This is my second daily devotional. Today I read and wrote from Mark Chapter 14 verses 34-36. Please read with an open heart and an open mind and maybe even say a small prayer because you never know when God might speak to your heart. I'm not saying that my writing is God inspired or anything, but God has been known to work in mysterious ways, so maybe my amateur ramblings will stir within you... You never know! =). Anyways, please tell me what you think as well... Any thoughts and opinions are welcome.
He Sacrificed Everything by Michael James Waymire
S (Scripture)- Mark 14:34-36 (Jesus speaking) "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death", he said to them. "stay here and keep watch".
Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
O (observation)- I have always found this moment in the life of Jesus to be both interesting and incredibly significant and emotional as well. Jesus knows at this point that he is going to die, and not just die, but he is going to be crucified, which is literally one of if not the worst way that a person could die. Not only that but before he is crucified he is going to be beaten and spit upon and shamed and betrayed. His friends and disciples are going to abandon him and deny him and he is basically going to be alone. So it is no wonder that he says that his "soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death". It does not say it here in Mark but in other of the gospels it is said that Jesus was so overwhelmed and stressed that he sweat blood because of the strain that his emotions and despair were putting on his body. Yes, Jesus was and is the Son of God, but he still had fears, and he still did not want to feel pain or loneliness, and he still did not want to die.
Even with all of that Jesus still allowed himself to be sacrificed, because his feelings of fear and anxiety and stress and despair were outshined and overpowered by his Love for us and his Love and obedience to and for God. This is shown when Jesus pleads with his Father, God, to take the responsibility of dying on the cross from him if at all possible, but that when God does not, Jesus accepts and follows the will of God and makes the ultimate sacrifice for all of the entirity of human history and existence. Jesus did not run away in the face of persecution and fear and pain and abandonment and even death, but instead took up the cross and obeyed and Loved God enough and Loved all of us enough, to do what he did not necessarily want to do, but what he had to do. I truly do not know if I could have done the same thing that Jesus did, but I am truly thankful to him that he did. Thankfully with great sacrifice also comes great reward, for Jesus triumphed over death, and he now sits at the right hand of God as the one and true risen King and Lord of Lords!
A (application)- I need to be happy and content about my station in life. I need to be way more appreciative about the freedoms and liberties that I have and that I sometimes take for granted and I need to stop grumbling about how much I hate my job and how I am always bored and I need to instead be thankful and overjoyed that I don't have to live and work and struggle like a lot of the rest of the world does. I need to be a better representative of the Love of God, the type of Love that Jesus had, and be willing and able to sacrifice my time, my patience, my comfort, and my effort for others instead of just being annoyed or frustrated about them a lot of the time. I need to love and sacrifice way more, and I need to be more thankful and appreciative and joyful because of and with and in Jesus Christ who loved me enough to sacrifice absolutely everything that he had and all of himself for me, and for you as well. If I can do that, I'll be a much better person, and a lot closer to God in my relationship with him, and that is exactly what my heart truly desires the most.
P (prayer)- Lord I pray that I could be more loving and patient and calm even when I don't want to be. I pray that I would default to Love and relying on you for my strength when I get frustrated or stressed or angry or sad instead of being a jerk or taking it out on other people. Please help me to have the heart for people that you had and have and please help me to be the Child of God that you always purposed me to be. Lastly help me to be in a healthy and intimate enough relationship with you to be able to do your will no matter what is standing in my way and no matter the sacrifice or consequence and may I become more appreciative and thankful for what you have done for me, and help me to give back in some way as well. In Jesus name I pray. AMEN.
Thank you for reading if you did. Please tell me any thoughts or questions or reactions that you had from reading this. I hope in some way you learned a little bit more about Jesus and who he was and is today. Always remember that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is God and loves you in a truly unimaginable way that never ceases and never stops and never tires and never weakens no matter how far away you go from him and no matter how much you might not believe in him. Jesus will war for you no matter what, and no power of Earth or the physical Universe can stand against him. The enemy quakes in fear at the mention of his name, and if you just give him a chance... If you just turn towards him... Jesus will rush toward you and embrace you and never let you go. You cannot escape the Love fo God... You can ignore it and you can try and run... but you cannot escape the Love of God. I hope that the Holy Spirit of God moves within you and either draws you closer to God or reveals God to you for the first time. Thanks again for your time and peace out for now and may God bless you in all that you do!!! =)