God's Love

A vacationing family is driving along in their car, windows rolled down,
enjoying the warm summer breeze of the sunny day. All of a sudden
a big black bee darts in the window and starts buzzing around inside
the car. A little girl, highly allergic to bee stings, cringes in the back seat.

If she is stung, she could die within an hour (or sooner).

"Oh, Daddy," she squeals in terror, "it's a bee! It's going to sting me!"

The father pulls the car over to a stop, and reaches back to try to catch
the bee. Buzzing towards him, the bee bumps against the front windshield
where the father traps it in his fist. Holding it in his closed hand, the father
waits for the inevitable sting. The bee stings the father's hand and in pain,
the father lets go of the bee.

The bee is loose in the car again. The little girl again panics, "Daddy,
it's going to sting me!"

The father gently says, "No honey, he's not going to sting you now.
Look at my hand."

The bee's stinger is in my hand!

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
-- 1 Cor. 15:55

Jesus says to us, "Look at my hands."

He has satan's sting,
the sting of death,
the sting of sin,
the sting of deceit,
the sting of feeling worthless.
Jesus has all of those stingers in His hands.

When you see that nail-scarred hand, realize that, on your behalf,
Jesus took all the pain that satan could throw at Him. He reduced
satan to a big black bee that has lost its stinger -- all satan can do
is buzz around.

That's the victory that Jesus won for you!

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.