In the bible, Gethsemane was called the place of the olive press. It was there that Jesus faced one of the greatest tests of His 33 and ½ years on earth. Here He was introduced to the place we all have experienced, or will experience – the breaking point. It was here that He felt the pressure of His impending sacrificial crucifixion, as the cross cast its shadow across His life. It was here the disciples, coming to accompany Jesus as He neared His final hours, failed Him. Having fallen asleep, even awake they could not ease the burden of His call or the weight of sin’s burden. It was here that His humanity cried out to God, saying “Father, if there is a way out, back-door, parachute, failsafe, ripcord, reset button, or cancellation clause, please let this cup pass from me.” It was in this moment that I believe Jesus got it all out. We don’t need to hold in our fears, worries, uncertainties, or negative anticipations – we need to get it all out. Release it. Find a way to let others know when they betray a trust, disappoint, take you for granted or abuse relationships. Don’t be religious and pious, believing that “God’s gonna work it out.” While I strongly advocate the biblical principle of long-suffering, we all must sense within our spirit when enough is enough – and afterward submit ourselves to the will of God concerning us.
Between these two phrases we see the stark contrast between Jesus’ humanity and divinity. Jesus was no different from you and I. He struggled with the flesh, and was only able to subdue it by the spirit. By the spirit He was able to transcend the present moment of agonizing in prayer to see that God had not changed His mind, and therefore neither would Jesus. Divinity spoke. “Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.” At the point this phrase was uttered, the struggle was over.
You can’t afford to quit now. This is the most important moment in your life. You are considering giving up when God is thinking nothing but great thoughts about you. If you knew that your breakthrough was just on the other side of faith combined with works, what great exploits would you be preparing to accomplish - right now?
God has placed a demand upon your life. Your destiny demands that you press through the discouragement, push past the pain, persevere beyond the circumstance, and stand in the face of the ridicule. You’ll never know how much strength, faith, hope, courage and discipline you have until you are tested to the full extent and measure of your spiritual character. This is your Gethsemane. Could it be that God knows the path that you’re on, where you should be on life’s path, and prepares to meet you based upon where you should be, not where you are, and is on a path of interception designed to cross your path at a designated point and place in time?
Do not allow yourself to be measured by the size of the test, but by your ability to conquer every fleshly challenge by the spiritual strength God has invested in you.
Between these two phrases we see the stark contrast between Jesus’ humanity and divinity. Jesus was no different from you and I. He struggled with the flesh, and was only able to subdue it by the spirit. By the spirit He was able to transcend the present moment of agonizing in prayer to see that God had not changed His mind, and therefore neither would Jesus. Divinity spoke. “Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.” At the point this phrase was uttered, the struggle was over.
You can’t afford to quit now. This is the most important moment in your life. You are considering giving up when God is thinking nothing but great thoughts about you. If you knew that your breakthrough was just on the other side of faith combined with works, what great exploits would you be preparing to accomplish - right now?
God has placed a demand upon your life. Your destiny demands that you press through the discouragement, push past the pain, persevere beyond the circumstance, and stand in the face of the ridicule. You’ll never know how much strength, faith, hope, courage and discipline you have until you are tested to the full extent and measure of your spiritual character. This is your Gethsemane. Could it be that God knows the path that you’re on, where you should be on life’s path, and prepares to meet you based upon where you should be, not where you are, and is on a path of interception designed to cross your path at a designated point and place in time?
Do not allow yourself to be measured by the size of the test, but by your ability to conquer every fleshly challenge by the spiritual strength God has invested in you.
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