Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Hope In Action

Scriptures: Luke 22:42 (NIV) – “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 

Micah 7:7 (NIV) – “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”

Message: When Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, was he filled with fear?  Anxiety?  Doubt?  After all, Jesus was human flesh.  But, He was so much more!  He was God incarnate who came to save all whom He loved.  Therefore, Jesus prayed earnestly and faithfully to God to “remove this cup” from Him, but in the end, He proclaimed, “yet, not my will, but yours be done”.  Jesus knew that God’s plan was perfect and that the path of that plan was Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice, so that you and I could find salvation, grace and forgiveness.  He shed His blood willingly, so we could know the joy of His resurrection and come into fullness of life.  Jesus surrendered His own will to God’s will, fully convinced that His Father knew what was best.  When we pray this way, we put our hope in God’s wisdom, trusting Him to work out what’s best for our lives.

Micah 7:7 promises, that, when “I watch in hope for the Lord,” ….“my God will hear me”.  At this time in our lives, my husband and I are in a season of hope.  We are seeking God’s will waiting for my husband’s kidney transplant.  We have put our hope into action by going to numerous doctor appointments, taking many medical tests, and preparing for surgery and post-operative care.  We pray as Jesus prayed in Luke 22:42, and believe in God’s perfect plan.  It is not easy; the obstacles and pain sometimes make us very weary and almost hopeless, yet we know that God can use our circumstances to accomplish His purposes.  Jesus has broken through our pain and doubt and made a hope-filled path for us. We must lean into Him and trust in His goodness.

Prayer: Thank You Jesus, for being our example as we pray, not my will, but Yours be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Help us to watch in joyful hope for the Lord, because He hears us.  May we be people who allow God’s grace and hope to rule in our hearts and lives.  Amen.

Lisa Wallace