There is more to life . . .
than being healthy,
than being happy,
than being problem free,
than being comfortable,
than feeling good, than getting what we want,
than being healed.
There is more to life even than living!
And the “more to life” is the development of our faith to the extent that our very lives display God’s glory!
Jesus does not protect those He loves from bad things happening but uses bad things to fulfill His greater plan. He is glad, not that we suffer, but that we have the opportunity to grow in our faith and display His glory, which is the fulfillment of the very purpose for our existence. Don’t settle for less than more!
The soldiers and officials who had come to the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus seized Him roughly, punching and manhandling Him as they bound Him. They bound the hands of the Son of God! The hands of the Creator! Hands that had lifted in authority and calmed the storm at sea. Hands that had gathered little children on His knee.
Have you ever felt bound . . .
in a marriage where the love has run out?
in a small home with small children?
in a physical body wracked with pain?
Are you struggling with your bindings? Do you find that the more you fight against them, the more pain you inflict on yourself, so that you are miserable in your confinement? Sometimes binding is in the will of God. Jesus was in the center of His Father’s will, yet He was bound. He did not resist the tight cords or complain about His confinement. He simply submitted, not to the soldiers, but to His Father’s will. Would you do the same?
Judas was one of Jesus’ very closest friends. He had been handpicked to be a disciple. He had been given the special responsibility of being treasurer for the entire band of disciples – a responsibility he had enjoyed as it gave him access to personal petty cash as well as prestige in the eyes of others. Yet it was this disciple who betrayed his Lord and Friend with a kiss! And although Jesus clearly knew the betrayal was coming, it was still a knifelike stab to His heart.
Have you ever been betrayed . . .
by a spouse who has taken a secret lover?
by a sibling who has stolen your inheritance?
by a coworker who has taken the credit for a job you did?
If you have experienced betrayal, then you understand something of the stabbing pain Judas inflicted at the very outset of Jesus’ uphill struggle to the Cross and would resolve never to betray another.
Have your thoughts been similar to these?
God, where have You been?
Why did You let this happen?
I just don’t understand.
Are you overlooking the fact that Jesus has drawn near to you?
Are you blinded to His presence by your own tears?
Are you deafened to His gentle voice by your own accusations?
While God doesn’t always protect those He loves from suffering or answer our prayers the way we ask Him to, He does promise in His Word that He will be present with us in the midst of our suffering and pain. He said, “Fear not. . . . When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. . . . For I am the Lord, your God . . . your Savior; . . . you are precious and honored in my sight, and . . . I love you” (Isa. 43:1-4, NIV).
One day, God Himself will take your face in His hands and gently wipe away your tears as He reassures you there will be no more suffering.
There will be no more . . .
suicide bombers or fiery infernos,
broken homes or broken hearts,
broken lives or broken dreams . . . .
No more cancer or strokes or AIDS . . . .
No more pandemics . . . .
No more war!
You can look forward with hope, because one day there will be no more separation, no more scars, no more suffering – no more tears at all – in My Father’s House.
