Good morning, everyone. Today is the 22nd of July, 2025. It's about 5 o'clock in the morning. Before I get started on the devotional, I'd like to ask a special prayer request for Brother Michael and his mother, Elizabeth. They're going through quite a bit. tests and trials right now. Elspeth's in the hospital and she's going through a major test and so I would appreciate everyone to pray for her and for her son Michael who still struggles with this type 1 diabetes. Also remember Lynn Terry in prayer that he can adjust to his prosthetic leg that he's struggling with. You know, there's a lot of people that have to go through a lot in this life. I want to talk this morning about the sufferings of Christ. I think the person that wrote this song How great Thou art, and in the most beautiful way, And when I think of God, your Son not sparing, Send Him to die, I scarce can take it in, That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin. and sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee, how great Thou art. It boggles my mind that Christ and His infinite love for His people would come from the ivory palaces of glory to suffer and die on the cruel and rugged cross to reconcile his people to himself. That's mind-boggling, isn't it? His suffering was great. His suffering was very great. And, you know, the suffering he experienced is really beyond our ability to comprehend or even articulate. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. By his stripes we are healed. It wasn't enough for them to put a crown of thorns on his head. It wasn't enough for them to whip him It was enough for them to drive the nails through his hands and through his feet and to pierce him with a sword in his side. But they mocked him and scorned him and ridiculed him. sometimes think about that and it's just back to the songwriter when I think of God your son not sparing send him to die I scarce can take it in you know the purposes of God's suffering was to reconcile us to himself his people and he was slain from the foundation of the world. 1 Peter 5.1 The elders which are among you, I exhort you, am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory which shall be revealed. Can you imagine having first-hand observed what they did to Christ? as one of his apostles, Peter, observed it. Can you imagine the sorrow and the pain the apostles went through to first-hand experience what Christ was suffering for his people? You know, It's hard for us to fathom that God, in his divine plan, by the determinate counsel of God, you by wicked hands have taken the slain. You see that account in the second chapter of Acts, where It says that by the predetermined counsel of God, you by wicked hands are taken and slain. It was God's will that He would come and suffer and die on the Crucified Cross. What love! What infinite love! You know, to show forth His glory, His love for His people. Acts 2.22, you men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, the man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know, him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken him by wicked hands and crucified and slain. Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken him by wicked hands, and crucified him slain. What wondrous love is this, O my soul! What wondrous love is this! You know, how can we even fathom the tremendous love Christ has for us, having laid his life, he says he laid his life down freely and he took it up again. And now God has highly exalted him and given him a name which is greater than any name. that every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. There's only one mediator between man, God, and man, and that is Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me. But his passion, his suffering, his pain was horrifying. And the greatest suffering he had was tremendous physical suffering, but the greatest suffering he had was being separated from his father. He prayed in the garden of Eden. And it says as he sweat as it were great drops of blood. saying, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but Thy will be done. Many of you know I suffer with osteoarthritis in my hip, and I've often said that one of the most painful parts of my day is getting up out of bed. One of the most painful part of my day is getting up out of bed. You know, but think of the suffering that Christ went through for us. It goes beyond description. What they did to Christ. His body was mangled. Almost unrecognizable. as he hung there on that cross, as an emblem of suffering and shame. You know, the king and creator of the universe on display for the whole world to see. the mockery and shame portrayed upon him by his own creation. His visage was marred. His body was mangled. But yet, he bore it. For it was beautiful. Well, this morning, that's what's on my mind. Let us be thankful for the fact that Christ was willing to come and suffer and die in our stead so that we would not have to face judgment and eternal damnation. He reconciled us through His blood, through suffering on the cruel and rugged cross of Calvary. May the good Lord be with you today in a special way is my prayer. God bless.