“And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, [42] saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup [of divine wrath] from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done.”– Luke 22:41-42 (AMP)
Jesus Christ had lived well according to the will and mandate of God and now it was time to take the last step in that regard. But this last stage of His assignment was the most difficult. He had healed the sick, raised the dead, restore sight to the blind, made the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak, He made the lame to walk again and gave hope to the hopeless. He fed thousands miraculously and preached the Gospel of the Kingdom in villages, towns and cities. He has raised men and women who would continue the work after He had gone.
Everything Jesus did in His lifetime was very important to the purpose of His coming to the world. But the final lap was His suffering, trials, crucifixion, death, resurrection and ascension. And at this last hour, there He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, troubled and overwhelmed by the sorrow of the painful death to come. He decided to pray again just like He always did throughout His life and ministry. His words were heavy and echoed through the heavens until eternity.
This was the decisive moment in His ministry, the climax of what He came to do. He began to pray that, if possible, He might escape the suffering and pain to come as a human but He insisted that God’s will be done and not His. And that was it. He didn’t insist on having His way at that time of human weakness but He chose God’s will. He was weak as a human and an angel came to strengthen Him. And this was how we have the salvation we boast of today.
Dear believer, there are stages of your life, ministry and purpose fulfillment that you would need not to insist on having your own way and just surrendering to God’s will. Many people have insisted on their own will and made it impossible for God to perfect what He started with them. You must understand that at every stage of your walk with the Lord, no matter how painful, God’s will must be your priority. You must trust God to strengthen you to go through every difficult phase of your assignment. The flesh would want comfort at that time but don’t give it. Rely on God and trust Him to help you stay aligned with His will for your life.
Reflections: At what point in my walk with the Lord and assignment have I chosen comfort above God’s will for me laced by difficulty? What is the extent to which I trust God’s will for me? When the Lord sets me on a difficult path, will I choose to walk with me or bail into my comfort zone?
Confession: I am of Christ and I live to please Him always. I receive strength to walk through every difficult path laid for me to ultimately fulfill God’s purpose for me. I do not choose comfort over obedience.
Related Scripture: Luke 22
Bible Reading: Genesis 37
