December 17

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeened from the empty way of life handed down to you . . . But with the pecious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. I Peter 1:18-19

I read a book years ago by Stuart Brisco in which he spoke of seeing dead men walking, eyes empty, little sign of real life as they moved through not life but existence. How true, I thought. How often I meet someone who seems to have no purpose, no sense of the importance of his/her life, no goals, no direction. These people were living in the "empty way of life handed down" to them, unaware of their value.

Put that thought together with this. "How much is this piece of real estate worth?" I asked a realtor one day. "Whatever I can get someone to pay for it," he replied.

So as we were walking around in an empty and meaningless life, what did God think we were worth? What was he willing to pay? Jesus! The Bible says that while we were yet lost in our sin, God sent Jesus to get us, to buy us back from our dreadful lives with his own blood!

We were expensive, but the Bible says Jesus counted the cost and came to earth willingly. He gave what he did not owe because we owed what we could not pay.

Thank you, Father, for life, for meaningful life. Amen.