Bible League: Living His Word While Jesus lived on earth he prayed to God, asking for help from the one who could save him from death. He prayed to God with loud cries and tears. And his prayers were answered because of his great respect for God.— Hebrews 5:7 ERV Like every Christian, you’ve had to deal with trials and troubles all of your life. Now, however, you’ve come to a point where things seem to be coming to a head. It’s a time of intense suffering. It’s a time when the pressure is so great that you don’t think you can handle it. Jesus knew suffering like that. He knew it all of his life. In particular, He knew it in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before His arrest. Our verse for today tells us what He did at those times, especially the time in the Garden. First, He prayed. It was His practice to do this all of His life. He used to steal away from His disciples early in the morning so He could do it (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16). Jesus knew that He could not do what He was called to do in life apart from prayer, apart from the help of God. It figures, then, that He would do it in the Garden. Second, He prayed with loud cries and tears. When He was suffering intensely, He prayed with such fervor that He cried out loud and with tears. When it came to prayer, Jesus was not reserved. He didn’t hold anything back. His trials and troubles were intense, so He brought intensity to His prayers. Especially in the Garden, His trials and troubles demanded that kind of fervor. Third, He prayed that He would be helped, protected, and saved from His troubles. All of His life Jesus was threatened by savage forces that were, at least from the human point of view, much stronger than Him. In the Garden, even though He was about to die, He prayed that He would be delivered from His adversaries and their schemes. Finally, our verse for today tells us that Jesus was heard because of His great respect for God. Although He did not receive what He asked for in the Garden, He was heard and He was helped (Luke 22:43). Today, in your Garden of Gethsemane, follow Jesus and pray like he prayed, for you will be heard as well. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingLeviticus 20, 21 Leviticus 20 -- Punishments for Sins NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Leviticus 21 -- Regulations for Priests NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Matthew 28 Matthew 28 -- Christ's Resurrection; The Guards' Report; The Great Commission NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion May the words of my mouthand the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Insight Would you change the way you live if you knew that every word and thought would be examined by God first? David asks that God approve his words and thoughts as though they were offerings brought to the altar. Challenge As you begin each day, determine that God's love will guide what you say and how you think. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Psalm 45:8 Whereby they have made thee glad.And who are thus privileged to make the Saviour glad? His church--his people. But is it possible? He makes us glad, but how can we make him glad? By our love. Ah! we think it so cold, so faint; and so, indeed, we must sorrowfully confess it to be, but it is very sweet to Christ. Hear his own eulogy of that love in the golden Canticle: "How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine!" See, loving heart, how he delights in you. When you lean your head on his bosom, you not only receive, but you give him joy; when you gaze with love upon his all-glorious face, you not only obtain comfort, but impart delight. Our praise, too, gives him joy--not the song of the lips alone, but the melody of the heart's deep gratitude. Our gifts, too, are very pleasant to him; he loves to see us lay our time, our talents, our substance upon the altar, not for the value of what we give, but for the sake of the motive from which the gift springs. To him the lowly offerings of his saints are more acceptable than the thousands of gold and silver. Holiness is like frankincense and myrrh to him. Forgive your enemy, and you make Christ glad; distribute of your substance to the poor, and he rejoices; be the means of saving souls, and you give him to see of the travail of his soul; proclaim his gospel, and you are a sweet savour unto him; go among the ignorant and lift up the cross, and you have given him honor. It is in your power even now to break the alabaster box, and pour the precious oil of joy upon his head, as did the woman of old, whose memorial is to this day set forth wherever the gospel is preached. Will you be backward then? Will you not perfume your beloved Lord with the myrrh and aloes, and cassia, of your heart's praise? Yes, ye ivory palaces, ye shall hear the songs of the saints! Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 93:3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, The floods have lifted up their voice, The floods lift up their pounding waves.Psa 93:4 More than the sounds of many waters, Than the mighty breakers of the sea, The LORD on high is mighty. Psalm 89:8,9 O LORD God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. • You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them. Jeremiah 5:22 'Do you not fear Me?' declares the LORD. 'Do you not tremble in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it. Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. Matthew 14:29-31 And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. • But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" • Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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