Jesus, with all that I am, I sit here this morning seeking all that you are.
“As for these things that you are gazing at, the days will come when not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!”…But stay alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that must happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
So every day Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, …And all the people came to him early in the morning to listen to him in the temple courts.” (Luke 21:6,37-38)
Jesus, in almost all of this chapter you are giving us a warning of the uncertainty of life, yet at the same time you give us the certainty of persecution and suffering, institutions being torn down and you call us to “stay alert at all times” (v.36). This world is a broken world. All of creation was broken in the Garden of Eden and the fall of mankind. That brokenness and corruption on the world still exists today. People ask me from time to time, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” That questions comes from the assumption that the world is ”good.” However, the world we live in is broken with sin. So we should not question why a baby dies at birth, we should question why any at all live. We should not be surprised when a marriage ends in divorce, we should be surprised any remain faithful and in tact.
Jesus, you tell us that, “Nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (v.10). However, you also tell us, “when you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be afraid. For these things must happen first” (v.9)
You tell us, “There will be great earthquakes, and famines and plagues in various places, and there will be terrifying sights and great signs from heaven.” (v.11). But you also tell us, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (v.33)
You tell us that, “they will seize you and persecute you, handing you over to the synagogues and prisons.” (v.12). Yet you also tell us, “But when these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (v.28)
And you tell us how we can overcome all this and not be “weighed down with the worries of this life” (v.34). How we do this is by drawing close to you and finding our strength in you. “So every day Jesus was teaching in the temple courts…and all the people came to him early in the morning to listen to him in the temple courts.” (v. 37-38)
We over come this broken world by coming to you everyday, early in the morning, and spending time in your word and in prayer. We over come our struggle “against powers, evill spiritual forces, the world and its rulers of darkness” (Ephesians 4:12) by spending time daily in Scriptures and payer putting on the armor of God.
“For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13) Why does Paul say we put on the armor of God? Not so we receive anything else but the ability to Stand! To not be knocked down by the upheavals in this broken world and simply yet powerfully stand strong in our faith as a testimony to the presence of God in a broken world. That is why I invest time in creating and sharing these morning reflections with you. It is because I want you to see the absolute necessity of spending time daily in your Bible and prayer and I want you to be able to stand! And I need you to stand, and so do others around you, because none of us can stand alone. I need others to link arms with and help me stand strong.
My family, I pray today you will come to understand the absolute necessity to spend time daily in your Bible and in time of prayer. I pray you will spend time today in God’s Word and prayer so you can Stand in this broken world, and lift those who have been knocked down up, dust them off, and help them stand with you. In Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us on this blog in the comment box below.
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