There is always a time in our lives when we find ourselves in a very difficult situation where the support and comfort of God will be needed in order to move on with total hope. In the gospel today, Jesus prays fervently to the Father with the apostles because he was about to do the will of the Father to redeem man by dying on the cross. This death on the cross was not going to be an easy one, therefore Jesus needed the Father to glorify him, and he was supposed to go through this horrible death for him to be glorified. This single but very difficult act is going to redeem a huge number of people because Jesus will be taking upon himself our pains, struggles, burdens, sorrows, faults, and the sting of death. This is the act which will glorify God, and Jesus becoming the channel through which humankind can access and be given eternal life. This task was not going to be achieved on a silver platter therefore Jesus relied on the Father to take him through it.
“Without a challenge, your life is at a standstill. Don’t just stand there. Move into it, walk through it and conquer it declaring victory along the way.”
(Jena Bradley, Physical Therapist)
Challenges will always come our way but in all that, we must know that prayer is very important when we want to get through it. Jesus knew how difficult his task was, so he never underestimates the power of prayer, so he prayed to the Father and even committed those the Father has given him to the Father as well. When things become difficult, when we find ourselves at a crossroads, this is the time every Christian must look up to God and call upon him for help because it is only Him who can guide and lead us to the right path, never be deceived your strength will not guarantee you success it takes the supernatural power of God to make the impossible possible. After Jesus was taken up into heaven, the apostles went back to the upper room and joined in continuous prayer, together with several women, including Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers.
In challenging times know that the Lord is our light therefore we must not be afraid, nor shrink in the presence of man because the Lord is the stronghold of our lives. Beloved in Christ our lives must be spent in the house of God, and this means we must present our being and everything about it to God for him to order it for us. God must be always present in our lives and never do away with constant communication with him.
It must always be an honour and a privilege to always share in the sufferings of Christ this is because there will certainly be a greater gladness and unfathomable blessings when his glory is revealed. To be Christ like is to be ready to portray the fruits of the spirit which includes longsuffering. When we can endure insults, defamation, mistreatment, isolation, etc because we bear the name of Christ, this is the definition of living like Christ. Going through this is also a sign that the spirit of glory is resting on us therefore when we suffer for being Christians, we should never be ashamed but be continually thankful to God that we are called Christians.
Our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ fulfilled his purpose on this earth by doing the will of his Father, glorified him, taught what his Father asked him to teach and led the people into accepting it, made the Father’s name known, took great care of the people the Father gave him, prayed for them and above all gave unto us salvation and eternal life by going through a horrible death. He has shown us an example of the difficulties we will experience, but we can make the impossible possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. AMEN