“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53:5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

• We remember the bruises when our heart is bruised.
• We remember the stripes when our lives call for a miraculous healing.
• We recall the chastisement of OUR peace being upon Jesus, when our peace is threatened.
• We relate to rejection and the despising of Jesus, when rejection comes to us through an unexpected source.

It seems that we recall the stripes that Jesus took for us when we are faced with detrimental circumstances.

At what point is it enough? At what point will you say: “I’ll take this one, for all the stripes you took for me.”

Jesus took stripes for our sin; the sins we did not even know we would commit. Yeah, the sins we did not want to give up…yep the things we said we would never do. The hidden sins we have not spoken of.

Jesus took stripes for what God did not want us to become, which was eternally disconnected from Him.

At what point do we say and live by: “Lord, not my will?”

I’ll admit, as I often have, we just don’t want to be acquainted with sacrifice or suffering. I know me and suffering are not bosom buddies…

but since my Father felt that it was reasonable for Jesus to become a sacrifice, then it MUST be unreasonable for me to ignore all that Jesus has endured.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans‬ ‭12:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The very LEAST I can do is be committed to the purpose…Loyal to the brand…support the family business, vision, and mission, which is…

“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”‭‭Mark‬ ‭16:15-16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Jesus suffered not only physical pain but mental agony and distress for our spiritual healing. He did not want to, but he denied everything in Him, to grant us access to everything that He has.

“who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness— by whose stripes you were healed.” ‭‭I Peter‬ ‭2:24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

What about you? By the stripes of Jesus, we are free. What stripes have you been willing to take for your freedom? Have you given up on Jesus because you compare your circumstances to the love of God and what you feel is a lack there of? Have you denied the power of Christ to strengthen and console you through the pain?

Pain produces purpose and God receives the glory. What stripes are you willing to bear, for cost that has already been covered?

“And he who does not take his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] is not worthy of Me.” ‭‭MATTHEW‬ ‭10:38‬ ‭AMP‬‬