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 2 Peter 3:18 To him be glory both now and forever.Heaven will be full of the ceaseless praises of Jesus. Eternity! thine unnumbered years shall speed their everlasting course, but forever and forever, "to him be glory." Is he not a "Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek?" "To him be glory." Is he not king forever?--King of kings and Lord of lords, the everlasting Father? "To him be glory forever." Never shall his praises cease. That which was bought with blood deserves to last while immortality endures. The glory of the cross must never be eclipsed; the lustre of the grave and of the resurrection must never be dimmed. O Jesus! thou shalt be praised forever. Long as immortal spirits live--long as the Father's throne endures--forever, forever, unto thee shall be glory. Believer, you are anticipating the time when you shall join the saints above in ascribing all glory to Jesus; but are you glorifying him now? The apostle's words are, "To him be glory both now and forever." Will you not this day make it your prayer? "Lord, help me to glorify thee; I am poor; help me to glorify thee by contentment; I am sick; help me to give thee honor by patience; I have talents; help me to extol thee by spending them for thee; I have time; Lord, help me to redeem it, that I may serve thee; I have a heart to feel; Lord, let that heart feel no love but thine, and glow with no flame but affection for thee; I have a head to think; Lord, help me to think of thee and for thee; thou hast put me in this world for something; Lord, show me what that is, and help me to work out my life-purpose: I cannot do much; but as the widow put in her two mites, which were all her living, so, Lord, I cast my time and eternity too into thy treasury; I am all thine; take me, and enable me to glorify thee now, in all that I say, in all that I do, and with all that I have." Daily Light on the Daily Path Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin "?Psalm 14:2,3 The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. • They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one. Romans 8:8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 7:18,19 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. • For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. Isaiah 64:6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. Galatians 3:22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 2 Corinthians 5:19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 1 John 1:8,9 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. • If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 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. |
    |