I don’t think I’m alone in saying that many of us like it when someone covers for us. For example, you’re in charge of bringing snacks to your childs soccer game Saturday, but for whatever reason, you can’t make it to the game and you ask another parent to fill in for you on your snack-providing duty. That’s a good feeling because you now know the burden is off you and you’re somewhat thankful for the person that filled in for you.

This is of course very trivial, but it’s really basic and we’re all able to relate to the idea of someone covering for us.

The most notable way anyone has ever covered for anyone is of course in the person of Jesus when He died on the cross for our sins.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

1 Peter 2:24

It’s a basic principle that we’re all very aware of, but I’m not so sure that we always fully grasp the magnitude of that. I know I don’t.

We were in debt. We were full of sin, of a rebellious spirit that found happiness in defying God’s orders, yet God still chose to cover our sins on the cross. It’s His wounds that heal us, not anything we’ve done or have ever done. What this should bring is a life-changing mindset that allows us to live lives that project God’s forgiveness and the fulfillment of his promise to take care of us.

I think people often like to use the cliche “I’d take a bullet for you” when trying to express how much someone means to you but –– and not to question your loyalty –– I’m sure most of us would have a hard time actually jumping in front of a gun to save the life of someone else. Now, think about doing that if that person had continually wronged you, disgraced your name and turned their back on you. It’s unfathomable at that point why you’d still try to save their life.

But God, loving us like no one has or ever will love us, took that bullet when he had nails and a crown of thorns pierce his holy person. I try to remind myself of this idea a lot whenever I feel sadness because what this shows us is that we are always loved perfectly and we will forever have God’s grace and goodness if we put our faith in Him.

As you go about your day today, think about the idea of God’s atonement and how it should alter the way we view Him –– living a life that continually gives glory to Him and living a life that speaks to His love.