No amount of personal pain and suffering equates to what the Son of God did for you so you could be called his child.

4 But God loves us deeply. He is full of mercy. 5 So he gave us new life because of what Christ has done. He gave us life even when we were dead in sin. God’s grace has saved you. 6 God raised us up with Christ. He has seated us with him in his heavenly kingdom. That’s because we belong to Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-5

Just as you began to think you were the most reviled,most hated and most despised man or woman to walk the face of the earth, there comes the message from God that he loves you and wants you to be his child.

Just as you were going to believe the lies of the devil that your life wasn't worth living and this world would be better off without you, God reminds you that He loved you and wants to fill you with his love and his purpose for you in this life.

Just as you venture out to drown all of your pain, all of your sorrow, and all of your dreaded low esteem, God reminds you that he understands your pain, your sorrow and your dreaded low esteem. He understands it because the world he originally created went from loving God and having communion with him to be filled with hating God and having your self esteem being regulated by the court of public opinion

Just as you think about ending your life and throwing your life away God reminds us with these words from Matthew,  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Just as you feel unloved and not worthy of forgiveness, God reminds you through the words of 2 Corinthians,  "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

Whereas you think you are hated, God's son was reviled, despised and hated even more. Even though He fed  10,000 with a few bread crumbs and a fish as well as a multiple of other miracles performed by Jesus,people in the end feared public opinion more than they feared God and joined the others in stoning this man of many sorrows, not realizing that this action on the part of people was part of God's greatest redemptive story.

Just as you try every religion from  new age philosophies to Buddhism to Islam, God waits patiently in hopes that his child will discover that the greatest sacrifice ever made was made because He loved them.

As we enter  these Holy days, won't you take a time to reflect on God's promises and what the cross means for you? He is the man of many sorrows and many stripes and he bored your shame, your sorrow, and your self hate and he did it all because He loves you!