by leaps and bounds

 John 11:35: Jesus wept.

THIS…. 2 words, yet 2 of the most powerful words spoken in the Bible.

This verse has been heavy on my heart lately.  Sometimes a verse will be placed upon you, and you aren’t sure why. I’m still trying to process this one. All I know is that when I pray, no matter if it is during my own prayer time, at our intercessory prayer time at church, or if I’m praying for someone, the tears flow.

Can you imagine the tears that flow from Jesus? When we are sad, He is sad. When we are dealing with pain, so is He.

And He weeps with us. Thank You, Jesus, that Your heart breaks with ours when we are going through something. Thank You that You are with us in the storm.  

But He also weeps for the world- for the ones that don’t know him or reject him.

Luke 19:41: Jesus is weeping, but it’s not weeping with people who are hurting. It’s weeping over a city full of people who are rejecting him, who in the days to come will crucify him, and Jesus is weeping over them.

Jesus also weeps because he loves us and doesn’t want us to perish. His tears are a reminder that we need to turn to him while there is still time. We need to repent of our sin and receive his forgiveness. If we don’t, we will face the same fate as those whom Jesus wept over: eternal separation from God.    

Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for us. He died for our sins. That is how much He loves us. And yet there are those that turn away from Him. I just can’t fathom that.

I pray this might help someone that might be dealing with something similar.

Remember… never let your cup be empty.

☕️

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Lou Ann Virden is the author of the blog Farmhouse, Coffee and Jesus. She is very active in her church. She volunteers in the food pantry, usher/greeter team, and cleaning crew. She is on the prayer team, is over the sound room team, and she writes the newsletter for her church. Lou Ann and her husband Donnie will be relaunching The Refuge 180 Evangelism Ministry. They have been married for over 40 years. They live on her husband’s family farm with their dog Hunter. In the summer they are busy canning what they harvest from their garden. Her hobbies include going to the beach, reading, camping, and serving however she can. She hopes that her blogs inspires someone that might be dealing with a similar situation.