In light of these gospel truths, the depth of God's love is staggering! The truth that many of us have lost and desperately need to find is that Christianity isn't essentially a program to help moral people be better. No, it's a relationship based on the premise that we aren't good now and will never be good enough in this life. We need someone to be good in our place, to suffer what we deserve to suffer, and to live the righteous life we should have lived. Our Redeemer has taken our sinful identity so that we might receive his righteous one! Can you see how it has to be Christ alone who defines everything we were, are, or ever will be?

Elyse Fitzpatrick, Because He Loves Me, Pg. 58

Poverty is where we experience our own and other people's weaknesses, limitations, and need for support. To be poor is to be without success, without fame, and without power. But there God chooses to show us God's love.

Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey, August 15th