Father, thank You for a good night’s sleep and for Your gentle call to wake me this morning. May this be a day where I accomplish all that You deem necessary. May I love Karen with Your love from beginning to end. May I be the conveyer of truth to those who come to listen tonight at our special Holy Week service. Amen.
Matthew 11:1-6 (<<click the green)
I can only imagine what John the Baptist’s thoughts were as he sat in that prison cell. He had been obedient to God’s direction. He had proclaimed the message God had given him – not under his breath or in back alleys but loud and hard right where no one could miss him. He was not shy or backward and he didn’t hold back from what needed to be said – hence the reason for his imprisonment and eventual death. (King Herod wasn’t to keen on being called out on marrying his sister-in-law.)
Being alone can have its benefits but sometimes it gives us too much time to think. He had done all the right things and had ended up in jail. Had he missed something? Jesus was the Messiah…wasn’t he? John sent his disciples to make doubly sure. Jesus affirmed the truth
How many times do we find ourselves imprisoned either by our own actions or by things beyond our control even? We can’t escape and may even feel that death is imminent. We have diligently been doing the best we can and then out of nowhere, it seems that we are stuck…with nowhere to turn.
One thing we must realize is that we are not alone.
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been listening to Steven Curtis Chapman’s autobiography, Between Heaven and the Real World on CD traveling back and forth to work. We so often look at “celebrities” and think that they’ve got it made – fame, fortune…they just seem to have it all together. But I have to say, I have lost count of how many times I have just broken down and cried while listening as he has bared his heart. Even now as I have been typing I’ve had to stop for the tears. Not a single one of us – no matter how focused or dedicated –is exempt from the ravages of this old world and the enemy of our souls. Heartache and loss…our own inability to truly love others and ourselves the way we so desperately desire to do so…it quite often overwhelms us… We are lost…we are hopeless.
Lord Jesus, thank You for stepping into our hopelessness for You and You alone are Hope. In the midst of our lostness, You are our Savior. You are our only way out. Our lives here are but a blink of an eye in the scheme of eternity and many times all we can do is just cling to You to make it through to that time when there will be no more pain, no more tears, and we will step across that threshold into Your arms.
“God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.”
– Jesus (Matthew 11:6)
Mar 29th, 2018, Thurs, 6:38 am
