Jesus warned his disciple that they would be scattered when he was crucified. But he also assured them that there was no reason to fear as they would not face the future alone: "But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee" (Mk 14:28). They would not have worry about what they would encounter in the future because Christ would be there, waiting for them.
This is the same promise that gave King David confidence to face an unknown future: "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there" (Psa 139:7-8). David would never arrive anywhere that God was not already present. Neither will we.
God is not caught off guard by our circumstances because He has gone ahead and is present in them before we get there: "...all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Ps 139:16).
We do not step into an uncertain future alone. We step into a future where Gid is already present and provisions already made for us. We can face what appears to us as uncertain because Jesus promise "I will not leave you as orphans" (Jn 14:18).
The future may look dark and bleak at times, but The Lord of Light goes ahead of you to illuminate the way. Do not worry for God is faithful.
Instead of worrying about the future and how you will get by, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things (things we worry about) will be provided for" (Matt 6:33).
Jus' Sayn.
Life can be very difficult at times. It can be difficult most of the time. But our days can always be good. What kind of Pollyanna, pie-in-the-sky notion is that? It is neither Pollyanna nor pie-in-the-sky, it is Kingdom Truth!
The circumstances of life do not determine the quality of one life, if it did only the rich and highly favored would be happy. But, in fact, many rich, powerful people who have everything are not at all happy. Conversely,there are many poor, powerless people who live with a song in their hearts.
Consider this, as couple get older and look back over their lives,they often look at those early days, when they had nothing and so many things were working against them as some of their happiest days. How can that be? It is not the external state but the internal state from which happiness and contentment flow.
Listen to the words of the apostle Paul: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess 5:16-18). Prayerfully rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances. How, why? Because the inward work of the Kingdom is so much greater and it's results are beyond time and circumstance.
What gives the young couple in love so much joy despite the meager and often difficult circumstances is the hope born out of their love for one another. What allows the Christian to have joy and a heart filled with gratitude, despite difficult circumstances is equally the hope born out to the love that exists between the believer and the Lord.
"And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us" (Rom 3:5). Jus'Sayn.
In ancient times, the heads of wheat would be shaken about and tossed in the air so that the chaff would be blown away by the wind. Metaphorically, to be sifted like wheat was to so shaken up as to come undone.
If you were sifted like wheat, you were ripe to be defeated or devoured like wheat sifted and ground into flour. Satan desired to do precisely that to the disciples, but Jesus had other plans: “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers" (Lk 22:31-32).
Satan desires to do the same to you and me as "he goes about like a hungry lion, seeking whom he can desire" (1Pet 5:8). You may have already been through an encounter with Satan that left you shaken to the core or it may be coming or even coming again.
Satan wants to devour you, Jesus yearns to deliver you. Your part is to "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mk 14:38).
But, if you do fall into the grip of temptation and are shaken to the core by the trap Satan has set for, don't give in or give up for "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it" (1 Cor 10:13).
When tempted to do wrong or turn your back on God or betray your faith, remember it is Satan seeking to drag you down and Christ would will lift you up. Keep your eyes on Jesus, even in a storm - especially in a storm that you are not blown away like the chaff from beaten wheat.
Jus' Sayn.
Like the character on the TV series, "Breaking Bad," Jesus facing the worst possible outcome through no fault of his own, reached the breaking point, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death" (Mk 14:34). But unlike that character, Jesus chose good not evil at the breaking point.
The TV character, like people are tempted to do when pressed to the breaking point, chose to pull out the stops and do whatever he felt he had to do to address the situation. He broke bad and while he thought he had things under control at first, he soon began to see that his life was spiraling downward fast.
The problem "Walter White" found in "Breaking Bad" was caused by his focus when things seemed to be so out of control - he focused on himself, what he wanted and what he could do. The end game of self-focus is self destruction. Walter didn't save his life or his family, his life was traded for a life of crime, which destroyed his family and the life he sought to protect.
When Jesus reached the breaking point, he chose good. Instead of focusing on himself, what he wanted and what he could do, he lifted his voice to heaven crying out, "Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will" (Mk 14:36).
Jesus could have fought back, he could have called for "twelve legions of angels" (Mt 26:53). He could have stopped the crucifixion but he would have lost his life - the life of unity he had with the Father from before the beginning. By taking things into his own hands, he would have circumvented the will of the Father and doomed mankind to eternal destruction.
Jesus broke good "leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps" (1 Pet 2:21). When it seems that all of Hell is breaking loose around you, that is not the time to let Satan suck you in to self-determination. This is precisely the time to break good and call upon the Father, seeking His will and His strength. Jus' Sayn.
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, he took his disciples with him, wanting them to "keep watch and pray." They were given the opportunity to bring comfort to the Savior of the world as he prepared himself to endure the weight of the sins of mankind. But they missed out on that opportunity as they slept on their watch instead of praying.
He plainly told them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, stay here and keep watch" (Mk 14:34), but three times (the same number if times Peter would deny him), he came to them and three times they were sleeping instead of keeping a watch of prayer. On the third time, Jesus said, "Enough! The hour is come" (Mk 14:41). In other words, time opportunity to provide comfort to their Lord in this monumental point in history had passed.
When Jesus faced his trial and confrontation with the Devil in the dessert, "the angels came and attended to him" (Mt 4:11). But in the garden, that ministry to the Son of God was presented to the disciples and they passed on the opportunity. They would not be forsaken by God, they would have other opportunities to serve Him and serve The Lord they did - to the point of death for most. However, that opportunity was gone, that moment for ministry would forever be lost.
Jesus may be promoting you to attend to a friend or provide help to a stranger. He may be leaning on your heart to provide service to Him by ministering to another. As the Bible says, “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me'" (Mt 25:40). It won't be your only opportunity to serve but it may be your only opportunity to serve in that moment, meeting that need. It will be a lost opportunity that may never come again. Jus' Sayn.
It was true of Judas, it was true of Peter, it was true of all the apostles: "I will strike the Shepherd and the sheep will all fall away" (Mark 14:27). It is true of you and me. Everyone fails God: "All sin and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 2:23).
However, judas chose to be a failure by hanging himself in his grief and his guilt instead of gangling on and allowing the Spirit of Christ to restore him. Peter was grieved, he felt terribly guilty, but he lived to be restored by the Savior. The rest of the apostles did the same.
You and I will bear the same guilt at times and even those our spirit may grieve us, we are not throw-aways, we are keepers in God's sight. Yes, we fail - that is a part of the fallen human condition but becoming a failure is a choice. Slipping in the mud is due to a temporary loss of balance but to wallow in it is a choice.
Jesus didn't say "come unto to me all who have unburdened themselves of their struggle," he said, "come unto me all who are heavy burdened" (Matt 11:28). He calls you to himself, warts and all. He loves you just as you are. And he loves you enough to empower you to become better to be redeemed time and again.
Jus' Sayn.
When the time came for Jesus to go to the cross and bear the guilt and sin of the world, his spirit was deeply burdened and he greatly desired the watchful prayers of his disciples and closest friends. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death ,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch" (Mark 14:33).
Instead, three times he found Peter and the others asleep. As The Lord prepared himself to face the most difficult time of his existence, as history was coming down to the most critical moment in all of time, while the future of mankind was weighing in the balance, the disciples slept.
They were physically and emotionally exhausted. They were humans just like you and me with physical limitations. We probably wouldn't have done any better. Probably not, but we could have and so could have they.
In preparation for war during the Veitnam Era (thankfully I was not actually sent), we would be placed on guard duty at the end of the day and sometimes followed by kitchen duty (KP - kitchen patrol) and then start a new day, without the mandatory sleep period. In war, sleep is often foregone for long periods. If you raised children, you've had sleepless nights with sick children. People are able to forego sleep when there is sufficient reason.
The disciples just really didn't get the gravity of the moment. All the forces of Hell were marshalling against The Lord in his human form, the pressure was great and the stakes couldn't be higher, the disciples slept. Mostly, I don't think we get it either. I often hear people say they can't get up early enough for prayer and quiet time, they can't stay awake after the last child is put to bed and the last electronic device is turned off, and there is no opportunity during the day. Just when do you keep watch? When will you find the time? Do you think the war is over, that Satan is done? Jus' Askn.
