God's Word

Tonight was just one of those nights when Scripture came alive - sometimes I pray and read the Bible and it's just okay or good - I know I am blessed by it but it's not always so apparent to me at the time, other times I neglect reading at all - this always has apparent effects as I always get a wrong perspective, me attitude, worry more, etc.... But then sometimes God just allows a certain passage to speak to my heart - or maybe it just so happens that my heart is softer or more sensitive to His spirit - maybe I am just quieter, or maybe someone has been praying for me.... But whatever the reason, I am thankful for His word.

Tonight we were reading Mark 14 with the kids - Here's what we read

27 And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, because it is written, `I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP SHALL BE SCATTERED.' "But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee." But Peter said to Him, "Even though all may fall away, yet I will not." And Jesus said to him, "Truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times." But Peter kept saying insistently, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And they all were saying the same thing also.

They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here until I have prayed." And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. And He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch." And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will." keep watch for one hour? "Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. And He came the third time, and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. "Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!"

I saw that Jesus knew that his closest friends would deny Him. I know that He knows my failings too. I saw that this hurts him when they are too tired to even pray for him in His greatest hour of need - and this is after He has just humbly washed their feet and has told them that His hour has come. After all Jesus has done for me and the grace and love He continually pours out into my life, I still can be so very selfish and yet He doesn't give up on me. I know that the rest of the story is that He does not treat them with condemnation or disgust at their laziness and lack of serving Him even a little like He serves them. No, Jesus is disappointed and probably hurt but it does not change that He continues to love them and the next day lays down His life for them. And why is He able to do this? Because He is first surrendered to His Father's will -not His own. This is the key to having this spirit of service and grace and love - to be surrendered to the Lord's will not my own will - even when His will is very tough. But I thought of the verse - "For the joy set before Him, despising the shame, Jesus endured the cross..." He focused on the joy that surrendering to the Lord's will would bring. Not right in that moment, but set before Him. I am reminded to keep my eyes of eternity and on glorifying God and not on the fleeting pleasures or discomforts of what I am called to do today. And to keep my focus on Jesus as my example of love and servitude.

I love that when He returns, He does not hold it over them but loves them completely AND puts trust in them to carry out His work on earth. He doesn't give up on us even when we blow it! I know this. But it was good to be reminded of His grace and servant heart.

And to look to Jesus as my model in graciously responding to my children (or my husband, friends, etc) when they fall short - just as my Father in heaven responds to me. And to love not based on the actions of others but on the love with which the Lord loves me. A lofty goal for sure and one that I am certainly not meeting. Okay not just not meeting but completely blowing it quite often! But I see here that God does not give up on me or quit believing in what He can do through me. Thank you Jesus for Your word, for Your grace, for Your love, and for Your example. Thank you that You keep teaching me and loving me. Thank You that You never change! Thank you that You promise that You are faithful when we are faithless.