Each season seems to have its challenges.  One of the hardest, for many of us, is the winter fog and lack of sunlight.  The snow may be welcomed, the fun in the snow is great, but the sky without a shining sun is depressing.

We have faith that it is there – but we don’t see it and it affects our mood.

These are the kind of days that we can reflect, we can rest, we can take care of ourselves; the sun will come back, our mood will be better – it is but a temporary situation.

Still, I like the four seasons, while each has its trials, it also has a uniqueness that allows us to grow and not be faced with the same thing every, single, day.

Genesis 23:15-18 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

¹⁶ And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

¹⁷ And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure

¹⁸ Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

Abraham was looking for a place to bury Sarah.  Sites were offered and he requested this one – the owner, Ephron, was willing to give it to Abraham as a gift.

Abraham refused to accept it as a gift and gave him the value of the land in silver.  He did it in public where people could see the transaction.

Abraham didn’t want Ephron to have any call to question the ownership of the land.  He wanted to make sure it was his, free of encumbrances and free from Ephron perhaps later resenting his decision to give the property or to have any inheritors challenge the gift.

As I read this and meditated on it, I was reminded of a person’s (military, if I recall correctly) discussion with a dissident of America in France.  This person resented the fact that American’s were so obnoxious, etc.

Not sure just how it got around to the final statement, which was – America came over here in two world wars to fight those that took your loved ones, land, homes and freedom from you.  The only thing we asked for was land to bury our dead.

I haven’t done any research on this, but I rather doubt America paid for the land comprising these cemeteries. 

That is they did not pay for it in money.  They paid for it in the blood and death of each soldier buried there and with those soldiers that were forever impacted by the war and went back home to try and recover some reasonable portion of their life.

The land, the soil the individual was buried in, was not free; it was bought with his blood.  Each and every plot.

Nothing in this life is truly free.  It is purchased with some kind of collateral.  Some things are paid for by money earned, some things are given to us, but someone had to purchase that item, whose money was spent on that item.

The barter system, of course, works much the same way – I will do this for you if you do this – the value of the trade depends on its worth to both people. 

Then there are the intangibles, the cost of something that cannot be measured with money or skills, only by the time and sacrifice of the person paying the price.

While our military people receive pay for their services, which may include going to war – the price of winning that war is the blood of the individual soldier.  His sacrifice is his life so that others are not oppressed.

Police Officers and Firefighters are in much the same situation, they are paid to take risks, but the price that is sometimes enacted is their blood - so that others can be safe.

When these servants of our country die because they did the best they could to insure our way of life was secure – we give them homage and honor.  That is the way it should be, the price of our safety is their willingness to die for us, and many do.

The blood of these servants, who died due to the actions of someone, is on the hands of those that took it.  But the price was paid by the servant, by his blood. 

Those that cause the life to be taken are held accountable (I know, this is in generalities, but that is the expectation of society – at least for now.)   

Many equated Jesus’ death as a free gift to us, one that, in order to receive it we must accept it.  We all too frequently trivialize the price.

However, the salvation of each of us is not free – it comes with a cost, there is a bill to be paid and it was paid by the humiliation, death and blood of Jesus.

God accepted the sacrifice, but the blood of Jesus is on our hands.  Our sins, our lives required a price in order to be free of that blood. 

We are not being held responsible when we accept that gift, if we acknowledge what that gift cost.  We are free of eternal punishment for our sins.

The suspect who takes the life of another may spend many years, or the rest of their life – which may be taken by the state in the form of capital punishment – in prison.  He is to be accountable for his actions.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen and some get away with their criminal behavior – whether it be war or individual actions.  Eventually they will suffer the consequences of their actions, God is not to be mocked, the result and cost of their actions will follow them for eternity.

God removes the sin from our lives, but we are still responsible for the results of those sins if it impacts another.  However, the consequences of those sins will not follow us past the grave.  We are indeed forgiven and freed by the blood of Christ.

All God asks of us, for the death of His Son, is a proper place to let His Son rest, that place is in our hearts. 

When He is there our desire to serve Him becomes more and more important to us.  He paid for us, we are His – we become the ground in which He resides to be used by Him to His Glory.

Later, Art :-)