One of the many, many, many, many things I appreciate so much about our Heavenly Father is that when He decided to use humans to write The Bible, He chose to write it honestly. He chose to show us how people REALLY are. He didn't write a book about perfect people, living perfect lives while worshiping their Perfect God. He wrote a book showing a Perfect God who CHOOSES to love a race of rebellious and sinful people. Sadly, many of us who claim to follow Him think we have to be perfect little religious robots who never doubt, never falter, never get tempted and never fail. Where did we get that idea? Certainly NOT FROM THE BIBLE.
The last NINE blogs have talked about how our first purpose in prayer is to know God, love God, and have God reveal His love to us.
BUT.. dear wife and mother.. the Bible shows us that prayer is sometimes just a DESPERATE CRY FOR HELP! And God has no problem with that.
If you need HELP.. cry out to God! One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 107. If you take the time to read that Psalm you will see that it describes four different kinds of people - who found themselves in storms and deep troubles. Some of them got there because of their rebellion against God's Word and Law while others were simply weathering the storms of life. BUT THE ONE THING THEY ALL HAD IN COMMON IS THAT WHEN THEY CRIED OUT TO THE LORD IN THEIR DESPERATION... HE HEARD THEM.. AND RESCUED THEM. Even if it was their poor decisions that was causing their distress! God LONGS to show mercy. He doesn't excuse sin.. but.. when we look up to Him in our distress.. HE HEARS US. HE HEARS and HELPS. Yes.. He does.
Something dawned on me a few years ago was as I was reading the Gospels about Jesus and His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus knew what was about to happen. He was going to take the SIN of ALL HUMANITY on Himself. And in so doing, He was going to get the brunt of God's Wrath on Himself. It wasn't just OUR SIN that Jesus took. It was GOD'S WRATH toward US and OUR SIN that He endured on that Cross.
A horrible thing to have to endure. And Jesus knew it. And He said that He came to do the will of His Father. And He knew the only reason He was alive was to take our sin. And He was full of the Holy Spirit. And FULL power. And FULL of love. And wisdom.
AND YET... when faced with what He KNEW was God's Will.
When faced with what HE KNEW was God's plan.
He asked His Father if there was
ANY WAY.
ANY WAY He could take that cup away. Is there any other way you can do this without Me having to be the one laying down my life, Father?
And yet.. knowing the horror ahead He chose to do God's will.
And the Gospel of Luke says an angel from Heaven came to strengthen Him.
THIS GIVES ME GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT. If Jesus had a moment where He wanted to find a way out of suffering... then certainly God understands when I have moments like that.
Because sometimes I DO NOT WANT TO OBEY.
I do not want to suffer.
I do not want to lay my life down to serve others.
I cannot believe that God is expecting me to endure what God is expecting me to endure.
AND IF ANYONE UNDERSTANDS THIS.. IT IS JESUS.
And how gracious and merciful of our Heavenly Father to let us know that Jesus also had a moment of wondering if there was any way around God's will.
NOW.. let's just clarify. Bearing the sin of the world, dying in our place and being resurrected in our place... is a whole lot more difficult than any thing you or I will ever go through. I'm not comparing our suffering to Christ's suffering. But.. I am saying that He understands that moment of thinking.. "Father God, I am unable to walk this path that You seem to be asking me to walk."
This is long enough.
I want to encourage you today.. that God will give you the strength to obey what HIS PLAN is for you today.
Not enough money? Not enough love? Not enough wisdom? Not enough peace?
Jesus understands what life on earth is like.
He is INTERCEDING for you.
He is saying, "Father, she needs some help. She needs some strength. She needs an angel from heaven to show her some love. She is weak and wants to obey, but feels weak right now."
The Holy Spirit is right there.. Right now.
He sees you.
He loves you.
He will strengthen you.
XO,
Mrs. Older.
P.S. WOW.. WOW.. WOW... Thanks for those of you who have recently signed up to receive this by email. If you haven't signed up... you can sign up.. UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF THE PAGE.
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