Worth the Thorns

Isaiah 43:4
“Because you are precious in my
eyes, and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you, peoples
in exchange for your life.”
ESV

I find deep satisfaction and joy in picking wild Missouri blackberries. With almost every blackberry I find myself asking, “Is it worth it? Is it worth the thorns and the scratches?” But once that berry is between my fingers, the question is over.
The other night my daughter had a friend over, and all three of us picked blackberries when the sun was going down and there was a nice cool breeze. “We found the mother-load!” they cackled. And sure enough, they found the mother-load, but it was tucked behind the mother-load of briars and weeds.
Just like those blackberries, we had no power in and of ourselves to reach out to God and have a relationship because all the thorns and briars of sin and iniquity in our lives. Our own efforts would never be enough to merit us being picked and chosen by God. God’s nature would be the only merciful means of our redemption.
God clearly shows and believes that you were worth the thorns.
Jesus humbly took the thorns as the soldier pressed them into his brow. He chose the nails so that God could not only have and protect you in the palm of his hand, but so that he could call you his own child.
I’m amazed that God boldly tells us that it was his pleasure to have Jesus crucified for our sins (Read Isaiah 53:10). God’s love really does trump everything, especially past, present, and future sin. He chose you, and if you were the only person on planet earth that needed redemption, I’m sure that it wouldn’t even be a question in God’s mind. He would choose the thorns just to have you in the palm of his hands so you could call him Father.

By Aaron F. Jeffers

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