Going With
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:36-38 NIV
Jesus went with...
I don't know what the circumstances are in your life...you may be facing death through disease. Or, you may be trying to pray for a prodigal to come home, physically and/or spiritually.
Your business may be floundering, or your marriage may be falling apart.
You may have made the wrong choices about some things that have landed you in a place of loneliness that you never saw coming.
That one drink or pill was just supposed to help you manage through the pain of whatever circumstance you found yourself in, but here you are now, addicted. The one pill turned into many. When they were no longer cutting it, the needle was next. The alcohol couldn't numb the grief enough. No amount of drinking was sufficient to deaden the pain of life--or the pain of death.
You turned in the wrong direction when you stood at the crossroads of your circumstances. You should have turned right instead of left.
I want to remind you that even though the situation is beyond your control and the circumstances are dire--you are not alone in your Gethsemane.
If Jesus "went with" His disciples, He will also go with you. They were about to see all their hopes and dreams be taken away and beaten. They scattered to the wind. Peter, with his hot-headed impulsiveness, tried to prove that if the rest of them were going to just stand there--he would "do something." He would take action--cut off the ear--that'll show them. It showed them alright. Jesus had to fix it. He did the same thing as before when he jumped out of the boat. Jesus didn't call him out of the boat. Peter jumped out. Then he needed rescuing. Bless his heart. Haven't we done the same thing?
What Jesus had asked them to do was watch and pray with Him.
That was too simple. That wasn't demonstrative enough. Not showy enough. Jumping out of a boat, now buddy, that's showy. Grabbing a sword and slicing off an ear...that's showy. Watch and pray. There's no action (they think). Stay awake. Be alert. Pray.
Have you ever fallen asleep while praying? I have. But hadn't you rather fall asleep while praying than not be praying at all? As to what they did, I can't really say. But the Bible doesn't say in any of the Gospels that they "fell asleep while praying."
You know, I have no clue where you are today. But Jesus does. He's been right beside you this whole time, and you've been overlooking the obvious. You were looking for the box of instant potatoes when you should have stayed in the produce and picked up the bag that you have to wash, peel, cut, and cook. I have no idea why I used cooking potatoes as an analogy except for the fact that I wanted to remind us--in our circumstances--in our Gethsemane, there are no shortcuts out. We will have to trust and pray and believe our way out.
The morning came when the Son rose...and the sun rose again.
He will go with.
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