Jesus knew that everything He went through was in the plan. Every single detail was prophesied before His arrival. God had worked out every detail of His life to the letter and He was just living it out. But those who put Him on the cross had another thing coming.
Enduring the cross is not something that’s only left for Jesus. It is the reality for every Christian. The cross may look like tribulations, trials and difficulties of life but it is primarily the place where your flesh dies. Where you trade all you are for all of God to be made manifest in and through you.
“Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men….
So imagine with me for a moment that Jesus had decided to be disobedient. Imagine that He decided to walk away. What would have happened to us? Because what we may not know is that our obedience may be tied to somebody’s deliverance.
And can we just talk about how tough obeying God can be? It is not always easy-breezy, it requires sacrifice and crucifying the flesh. That hurts. It is by grace and grace alone that we are able
Beloved, some good intentions could be temptations to distract you from God’s purpose for your life. But people of faith are focused. They have their heart set on God’s will and they will not turn to the left or to the right.
“Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it…
I have never read of any man of courage that wasn’t given to prayer. Moses, Daniel, Joshua. Abraham, Jacob, The Apostles, my mother, etc. All of them were people of prayer; running to God was their default setting. But none of them did it just to get what they wanted, they were His friends
Beloved, courageous people know that “good friends” are not always good for destiny so they opt for “God friends.” People who are positioned to enable them fulfill God’s plan for their lives. Don’t judge with your eyes, pray before you make or discard your next ally.
As I study for this particular devotional day. I ask myself, Had Jesus come now would I have actually believed and gone with Him? It is easy to read about these encounters in the Bible and think that you’d be different but consider the reality.
