FEBRUARY 11, 2022

 “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both 
And be one traveler, long I stood 
And looked down one as far as I could 
To where it bent in the undergrowth; 

I shall be telling this with a sigh 
Somewhere ages and ages hence: 
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— 
I took the one less traveled by, 
And that has made all the difference.” 

― Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken and Other Poems

LEVITICUS 13

38“When a man or woman has white spots on the skin, 39the priest is to examine them, and if the spots are dull white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin; they are clean.(13:38)

MATTHEW 26:20-54

36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

39Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

42He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

43When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

45Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

JOURNAL 

These verses of Jesus' final night are haunting.  It is amazing to me to see Jesus surrender to God's will. Jesus is perfect yet he makes the statement..."not as I will, but as you will". Clearly perfection on this earth is only found in complete surrender to the will of God. This is what makes Jesus perfect...not his own actions but his surrender to God. 

This is the essence of the gospel. Every day, every moment to willingly surrender to God as “not my will but yours”. Here is the rub though...if you don't fundamentally trust God, this becomes impossible. Why would you? Jesus at his core knew and fully believed God and trusted him. Even in the face of horrible punishment and death, he trusted, believed and followed. 

This is where the entire relationship with God hinges. If you don't trust God you won't obey him. No matter how much you think you should...when push comes to shove you will take the road of protection and taking care of yourself, not in being obedient. I know in my own life this is where I've struggled. There is a part of me that questions God's intentions and his love. Therefore when the storms come I am tempted to retreat rather than carry forward. I, like Peter, begin looking at the waves and the wind rather than the face of God. 

6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

8Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 PETER 5:6-11