Cross My Heart Ministry

Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:4-6

This week may find you packing up the Resurrection Eggs and ceramic chicks until next year, and (just maybe) polishing off the last of the chocolate bunnies.  

But as we store away the Easter décor, I hope the reality of Easter stays fresh in our minds and in our hearts. Can we challenge one another to remember it was His punishment that provided our peace? 

Our way to peace was through the cross of Christ. Read through Isaiah’s graphic description above and note the verbs describing what Jesus experienced: 

• Stricken 
• Smitten 
• Afflicted 
• Pierced 
• Crushed 
• Punished 
• Wounded 

“…the punishment that brought us peace was upon him.”
Isaiah 53:5 

He took our rap. 

He paid our bill. 

He received our beating. 

He died our death.  

And He did it because of love. This is a no-holds-barred, sacrificial love that we do not (and never could) deserve. It’s a love that we receive from no other person. It’s a love that is illogical, unfathomable, and eternity-changing.  

It’s a love that deserves a response.  

We train our children in common courtesy. We teach them that a kind act warrants an appropriate response. If someone holds the door when our arms are filled, we say, “thank you.” We teach them to mail thank-you notes acknowledging gifts they receive at a wedding shower or graduation party.  

When your boss calls you in to commend your effort on that last project and reward you with a raise, her pause is your cue to respond, “Thank you, ma’am.” 

A simple thank you is the most basic way to acknowledge the kindness of others and cultivate a heart of gratefulness in ourselves.  

If a held-open door, a graduation gift, or a reward for hard work prompt a verbal or written thank you, what is the appropriate response to the One who recused us from hell? How do you acknowledge the One who changed your destiny for eternity? How can I possibly and appropriately express gratefulness to the One who provides meaning and purpose to my otherwise pathetic, purposeless life?  

I think the answer is that we give Him our life.  

We choose to die to our old ways and to live His way. Paul says it well: 

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters,
in view of God’s mercy,
to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Romans 12:1

Because He died for us, we choose to live for Him. And when we do that, it’s an act of worship.  

It’s far from easy. Our flesh rises up and wants what it wants. But our daily choices to live free from the flesh and to live for Christ bring a sweetness to life, a joyful satisfaction that nothing else can provide.  

What keeps us holding back or holding out? Why not let this be the year that we refuse to put Easter back in the box? The year that we choose to live all-in? Can we try—can we commit—to die to self and live for Him for one year? For one month? For even one week? Are you willing to give it a go? 

Can you and I choose—will we choose—to: 

• be inconvenienced 
• be imposed upon 
• be sacrificial 
• close our mouths 
• be generous 
• listen more and talk less 
• love as Jesus loved 

Can we choose each day to ask our precious Savior, “Jesus, who am I going to love on today and how am I going to do it?”

The question itself reminds us that we cannot fail when He is doing it with us.  

As we begin to see each person who crosses our path as one who bears the image of God, as a person in need of the peace that only Jesus can provide, I believe we will begin to truly live the reality of His peace.  

If I truly believe, “He Is Risen, Indeed!”— as I stood with my fellow believers and proclaimed on Easter morning — then it’s high time I rise up and behave like I believe. Indeed.  

In this week’s devotional video, Laura unpacks Romans 8:6, where Paul presents a clear distinction between the mind controlled by sin vs. the mind controlled by the Holy Spirit. One brings death; the other, life and peace. We invite you to listen … and if you have not been writing this month’s “Peace” verses with us, we hope you’ll take a moment to download our April Write the WORD bookmark and join in today.

Stand firm then…
with your feet fitted with the readiness
that comes from the gospel of peace.
Ephesians 6:14-15

What comes to mind when you hear the word PEACE? 

The 1960s with their tie-dyed shirts and long hair? Walking along a deserted beach at sunrise? Taking in the majestic view from a mountaintop?

Maybe for you, peace isn’t a symbol or a place, but just the absence of conflict.

It might be family reunion – or a church business meeting – where “we all just get along.” In certain seasons of life, it could be making it through dinner without milk spilled on the floor. Perhaps it’s as simple as a clear kitchen counter or clean bathroom.  

Spiritually speaking, of course, true peace is only found in the person of Jesus Christ.  

Romans 5:1 says: 

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,
we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our sin puts every one of us at war with God, but Jesus brings us peace with Him.  

That’s the good news. That’s the gospel.  

It’s a truth that transcends the challenges of this world and settles our destiny for eternity. It not only brings confident hope for that day, it brings peace for this day, too. 

Because we are His, we have gospel shoes. We get to walk in those shoes. We get to walk in peace.  

Peace is the third of the nine traits describing the fruit of the Spirit. But what does walking in peace mean for us today? How do we claim God’s peace in our lives? 

Let’s first consider what peace is not.  

In John chapter 16, Jesus gave us a heads up that we can expect trouble in this world, but can also have peace in the midst of it: 

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

From His words, we can conclude that trouble is the opposite of peace. Our own personal experiences prove that true.  

Today’s trouble may be a morning alarm that didn’t go off, or a smoke alarm that did. It may be an overdue bill, a rebellious child, or a malignancy. It may be financial, relational, or medical. But we can wholeheartedly agree that trouble is seldom – and some would say never – peaceful.  

But even as we walk through times of trouble, we can walk in peace if we know Jesus. 

We are reassured by these words from the book of Isaiah: 

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.
Isaiah 26:3

This month’s Write the WORD verses are focused on PEACE, which seems fitting as we celebrated our risen Savior just last week on Easter Sunday –  and should make it a daily priority to worship Jesus, our Prince of Peace.  

Wherever you find yourself today, I pray that God’s perfect peace surrounds you and overwhelms you, regardless of your circumstances.

In this week’s devotional video, Laura shared thoughts on a few questions prompted by Isaiah 26:3:

• Where does real peace come from?
• What’s the difference between everyday peace and perfect peace?
• Is it possible to live in peace?

We hope you’ll listen in as Laura talks about the answers to these questions, found in this powerful verse!

Our monthly Write the WORD bookmark and optional S.O.A.P. study pages can be found HERE. Be sure to check out our other free resources, too!

There are never enough Sundays in the month to unpack all the righteousness verses we’ve written in our Write the WORD study. Therefore, on this final Sunday of March, let’s  approach these last few days of the month by surveying some powerful scriptures and praying the WORD together today.  

Because so many of the women reading this are wives, mothers, and/or grandmothers, let’s specifically frame our prayers as intercession for our precious ones. 

Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. 
Psalm 36:6

Lord Almighty, I praise You for the height and depth of Your righteousness. Your power knows no limits. You are mighty to save. I pray Your righteousness — and Your love — would be known by my children and grandchildren, and that they would worship and adore You. 

The righteousness of the upright delivers them, 
but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.
Proverbs 11:6

Jesus, may my loved ones be declared righteous by placing their faith in You. I pray their identity in You would both call and equip them to live righteous, upright lives and that those good choices would protect them and bring them joy. Deliver my children and grandchildren from evil. May their desire to live for You and please You be greater than any desire for evil. Holy Spirit, call them to live faithfully for You! 

In the way of righteousness there is life; 
along that path is immortality. 
Proverbs 12:28

God, thank you for the eternal life we have because of Your gift of grace. Jesus, thank you for Your sacrificial death that makes immortality possible for mortal humans. Holy Spirit, draw my children, and their children, and future generations of our family, to place their faith in You — to walk in the way of righteousness and find the “life that is truly life.” 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Matthews 5:6

O Lord, make us hungry and thirsty for You! I pray that nothing and no one besides You would bring satisfaction in my life, or the lives of my loved ones. Let every other gift pale in comparison to the greatest gift of knowing You and abiding in You. As we know You more, make us want to live more for You, in You, and through You. Make the way of righteousness be not a way of drudgery or duty, but one of delight and joy! 

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, 
and all these things will be given to you as well. 
Matthew 6:33

Lord, bless our family with a single-minded focus on You. I pray that advancing Your kingdom and Your righteousness would consume our hearts and minds. As we choose to daily seek and serve You, may all other blessings flow in and be kept as far-distant seconds, thirds, fourths, etc. I pray our chief aim — the overriding, consuming focus of our thoughts and desire of our hearts — would be for You. 

For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—
a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, 
just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Romans 1:17

O Jesus, let them know — let me model — that righteousness is only found by faith. Forgive us for venturing off the path to counterfeit, manufactured righteousness that really isn’t righteousness at all. Allow us to reject both legalism (the “have-to” list) and liberalism (the “don’t have to” dismissal of the list). Allow my children, and our entire family, to live in that sweet spot of abiding in You. Call us to live righteous lives … not to earn Your favor, but because “by faith we have been saved by grace.” Reveal this truth. Let them see it, embrace it, and walk in it! Let the truth they have been taught in our home become the reality of their lives! 

November may be synonymous with “giving thanks,” but every month — every day — is a good time to thank God. Our list of reasons to thank Him is unending, with each day bringing new blessings. In this week’s teaching video, Laura shares a suggestion (prompted by King David) for another reason to praise Him. We hope you’ll enjoy her thoughts, inspired by this month’s Write the WORD bookmark.

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“My tongue will speak of your righteousness
and of your praises all day long.”
Psalm 35:28

Whatever is in our hearts and on our minds will most likely make its way out to our tongues.  

If we are planning a vacation, a garage sale, or a family reunion—we talk about it. If we are getting a child ready for college, preparing for vacation Bible school, or shopping for a new washing machine, those things may dominate our conversations. 

When David declares, “My tongue will speak of your righteousness,” it’s a powerful ancient-world call to us in modern day … a call to join in.  And it’s a declaration not just whispered in the morning during our intimate quiet time with God, but is to be declared to those in our sphere of influence — all day long.

Let’s evaluate honestly whether you and I tell our families, the women we mentor, and those in our friend group: God is righteous! 

Does even the thought of doing so sound and feel a bit “awkward” (borrowing a word my millennial daughter uses to describe anything uncomfortable)?

Does it feel almost fanatical to even consider doing so? 

Perhaps you and I are more comfortable telling others: 

• God loves you!
• God is merciful! 
• God’s grace is unending! 

All those statements are true. Absolutely. Unequivocally. 

Only a loving, merciful God would endure the pain and shame of the cross to pay the debt He didn’t owe. But the reason He was an acceptable offering is His righteousness.  

He is holy.

He is righteous.

He is great.

He is mighty to save.

Have you declared His righteousness lately? Have you spoken of it out loud? Have you proclaimed it to others? 

In last week’s Sunday Soaking, we challenged one another to thank Him for His righteousness. This week we are going a step further, with a challenge to proclaim it out loud.  

Wives, daughters, mothers, grandmothers:  let it begin with us! 

By declaring His righteousness (as well as His love), we share the truth about the nature of God. And that truth might make — most likely will make — some people uncomfortable.  

And guess what? It should make every one of us uncomfortable, because it should call and convict us of our own unrighteousness.  

Focusing on God’s love is good. It is powerful and reassuring. But the same should also be true of His righteousness. As we worship and adore Him, as we serve Him, as we learn more of Him and grow closer to Him, we will be conformed to His image. 

Ask yourself these questions:

• Am I more loving than five years ago, twelve months ago, or a week ago? 
• Am I more righteous than five years ago? Twelve months ago? A week ago? 

Choosing to proclaim love sounds positive and encouraging and acceptable. Choosing to do the same with God’s righteousness seems to invite labels like holier-than-thou, fanatical, or legalistic.  

It’s not that we are perfect; we know that’s impossible. But neither do we celebrate, rationalize, or whitewash our sin (or the sin of others). Sin must be confessed. We mourn it and turn from it. We ask the Holy Spirit both to convict us, and to allow us to go forward in freedom from the bondage sin brings.  

At the end of the day — and, most assuredly, at the end of time — it matters not what you or I think, dear sister friend. What truly matters is what God says. Sin is sin because of God’s timeless truth … not because you and I make a list, or have a vote on what does and does not belong on that list. The Bible is our plumb line, not cultural norms, man-made laws, or the latest trend in media or our social circles.  

We are living in a world where anything goes, truth is up for a vote, and absolutes are not tolerated. Of even greater concern and alarm: the lies are coming from those who profess faith in Christ, not just the unbelievers.  

Ignore the noise. Tune out the voices of our culture. Pay attention to what the Bible proclaims.

We must love our family members enough to tell them the truth. We must love our neighbor enough to tell her the truth.  

When each of us steps out of time and into eternity, knowing the truth is what preserves and saves us.  

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.
(John 14:6)

Do you know Jesus? Do you proclaim His love and His righteousness … all day long?

Ask your Heavenly Father for the courage and confidence to share His truth with those you encounter each day: God loves you just like you are – but He loves you too much to leave you there.

Rise up, sisters!  The road ahead for us — and certainly for our babies and grandbabies — is growing more rocky with every passing day. It’s time to buckle up and put on the armor our Savior has provided. Are you wearing your belt of truth and your breastplate of righteousness? (Ephesians 6:10-20) 

If we know the truth, we must proclaim the truth. How can you commit to speaking of His righteousness all day long today?

This week we wrapped up our ladies’ Bible study in I Corinthians. Paul packs a lot into chapter 16, as he encourages believers to:

• Stand guard
• Stand firm
• Be courageous
• Be strong
• Give
• Refresh others

We hope you are moved by these words from Laura, as we present the final teaching video in our I Corinthians study.

It’s not too late to join us for the final days of March, as we prepare our hearts for Easter by reading, writing, and studying verses about righteousness. We invite you to visit our Downloads page, where you’ll find our Write the WORD bookmark, corresponding S.O.A.P. Bible study outline, and other resources to help you love God and love His WORD!