimed it. He realized that God loved him. He realized that, although his deeds hadn't matched God's grace, blessings had rained down on him throughout his life, especially at the end of it. He finally understood that he couldn't do enough to deserve the sacrifice and grace given and that he couldn't pay it back fully, but that the one thing he had to offer, his love, repentance and obedience, was payment in full in the Master's eyes.

Armed with this knowledge, he bravely marched into battle with death, knowing that victory was his at last. The race was over, the lesson had been learned! Years of searching, each time in vain, came to an end. You may think that time spent knocking on the wrong doors in desperation is a waste; but when you find the right door; the one that leads to your heart, and that Jesus is the one knocking, the reward is so sweet that the labour, loneliness, futility and pain are just drops in a bucket. Each step brought you closer to Jesus so it was indeed time well spent.

He'd wanted to be independent, popular, special and loved and he worked his whole life at it; but it wasn't until he understood the love of One, that he was able to see the love of others. He'd said time and again that something was missing. Well, he finally figured out Who he was missing. He was missing a Father, a friend, a shepherd, a confidant, a healer, an anchor, a protector, a comforter, a teacher, an answer, a Saviour.

As with every child who is lost, as with every sheep who wanders away; the Good Shepherd went to find Him. Once found He sat and listened, and wiped away the tears, He blessed him and held Him and surrounded him with a family of angels. And when he was finished saying goodbye, He called him home to rest before the next lesson began.

At the Foot of the Cross
Marcia Krugh Leaser

Fearing the battle was over
And I'd already lost the war,
I was tired of trying and failing.
I just couldn't fight anymore.

So, dragging my battle-scarred body,
I crawled to the foot of the cross.
And I sobbed. "Oh please, Father forgive me.
But I tried… I tried… and still lost."

Then the air grew silent around me.
I heard his voice just as clear as the dawn:
"Oh, My child, though you are tired and weary,


You can't stop, you have to go on."

At the foot of the Cross, where I met Him,
At the foot of the Cross, where He died,
I felt love, as I knelt in His presence .
I felt hope, as I looked in His eyes.

Then He gathered me lovingly to Him,
As around us God's light clearly shone.
And together we walked though my lifetime
To heal every wound I had known.

I found bits of my dreams, long forgotten,
And pieces of my life on the floor.
But I watched as He tenderly blessed them,
And my life was worth living once more.

I knew then why I had been losing.
I knew why I had not grown.
At the foot of the Cross came the answer:
I'D BEEN FIGHTING THE BATTLE ALONE.

At the foot of the Cross, where I met Him,
At the foot of the Cross, where He died,
Then I knew I could face any challenge
Together—just my Lord and I.

Prayer: Wonderful Counsellor, Prince of Peace, I praise Your name and sing my song of thanksgiving for your sacrifices, for Your patience, for Your love, for carrying me when I was too weak to walk any further, and for giving all for one who truly had nothing to give. I cried and You heard me. Amen.

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