Pleasant Stone Devotional Meditation: November 27

“Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things” ~ John 8:28

One subtle “color” here has brought me [Eugenia Price, the author] to a new place of obedience. The more obvious “colors” tell us that Jesus and the Father are One. That “God was in Christ” on the Cross for that bright-dark day.

With sure, clear strokes, the Holy Spirit has drawn fine, highlights of eternal truths back and forth through the many colors of this “pleasant stone.” But there is one shade of truth among them which, only within the past few weeks, as I have written, has caused me to dread disobedience in a way I have never dreaded it before.

Too often, we make exceptions, when “just a little disobedience” seems justified. Or perhaps under the high pressures of a great temptation, we say “this time I’m sure God will understand.”

Yes, He will. That’s the crux of the matter. He understood sin so well, He died because of it. Here is the fragment of this “pleasant stone” verse which broke my heart in a new place “When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know …”

When we hurt Him (lift Him up) we know. We hide our faces at the thought that we might have been among those who stood watching Him on the actual Cross. And yet, because He is the Lamb of God, “slain before the foundation of the world,” we do still lift Him up on a cross every time we disobey Him! Alibis and rationalization do not keep us from “knowing.” Disobedience hurts no-one as much as it hurts the Lord Jesus.

“Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight …”