Devotionals
Perhaps one of the greatest cries ever made to God. Jesus made this cry three times.
Matthew 26:39, 42 & 44
Jesus and His disciples had just taken the Last Supper and they went to Gethsemane where He took Peter, James, and John a little distance from the rest of them so as to pray with Him.
Verse 39 says, “Going a little farther, He fell with his face to the ground and prayed,
My Father, if it be possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”
Jesus prayed this three times, yet He had to drink the cup poured out for Him. Only He could partake of this particular cup.
The Bible says Jesus was greatly sorrowed and troubled. He knew what He had to do; yet it was so horrendous that He travailed so hard in prayer His sweat was like drops of blood. (Luke 22:44)
Some of us are facing the death of a loved one and find ourselves crying out to God the same way, “Father take this cup from us, nevertheless thy will be done.”
We can pray, “Thy will be done because Jesus set the standard for us.”
We will not experience anything that Jesus hasn’t experienced; and because of Him we can have victory over sickness and death.
The Word of God said in Isaiah 53:5 that by His stripes we are healed.
3 John 1: (King James) Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
When faced with a bitter cup to drink we can look to the examples of Jesus and Paul. Remember Paul prayed three times for the Lord to take the thorn from his side. God’s reply was, “My grace is sufficient for thee.”
We don’t always know why bad things happen to good people. But we do know that in all things God is with us.
We know God created man to fellowship with, and Adam blew it! Since that time, death of the body became a fact of life.
How you live that life depends on how you drink of the bitter cups in your life. We all have them.
The Bible says to take up your cross and follow Jesus. Your cross to bear and the bitter cup are the same. You will all have trials and tribulations, especially if you are in ministry.
Don’t you just love it; Satan can’t stand when you go into ministry! He will come at you with all that he has because you are being obedient to God and stepping out in faith to follow Jesus.
Be prepared to face some of the most trying times of your life as you drink of the cup you have been given. You will be persecuted…defamed…maligned…falsely accused…sickened, even unto death.; the death of the body. “Though we die yet shall we live in Christ Jesus.”
No devil formed in Hell can separate us from the love of God. If you are not being persecuted, then you need to take stock of your Christian life. Ask why you aren’t?
The World persecuted Christ and it will persecute all those who are called by His name. “Think it not strange when these fiery trials come upon you!”
Paul accepted the thorn in his side as the price he had to pay to be obedient to God.
Jesus accepted the cup He had to drink as He went to His cross.
Let me read you a story I come across on the Internet that relates to this.
The Bee Sting
A vacationing family drives along in their car, windows rolled down, enjoying the warm summer breeze of the sunny day. All of a sudden a big black bee darts in the window and starts buzzing around inside the car.
A little girl, highly allergic to bee stings, cringes in the back seat. If she is stung, she could die within an hour.
"Oh, Daddy, " she squeals in terror, "it's a bee! It's going to sting me!"
The father pulls the car over to a stop, and reaches back to try to catch the bee. Buzzing towards him, the bee bumps against the front windshield where the father traps it in his fist. Holding it in his closed hand, the father waits for the inevitable sting. The bee stings the father's hand and in pain, the father lets go of the bee.
The bee is loose in the car again. The little girl again panics, "Daddy, it's going to sting me!"
The father gently says, "No honey, he's not going to sting you now. Look at my hand."
The bee's stinger is there in his hand.
1 Cor. 15:55--"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death is your sting?"
Jesus says to us, "Look at my hands."
He has Satan's sting, the sting of death, the sting of sin, the sting of deceit, the sting of feeling worthless. Jesus has all of those stingers in His hands.
When you see that nail-scarred hand, realize that, on your behalf, Jesus took all the pain that Satan could throw at Him. He reduced Satan to a big black bee that has lost its stinger--all Satan can do is buzz.
That's the victory that Jesus won for you! Your cup may be bitter but it has no sting. Because Jesus drank His cup, our cup has no sting.
So when you think things aren’t fair because you are dealt a bitter hand, and you get so down that you feel like giving up, just remember that Jesus paid the ultimate price for our afflictions, our trials, and our tribulations.
Paul was beaten, cursed at, thrown into jail, and eventually killed for his walk with Jesus, yet he said to be content in whatever situation you are in. He counted it all joy. How could he do that?
Paul had a face-to-face experience with Jesus.
This world is spinning out of control and will only get worse! The time is very short before we shall be leaving here.
Today, right here, you can have a face-to-face experience with Jesus. What cup do you have to drink from? What thorn do you need removed?
Lay them at the foot of the cross. Give them all to Jesus, broken hearts…wounded spirits…sickness unto death…give them all to Jesus.
He has gone before you and He will lead you through! Come now…Jesus is waiting to meet you face-to-face.
Jesus says to us, "Look at my hands." He has Satan's sting, the sting of death, the sting of sin, the sting of deceit, the sting of feeling worthless. They are defeated!
Right here…right now…you can be set free from the sting of sin and death!
Come!
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Great article, the bee story topped it off. Thanks for the encouragement.
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