I was thinking about what I wrote yesterday and the Lord directed me to John
12:27,28.
Jesus is getting very close to the time of His death on the cross. As he is
ministering to His disciples about true servanthood, He bares His heart
about what He is facing. He says, "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall
I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this
hour. Father, glorify Your name."
The word "troubled" means agitated, stirred up; to make restless; to perplex
the mind of one by suggesting scruples or doubts; from Thayers Lexicon.
I can't imagine what Jesus must have been going thru. I'm sure His "agony"
began long before the Garden of Gethsemane. But how he approached the
anxiety that gripped His soul was not to escape it but place it as part of
His divine purpose for coming into this world.
There is so much in life that happens to us that we don't understand. So
many circumstances that tie our stomachs in knots. But I am learning that
thru it all, God is in control. I don't know how things will play out but
He does. If I dwell on my fears I'm a mess. If I put it in His hands and
remember that my purpose here is to bring glory to God - and let that guide
my thinking and actions - then His purposes will be accomplished and He will
be glorified. And if I have to hurt or grieve or struggle along the way,
which by the way seems a normal part of life here, then He will give the
strength to endure.
It wasn't easy for Jesus, but it was the will of God. It was Jesus' entire
purpose in life. And the same goes for each of us. Jesus said,
Matt. 10:38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not
worthy of Me."
Life is not about fun and money and fulfillment in this world. It is about
the fact that Jesus gave His life for me, so I need to give my life for Him.
Jesus cared more about His purpose than His person. He lived to serve His
Father in heaven.
Rick Cathers, pastor of Calvary Chapel of Fullerton said, "The prize is in
finishing the race, not in quitting. A runner will never know just how he
might have placed in the final standings if he quits.
How do you know that the rough time you're facing isn't going to end up
being one of the "high points" in your life?
Just some things to think about today!
pat@ccesco.com
Again, open and transparent. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. That was so deep and touching. I know that I've been blessed to see how God has grown both you and Joyce through this and it is beautiful! A kind of beauty that only comes from the glory of God and leaves one in awe, even sometimes provokes tears of joy from deep within one's spirit. [smile]
ReplyDeleteHey Bro,
ReplyDeleteI here you bro. With the things that we have faced with Micah in the past 8 years the Lord has driven Bekki and I to the Spot of handing over Micah to the Lord years ago knowing that I can do nothing but Love, encourage, support and fellowship with my family, Micah and others. There are times of worring but only when my eyes are not on the Lord.
This surgery the doctor mention is going to be the hardest one yet due to being around the brain the third time that there can be scar tissue, all sorts of things which I won't mention here that could change Micahs Life or take it.
The Lord gave me these verse's during my time with Him.
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Philippians 4:6
Thanking Him is something that I do not do enough. But the more that I do it the more I find myself in His Arms Full of His Peace.
Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
And so I turn my eyes to the Lord once again after worrying what can I do to stop this, but realizing that once again I can do nothing but pray, seek the Lord and Thank Him for what He has done and the Precious gift that He has given me and entrusted me with my son Micah and Family.
And once again I am blessed and over whelmed with His Love and Peace.
In His Arms!
Craigs
Wow. What a blessing to hear your heart. Thank you for sharing so openly - it is very encouraging!
ReplyDeleteWow Pat! I didn't know you had a blog! This is so cool! Very encouraging. Thank you for sharing all of this.
ReplyDeletePastor Pat,
ReplyDeleteJust happened to go on web site. After not going on for a while. Thanks for sharing. In a church our size it is sometimes to keep in touch with each others lives. We are praying for you and Joyce. Proverbs 3:5-6 is my life verses.