Your Gethsemane (Lent Devotion) - Thursday, April 18 (Maundy Thursday)
Your Gethsemane
They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." (Mark 14:32)
There are times in our life when we feel alone as we face a very difficult situation. At those times, we seek out friends who can pray for us and stand with us. And there are times, for whatever reason, that our friends are unable to give us the support we need from them. We find ourselves even more alone then, and we experience a sense of abandonment.
If you have been there, be encouraged, my friend. There is someone who has walked this similar road and was able to move beyond the experience of being disappointed by friends. His name is Jesus. He moved on to fulfill the task God gave Him.
The night Jesus was betrayed, He had gone to Gethsemane with three of his disciples - Peter, James, and John. Three times Jesus asked them “to watch and pray." Each time, the disciples fell asleep.
Not only has Jesus secured our eternal salvation through his death on the cross and his resurrection on the third day, he has also shown you and I how to travel this path of earthly life. He has shown us to walk in faith, persistence, and hope in the midst of experiences that cause stress and anxiety. He has shown there can be victory in life when we hang on to faith. Victory is when we persist in distressing situations because of the hope we have in Jesus and our eternal life.
This is the message Rick and I bring to many across Canada. It is always amazing to see the change in the countenance of people who suddenly understand this message.
During this Lent Season, be reminded and encouraged - there is hope for you in any situation. It is our hope in Jesus that allows us to see our situation in a Christ-like way.
Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to die and then rise from the dead for each one of us. Thank you for making it possible to have victory in the life experiences that would otherwise keep us in overwhelming despair. Father, help us to have eyes of faith that understand this. In Jesus' name, Amen.