When we struggle we feel all alone. But we are not. The Son of God has walked much further along the road than we will ever have to.
Imagine being born to die. Jesus lived His life on earth with the cross as His focus. He lived with the burden of knowing that the "cup of suffering" that He had to drink was to be separated from the Father as He became the object of Divine Wrath and Justice on behalf of every human being.
He did this for us, and now when we find ourselves on the road of loneliness, betrayal, suffering and abandonment, we are never alone.
The gospel band "Third Day" put it very well in their song
"Carry my Cross"
As long as I remember
I've been walking through the wilderness
Praying to the Father
And waiting for my time
I've come here with a mission
And soon I'll give my life for this world
I'm praying in the garden
And I'm looking for a miracle
I find the journey hard but
It's the reason I was born
Can this cup be passed on
Lord, I pray your will be done
In this world
So I'll carry my cross
And I'll carry the shame
To the end of the road
Through the struggle and pain
And I'll do it for love
No, it won't be in vain
Yes, I'll carry my cross
And I'll carry the shame
I feel like I'm alone here
And I'm treated like a criminal
The time has come for me now
Even though I've done no wrong
Father, please forgive them
They know not what they've done
In this world
Three more days and I'll be coming back again
Three more days and I'll be coming back again
(You can listen to it at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxZPQPOj5g8 )
So, when trouble threatens to overwhelm you, "consider Him..."
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
