Daily Devotional
The Cup of Punishment: Incomprehensible Separation
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear”
Isaiah 59:2
April 2, 2020
Ponder This
When Jesus prayed at Gethsemane, He was not merely contemplating the pain of intense scourging, the loathsome walk to the cross, and the agony of Golgotha. Jesus knew that He was going to suffer the very fires of hell. Jesus was going to baptize His soul in hell. Jesus was going to walk the burning halls of the damned. Jesus was going to receive the thunderbolts of God’s wrath, and Jesus Christ, the eternal Son who had been in the bosom of the Father from eternity was going to be now separated from God on that cross. He was going to cry out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” The answer is that the chief attribute of God is not love; it is holiness. And in His holiness, He has sworn sin will be punished. God is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity and God the Father had to turn His back on God the Son.
Practice This
Have you ever seen a little child do something wrong and hide from his parents afterward? Even small children understand that “sin separates.” Run to Gethsemane and fall on your knees. Meet the suffering Servant. He endured incomprehensible separation in order to be reunited with you.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
