We
are often troubled to the very depth of our soul during our lifetime (John
12:27). We lose a loved one, our place of employment closes down, our church
splits and half of our friends are gone, we lose our car keys and cannot find
them for days, etc.
Life
is hard and unpredictable, causing stress and discouragement at every turn of
events. We struggle with trouble and trials, which continually flood our life.
We find our self treading water just to survive.
Wave
after wave of distress and betrayal wash over us. We are scorned, disgraced and
shamed; surrounded by enemies. This breaks our heart and we feel helpless. We
look for sympathy, but there is none; for comforters, but we find none.
Jesus
knows exactly how we feel (Isaiah 53:3). As a man, He suffered from the
adjustments of growing up in an Israeli town occupied by a foreign nation (John
1:10), step-sibling rivalry (John 1:11), the strain of false accusations (Luke
23:4-5), the stresses of making a living (Matthew 6:3), the pain of betrayal
(John 13:2) and the sorrow of rejection (Isaiah 53:3).
He
also suffered spiritual separation from our Father when He took our sin to
Calvary's cross. This loss of God's presence ripped a cry of anguish from His
throat (Matthew 27:46). He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with the deepest
grief, just like we are.
At
Gethsemane, Jesus pleaded for God to find another way to satisfy the penalty of
our sins. Yet, even in the face of the horrendous crucifixion, He went forward
with the Father's will, to bring God glory and to bring us Salvation and
Eternal Life with Him.
Prayer:
Father
God, we are so grateful that because of Jesus sacrifice for us, we will never
experience the utter abandonment and rejection from You that Jesus suffered on
our behalf. We want to follow Your will for our life, just like Jesus did -
regardless of the suffering, how much it costs, and how long it takes.
We
rejoice in the presence of Your Holy Spirit, who sustains us throughout our
lifetime. When we come to the place of spiritual maturity where You possess all
of our heart, we look forward to receiving Your abundant blessings, which bring
us far greater joy than the fulfillment of any of our selfish desires. Thank
You for Your protection, provision and perfection in our life.
Thought
for the Day:
When
we give God our life, and allow it to unfold according to His will rather than
our own, He uses us as He planned before we were ever born; He changes our life,
and those lives that He touches through us, by His indwelling Spirit within us.
-
Jeremiah 1:5; 2 Corinthians 3:18
