Isaiah 53:3-4

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.  - Isaiah 53:3-4

Dear Jesus,

One of the most irksome things in life is being accused of something that someone else did.  It drives me crazy to think about it.  And here I see in this passage that for thousands of years before you were accused of everything I did, you were contemplating it.  You laid it all out in prophetic scripture.  You weren't just accused,   You were convicted and punished for my crimes.  How deeply you embraced the unjust suffering that brought my justice.  It's like it was already done.  You even talked about it in past tense.  I know you see my sins.  I know you took them on yourself.  I know you want this to settle my guilt once and for all.  Frankly, it's the most intimate act of love I could ever imagine.  You are the truest of friends for every soul.  Thank you for taking the wrap for me.  Help me to be grace filled to everyone in my life as my way of showing my gratitude to you. 

Amen

Don Patterson

The greatest sign that we believe in grace is that we share it others.