Prayer (for you to pray as it applies to you or someone in your life): God, You are my refuge and strength. An ever-present help in trouble. You see the trouble that I will never know about and take care of it. Therefore I will not fear even when things fall down before me. Just because it looks bad or feels bad- doesn't necessarily mean good will not come out of it. You, the LORD Almighty is with me. The God of Jacob is my fortress. Let the world see Your works LORD. You command me to "Be still, and know that (You) are God; (You) will be exalted among the nations, (You) will be exalted in the earth.". You spoke it and Your words never return void. In the pressures of the greatest responsibilities, in the worry of the smallest cares, in the perplexities of life's moments of crisis: I will rest in the security of Your Will. What the world worries about, will not cause concern in my life; because in Your beautiful rest, I will have a calmness of spirit and my soul will reflect Your beauty. My presence will calm the uproar in the lives of others, as the uproars of my own life have been calmed in Your holy presence. In the name of Your courageous Son, Jesus. Amen. (Psalm 46)
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DEATH & RESURRECTION OF JESUS, THE KING
Matthew 27
The Crucifixion *part 4* v. 36-44
And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: "THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS." Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"
In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God. ' " In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
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We can be some cruel individuals. Can't we? We will sit and judge someone, treat them unkind, talk about them, ignore them- as if we have never done anything wrong in our own life. Or we count our sin as not as bad as another's. News flash-a sin is a sin. None is better than the other. Though the worse sin is to deny the Holy Spirit; if you commit murder, I am no better than you just because I lied. They are all sins against God.
Now we really get ugly when we condemn someone without any proof or in clear awareness that the accusation is a lie. These people knew they were doing Jesus wrong. What they didn't know is what they were accusing Him of (down to the very sign above His head); He was in the very process of fulfilling His own prophecy.
Because Jesus is the Son of God, who always obeys the Will of the Father, as the people demanded proof from Him; He did not come down from the cross. Everything He did was because it was in obedience to the Father. He didn't need the glory of men, He was the glory of the LORD.
How does this relate to our own lives? Well first, people will ridicule you, people will accuse you, people will put you down. But you have to remember, your entire life is in purpose of God's Will, therefore don't ever feel you have to prove something to man that will take you out of your purpose for God.
And second, let's begin to treat one another with kindness- especially when we don't understand someone, and even more when they are not kind to us. Don't push people to become what benefits you, encourage them to be all the God has created them to be in any way you can. No matter how genius we are, we still will never know everything ("we know in part" 1 Corinthians 13:9) and you never know what God is working out in any given situation.
KEEP PRAYING OVER EVERYTHING!
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"Through God's mercy I have this ministry, I will not lose heart... I do not preach myself, but Jesus Christ as LORD and myself as the servant of the people for Jesus' sake." 2 Corinthians 4:1,5
Scripture & Prayer from NIV Women's Devotional Bible-Classic Edition (H. Smith). Notes from The Study Application Bible.
www.thegoodnews4yourlife.blogspot.com "Providing you with what you already have access to in the most convenient way. So that we all can continue to grow in wisdom & understanding of God."
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