Apicontent

“(Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover, about noon.) Pilate said to the Jewish leaders, ‘Look, here is your king!’ Then they shouted out, ‘Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!’ Pilate asked, ‘Shall I crucify your king?’ The high priests replied, ‘We have no king except Caesar!’ Then Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus.” —John 19:14–16

All Jewish feasts have their preparation days in order for people to be ready mentally, spiritually, and physically. On these days, no regular work is done in order to focus totally on preparation. Jesus’ death occurred prior to the special Sabbath known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The children of Israel were to abstain from all leavened bread for seven days. To prevent any accidental consumption, they were to empty their homes of any leaven or leaven products. The Old Testament includes strict instructions:

“These are the LORD’s appointed times, the holy assemblies, which you must proclaim at their appointed times: In the first month, on the fourteen day of the month, at twilight, is a Passover offering to the LORD. Then on the fifteenth day of that same month the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day there will be a holy assembly for you; and you must do no regular work.” —Leviticus 23:4–7

“For seven days yeast must not be found in your houses. For whoever eats what is made with yeast that person will be cut off from the community of Israel, whether a resident foreigner or one born in the land. You will not eat anything made with yeast; in all places where you live, you must eat bread made without yeast.” —Exodus 12:19–20

Yeast in the Bible is symbolic of sin. The absence of yeast represents the picture that those who are under the safety of the shed blood of the Passover lamb are free from the corruption of sin before a holy God.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

“Clean out old yeast so that you may be a new batch of dough—you are, in fact, without yeast. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. So then, let us celebrate the festival not with the old yeast, the yeast of vice and evil, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.” —1 Corinthians 5:7–8

It is important to note that Jesus died on the day the Israelites were to rid their lives of leaven (sin). This was the day they were to leave their wanderings behind them. The great God in heaven allowed the perfect Lamb of God to take upon Him all the sin of the world so that those who would believe on Him would be safe under His shed blood:

“God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.” —2 Corinthians 5:21

Sadly, many of the Jews did not want Jesus to be their King. In our verses for today, we find them raising their fierce, relentless, stubborn cry in a demand for the death of Jesus. They shout to Pilate: “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” They want no part of Him. Only His blood will satisfy them and only His blood will fully satisfy God’s righteous requirement for the payment of their sin.

Had not our Lord been rejected, we would have been forever rejected by God. As Christ was made sin for us and crucified, in like manner, we are to crucify the sin in our lives. Christ was put to death for our offenses—the Righteous One for the unrighteous. He is our substitution. Our punishment was laid upon Him and by His wounds, we are healed. He has set us free! Paul tells us:

“He was given over to death for our transgressions and was raised for the sake of our justification.” —Romans 4:25

This was a part of God’s plan! Isaiah clearly foretold of God’s amazing plan to redeem us to himself:

“Though the LORD desired to crush him and make him ill, once restitution is made, he will see descendants and enjoy long life, and the LORD’s purpose will be accomplished through him.” —Isaiah 53:10

Become More

You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed—not by perishable things like silver and gold, but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ.” —1 Peter 1:18–19

Further Reflection

“See what sort of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called God’s children—and indeed we are! For this reason the world does not know us: because it is did not know him.” —1 John 3:1

“Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged severely. The soldiers braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head and they clothed him in a purple robe. They came up to him and again, said, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ And they struck him repeatedly in the face.” —John 19:1–3

Jesus is experiencing incredible suffering … for our sake. The moment has come for the Old Testament prophecies to be fulfilled:

“He was despised and rejected by people, one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness; people hid their faces from him, he was despised, and we considered him insignificant.” —Isaiah 53:3

“He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed.” —Isaiah 53:5

The eternal Son of God, whom the Father’s countless angels stood at the ready delighting to honor, steps down out of His glory to be the perfect and needed sacrifice for all the sins of the world. We see our Lord here willingly beaten by His own people, unjustly condemned by a judge who proclaimed he could find no fault in Him, and finally delivered up to an excruciating death with all the sins of the world heaped upon His bleeding and disfigured body. Who loves like this? Only God—His love is a love that stands alone.

Paul tells us:

“You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men and by sharing in human nature. He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross! As a result God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” —Philippians 2:5–11

The suffering of Jesus puts into perspective our own suffering. What was it like for Him to beaten and mocked? We are called to follow His example of patience in all trials and afflictions of life—especially those brought upon us for our faith in Him. It is He and He alone who gives us the grace, the power, and the strength to meet each trial. We have His strength in us!

Become More

“But the LORD delivers the godly; he protects them in times of trouble.” —Psalm 37:39

Further Reflections

“He, the innocent sin-bearer, wore the crown of thorns, that we, the guilty, might wear a crown of glory.” —John Charles Ryle

“Whatever the circumstances, whatever the call, whatever the duty, whatever the price, whatever the sacrifice—His strength will be your strength in your hour of need.” —Billy Graham

“Want of trust is at the root of almost all our sins and all our weaknesses, and how shall we escape it but by looking to Him and observing His faithfulness. The man who holds God’s faithfulness will not be foolhardy or reckless, but will be ready for every emergency.” —Hudson Taylor

“So Pilate went back into the government residence, summoned Jesus, and asked him, are you the king of the Jews? Jesus replied, ‘Are you saying this on your own initiative, or have others told you about me or did others talk to you about me?’” —John 18:33–34

In an effort to remove Jesus from the disorderly crowd so that he can question Him, Pilate calls Jesus into his palace. Holiness has been summoned into defilement. Is that not a perfect description of what Jesus does every time He is asked to enter a heart at the point of salvation? Purity, holiness, and blamelessness enter into a heart filled with sin and depravity—saving, cleansing, and empowering that heart to be like Him.

“Jesus showed us what God really wants to cleanse and purify—our hearts. Christ’s transforming work on the cross helps us to break free from desires that hold us in bondage. As we submit to God, we become like Christ, no longer wanting to offend God. Out of gratitude we obey Him from the inside out.” —Tremper Longman

The writer of Hebrews gives us the following description of our great High Priest and Savior, Jesus:

“And the others who became priests were numerous, because death prevented them from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently since he lives forever. So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. For it is indeed fitting for us to have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.” —Hebrews 7:23–26

C.S. Lewis paints a vivid description of what he found when he examined his own heart: “A zoo of lusts, a bedlam of ambitions, a nursery of fears and a harem of fondled hatreds.”

He also wrote: “Man is now a horror to God and to himself and a creature ill-adapted to the universe not because God made him so but because he has made himself so by the abuse of his free will.”

All four Gospels record Pilate asking the same question: “Are you the king of the Jews?” He obviously had a desire to know if Jesus professed to be the king of this ancient people over whom he and his soldiers now ruled. Considering our Lord’s humble appearance, Pilate possibly assumed that Jesus was merely a mock messiah—simply setting himself up over the throngs of people who adored Him. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record Jesus replying to Pilate with the same words: “You say so.”

“Then Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘You say so,’ Jesus replied.” —Matthew 27:11

“So Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ asked Pilate. ‘You say so,’ Jesus replied.” —Mark 15:2

“So Pilate asked Jesus, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘You say so,’ Jesus replied.” —Luke 23:3

A few verses later in John 18 we find similar words from Jesus, yet with a stipulation for those willing to hear Him:

“Then Pilate said, ‘So you are a king!’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this reason I came into this world—to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’” —John 18:37

Become More

The Roman historian Suetonius has noted that a rumor was prevalent throughout the East at this time in history that a king was about to arise among the Jews who would obtain dominion over the world. This rumor no doubt originated from Jewish prophesies. I cannot help but be reminded of the wise men’s statement as they sought to visit Jesus at His birth:

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the time of King Herod, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’” —Matthew 2:1–2

Further Reflection

Jesus’ entire life was lived within the framework of his role as the King of the Jews. It is precisely because of it that He saves us!

“So Pilate came outside to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this man?’ They replied, ‘If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.’ Pilate told them, ‘Take him yourselves and pass judgement on him according to your own law!’ The Jewish leaders replied, ‘We have cannot legally put anyone to death. This happened to fulfill the word Jesus had spoken when he indicated what kind of death he was going to die.’” —John 18:29–32

There was certainly no love lost between Pilate and these hypocritical Jews. Pilate was not the least bit fooled by their false pretense—he saw right through their charade. Matthew’s Gospel tells us Pilate was aware of the motives behind these Jewish leaders’ actions:

“For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy.” —Matthew 27:18

Pilate was well aware of these leaders’ envy and fear over Jesus’ growing popularity and following. He had witnessed the love, acclaim, and wild enthusiasm the Jewish nation had for their King. Certainly, he had heard about—if not even seen—the crowds assembled together shouting “Hosanna,” and waving palm branches (symbols of victory) at Jesus’ triumphal entry, and shouting Messianic titles to Him.

John tells us earlier in his gospel:

“The next day the large crowd that had come for the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took palm branches of palm trees and went out to meet him. They began to shout, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!’” —John 12:12–13

However, in our verses for today, it was the Jewish leaders causing this annoyance for Pilate, not the masses. These leaders wanted Jesus dead, and if possible, they wanted the deed done by the hands of the Romans. They wanted to keep everything legal in their own eyes, they wanted to justify their evil behavior. Never mind that their hearts were hardened and dead.

Yet the Jewish leaders’ actions were merely the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophetic words—another confirmation that Jesus was exactly who He said He was!

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and said to them, 

“Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the experts in the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged severely and crucified. Yet on the third day he will be raised.” —Matthew 20:17–19

Become More

What the Jewish leaders failed to realize is that God values what is in the heart over the pretense of righteous actions. He always judges on the basis of why we do what we do.

“All a person’s ways seem right in his own opinion, but the LORD evaluates the motives.” —Proverbs 16:2

Further Reflections

“Certainly the LORD watches the whole earth carefully and is ready to strengthen those who are devoted to him. You have acted foolishly in this matter; from now on you will have war.” —2 Chronicles 16:9

“I, the LORD, probe into people’s minds. I examine people’s hearts. I deal with each person according to how he has behaved. I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.” —Jeremiah 17:10

“Our Lord does not care so much for the importance of our works as for the love with which they are done.” —Teresa of Avila

“Simon Peter and another disciple followed them as they brought Jesus to Annas. Now the other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, and he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard. But Peter was left standing outside by the door. So the other disciple who was acquainted with the high priest came out and spoke to the slave girl who watched the door, and brought Peter inside. The girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, ‘You’re not one of this man’s disciples too, are you?’ He replied, ‘I am not.’ One of the high priest’s slaves, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, ‘Did I not see you with him in the olive grove?’ Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.” —John 18:15–18, 25–27

Peter’s denial of Jesus is actually recorded in all four gospels. The other gospel accounts are as follows:

“Now the ones who had arrested Jesus led him to Caiaphas, the high priest, in whose house the experts in law and the elders had gathered. But Peter following him from a distance, all the way to the high priest’s courtyard.”—Matthew 26:57–58

“Then they led Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests and elders and experts of the law came together. And Peter followed him from a distance, up to the high priest’s courtyard. He was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire.” —Mark 14:53–54

“Then they arrested Jesus, led him away, and brought him into the high Priest’s house. But Peter following at a distance. When they had made a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down with them.” —Luke 22:54–55

Peter was anxious to see what would happen to his Master, yet not brave or bold enough to stay by His side. What mixed feelings must have been going on within him! Loving the Lord Jesus, afraid to show his true loyalty, ashamed of his disloyalty. And so he finds himself choosing the very unprofitable middle ground between what he knows to be the right thing to do and what fear and cowardice prevent him from doing.

When we find ourselves seeking to stay the middle course for fear of others or for fear of our own skin, we are poised to fall. After being so self-confident that he would never deny the Lord, Peter does exactly that. Isn’t that the way it goes? We place ourselves in positions we should never be in, and fear, self-confidence, pride, or whatever blows in on us and we come spiraling down, doing things we never thought possible.

Instead of being self-confident, Peter ought to have been humble; instead of sleeping, he should have been praying; instead of flitting around the fire with the enemy, he should have placed himself out of temptation’s reach.

Paul tells us we are to flee temptation and pursue righteousness. In order to do that we need to know ourselves! We need to identify what temptations are most appealing to us and will cause us to fall. We must know where we are most tempted and seek to avoid placing ourselves where we are likely to tumble down. No one is above falling.

Certainly, the sound of the early morning rooster crowing was a harsh and bitter sound to Peter’s ears. A jolt of painful lightning must have pierced his heart. He had done something he had passionately proclaimed he would never do. He had turned his back on his Lord. 

Earlier in John, we find Peter showing great confidence:

“Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!” —John 13:37

He genuinely underestimated his own determination. Unfortunately, this is a misstep we all seem to wrestle with! We can all see ourselves in Peter.

Become More

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up.” —Hebrews 12:1–3

Further Reflections

“The only fear a Christian should entertain is the fear of sin. All other fears are from Satan sent to confuse and weaken us. How often the Lord reiterated to His disciples, ‘Be not afraid!’” —Isobel Kuhn

“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect you. I will call you by name; you are mine.” —Isaiah 43:1

“Then the squad of soldiers with their commanding officer and the officers of Jewish leaders arrested Jesus and tied him up. They brought him first to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year. (Now this was Caiaphas who had advised the Jewish leaders that it was to their advantage that one man die for the people.) —John 18:12–14

“They tied him up.” Seriously? How do you tie up the One who spoke creation into being? How do you tie up the great “I AM”? How do you tie up the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form? How do you tie up Omnipotence in the flesh? “They tied him up” simply because Jesus allowed them to bind Him. He allowed Himself to be a sufferer and He allowed His enemies to work their will. He allowed Himself to the object of spite and hatred. He suffered while He served. To free humankind from bondage, Jesus became bound, and we owe our liberty to His bondage. The prophet Isaiah tells us:

“He was despised and rejected by people, one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness; people hid their faces from him; he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed.” —Isaiah 53:3–5

“He was treated harshly and afflicted, but he did not even open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not even open his mouth. He was led away after an unjust trial—but who even cared? Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; because of the rebellion of his own people he was wounded.” —Isaiah 53:7–8

Become More

“We see the Son of God taken prisoner and led away bound like a malefactor, arraigned before wicked and unjust judges, insulted and treated with contempt. And yet this unresisting prisoner had only to will His deliverance, and He would at once have been free. He had only to command the confusion of His enemies, and they would at once have been confounded. Above all He was One who knew full well that Annas and Caiaphas, and all their companions, would one day stand before His judgment seat and receive an eternal sentence. He knew all these things, and yet condescended to be treated as a malefactor without resisting.” —John Charles Ryle

Jesus is our great deliverer!

Further Reflection

“Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. —Psalm 61:1–2

“While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd appeared, and the man named Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He walked up to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, ‘Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?’ When those around him saw what was going to happen, they said, ‘Lord, should we use our swords?’ Then one of them struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, ‘Enough of this!’ And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.” —Luke 22:47–51

Here we see the angry crowd led by one of Jesus’ own disciples, one of his closest friends—Judas. Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss. How ironic! To us, a kiss is generally a sweet sign of love, and in Bible times it was an act of friendship. Yet Judas desecrates and abuses it. Hmmm … I wonder how often we desecrate and abuse what is sweet and good?

“Man sees your actions, but God, your motives.” —Thomas a Kempis

“Beware of no man more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us.” —Charles Spurgeon

God is looking for obedient behavior from His children stemming from proper motives! I am reminded of David’s words to his son Solomon regarding the building of the temple:

“And you, Solomon, my son, obey the God of your father and serve him with submissive attitude and willing spirit, for the LORD examines all minds and understands every motive of one’s thoughts. If you seek him, he will let you find him, but if you abandon him, he will reject you permanent. Realize now that the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as his sanctuary. Be strong and do it!” —1 Chronicles 28:9–10

Have you ever noticed that there are simply no secrets hidden from Jesus? Knowing full well who was to betray Him, Jesus was aware of Judas’ “secret” sign which would show the crowd accompanying him exactly who they were looking for to arrest. I am reminded of God’s words in Jeremiah:

“Do you really think anyone can hide himself where I cannot see him?” the LORD asks. “Do you not know that I am everywhere?” —Jeremiah 23:24

Nothing is outside the realm of God’s all-knowing plan—nothing!

Become More

“Jesus is the One who shows us the paradoxical route to meaning in a chaotic and hostile world. It’s the paradox of the gospel: Strength is found in weakness. Control is found in dependency. Power is found in surrender … God uses the frustrations of this life and the hurt of relationships to compel us to look beyond what we can control to the God who controls all things in order to woo us to himself. As we move from control to surrender, we move from chasing the wind under the sun to embracing God above it.” —Dan Allender, Breaking the Idols of You

Further Reflection

“I am the LORD, and there is no peer; there is no God but me. I arm you for battle, even though you do not recognize me. I do this so people will recognize from east to west that there is no God but me; I am the LORD, I have no peer. I am the one who forms light and creates darkness; the one who brings about peace and creates calamity. I am the LORD, who accomplishes all these things.” —Isaiah 45:5–7

“Then he came to his disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, ‘So, couldn’t you stay awake with me for one hour? Stay awake and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ He went away a second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will must be done.’ He came again and found them sleeping; they could not keep their eyes open. So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same thing once more. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is approaching, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.’” —Matthew 26:40–45

Have you ever been depressed over circumstances differing greatly from what was hoped or perhaps even prayed for? If so, you are in good company. These disciples, exhausted from sorrow, were experiencing such despair. Much more than just followers of Jesus, these guys were Jesus’ most trusted friends. But they were tired!

Oftentimes, we too are so discouraged over a situation that we choose to retreat in sleep, under the comfort of the comforter, when in reality our comfort must come from the Comforter! Jesus cries out to us: “Why are you sleeping?”

“He speaks as one amazed to see them so stupid. How small a thing it was that he expected from them–only to keep watch with him. If he had bid them do some great thing, or die with him, they thought they could have done it; and yet they could not do it, when he desired them to keep watch with him … Yet, He considered their frame, and did not chide them, for he remembered that they were but flesh.” —Matthew Henry

Friend, this is our hour! Jesus encourages us to watch and pray, emphasizing the weakness of the flesh even though our spirits are so well-intentioned!

Paul warns:

“So it the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall!” —1 Corinthians 10:12

He adds in the book of Ephesians:

“With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and petitions for all the saints.” —Ephesians 6:18

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are to always be praying and alert, not only when the enemy attacks but on all occasions.

Become More

Let all of our trials lead us to earnest prayer. May we pray from the heart! As we call upon the Lord, He will hear us and He will help us.

“When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers. When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul.” —Jeremiah 29:12–13

Further Reflection

“Labor to get a deep sense of the majesty of God, and of his mercy, upon thy mind, that thy prayers may be fervent and earnest; and God will bless thee.” —K.H. von Bogatzky

“Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And in anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” —Luke 22:43–44

Here we see a ministering angel sent to strengthen Jesus as He prays in anguish. The word translated “anguish” is from the Greek word agonia meaning: “A contest, conflict; stress, agony intense inner tension. It has in mind the intense anxiety, dread, or tension one experiences in anticipation of a conflict, as a soldier before a battle or an athlete before a match. It denotes Jesus’ anguished state of mind in Gethsemane prior to the crucifixion. He is filled with dreaded anticipation, not fright or panic, as He faces the epic battle on which man’s salvation rests. In the ultimate conflict of the ages, Jesus will emerge as the Victor” (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible New Testament Lexical Aids).

I love the fact that God sent an angel to strengthen our Lord! I am reminded of Psalm 91:11:

“For he will order his angels to protect you in all you do.”

Jesus earnestly sought His Father in prayer. God was His refuge—as He is ours. While Jesus was not delivered from His sufferings, He was strengthened and supported in them. We are always given the grace sufficient to meet every difficulty God allowed us to face.

Oftentimes during trials and calamities, it is difficult to remember the promises of God. I have found Psalm 91 to be a helpful passage of scripture to turn to. Indeed, I have found it to be so profitable in my life I have committed the entire Psalm to memory. I call it the “I will” Psalm. In its sixteen verses, we find the word “will” used over 20 times! It points to God as being our faithful refuge, fortress, and protector as we rest in His shadow—even through the difficulties we experience. This wonderful psalm ends with these encouraging words:

“The LORD says, ‘Because he is devoted to me, I will deliver him. I will protect him because he is loyal to me. When he calls out to me I will answer him. I will be with him when he is in trouble; I will rescue him and bring him honor. I will satisfy him with long life, and will let him see my salvation’”. —Psalm 91:14–16

God delivers, protects, and answers. He is with us in trouble. He rescues and honors and satisfies. Who could ask for greater promises than these?

“Therefore he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For since he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.” —Hebrews 2:17–18

Become More

“Grief exalts us, and troubles lift us.” —Charles Spurgeon

“The one who gives the power gets the glory.” —John Piper

“Peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of God.” —Alexander Maclaren

“Faith raises the soul above the difficulty, straight to God Himself, and enables one to stand still. We gain nothing by our restless and anxious efforts … It is therefore true wisdom, in all times of difficulty and perplexity, to stand still—to wait only upon God, and He will assuredly open a way for us.” —C.H. Mackintosh

Further Reflections

“Though assaults be many, and my enemies mighty, if God strengthen me, I have enough to comfort me; for the greater my enemy, the more glorious my victory; and the more glorious my victory, the more triumphant my glory.” —K.H. von Bogatzky

“The will of God will never take you where the grace of God cannot sustain you!” —Anonymous

“He went away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’” —Luke 22:41–42

In these verses, we see Jesus modeling what He taught His disciples about prayer:

“So pray this way: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’” —Matthew 6:9–10

I am reminded of Paul’s words to us in Romans regarding God’s will for our lives:

“Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.” —Romans 12:2

God’s will for our lives is always good and well-pleasing and perfect—whether we are able to ascertain that through our emotions and feelings or any other of our senses. God has prepared profitable, useful, and beneficial things for each one of us and it is His desire for us to walk in them.

“For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them.” —Ephesians 2:10

When we do not submit to God’s will for our lives, we do ourselves a disservice. Our prayers should echo that of King David:

“Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God. May your kind presence lead me into a level land.” —Psalms 143:10

Like Jesus, David’s prayers were based on his trust in God. David not only wanted to be shown God’s will for his life but also to be taught how to stand firm in it—knowing with certainty God’s way was for his ultimate good and for the good of others. In our frailty, being both lame and blind (not to mention dull), we would often choose wrong paths simply because of ease and comfort not to mention fleshly desires and lust.

Famous hymn writer Fanny Crosby was blinded at the age of six weeks by a doctor’s careless treatment. In her autobiography, Fanny Crosby’s Life Story, she wrote: “It seemed intended by the blessed Providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank Him for the dispensation.” The doctor who destroyed her sight never forgave himself and moved from the area, but Fanny Crosby held no ill will toward him. “If I could meet him now,” she wrote, “I would say ‘Thank you, thank you’—over and over again—for making me blind.” In fact, she claimed that if she could have her sight restored, she would not attempt it. She felt that her blindness was God’s gift to her so that she could write songs for his glory. “I could not have written thousands of hymns if I had been hindered by the distractions of seeing all the interesting and beautiful objects that would have been presented to my notice.”

What an amazing testimony! How often I flee from the difficult; seeking relief, desiring ease, rather than embracing what is allowed in order for God to make me into the image of Jesus Christ. Filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, how much better to prefer our lives to be beautiful songs played for His glory than to delve into the pleasures of this world for a short time. 

Become More

“Somehow in the wonder-working providence of God, our worst problems become our best pulpits. God turns our tragedies into testimonies and our emergencies into evangelism. Our testimonies are forged and crafted in the trials of life, our pain has an evangelistic purpose, our problems become His pulpits, and the things that happen to us turn out for the furtherance of the gospel.” —Robert J. Morgan

“How it pays to take one step at a time with God!” —Isobel Kuhn

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love him.” —1 Corinthians 2:9

Further Reflection

“Enable me to do what is pleasing to you; give me that grace that is necessary to the right knowledge of your will, and an acceptable obedience to it, that we may neither displease God in anything we do nor be displeased at anything God does.” —Matthew Henry

“God always gives His very best to those who leave the choice with Him.” —Hudson Taylor