Hebrews 12:3
There is no shortcut to reaching the heights and plateau that God has designed for you; there is no way to circumvent the paths and lanes which were uniquely customized for your feet to travel… In today’s devotional we are reminded that we must focus on our source of strength instead of dwelling on our current problem or situation… There are so many of us who daily find ourselves being caught up in situations to the point that we neglect and negate the power and presences of God… When you find yourself on the verge of throwing in the proverbial towel, when you feel like you are at the end of your rope and can’t see any way out, the author tells you that you must consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners… Remember all the snares, trials and hardships that Jesus faced; remember the heartache and spiritual pain that was firmly thrust upon His shoulders and know that in the end He was victorious… You can draw strength from the Lord by simply reflecting on all that He has done in your life and even before you were born… Jesus fought the good fight over 2,000 years ago so that you could see this day; He considered it not robbery to leave His home in glory so that you could one day reside with Him… All these things Jesus did for you and this alone should provide your source of strength and motivation to do the same… The enemy can only defeat you if you allow Him too... The proof of this statement is in the words of Jesus Christ recorded in the 4th chapter of Matthew…
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. The passage from Matthew should serve as a great source of encouragement for the weak and discouraged believer… The devil presented Jesus with choices to try and deter His divine destiny; however, Jesus standing firm on the knowledge of God was able to combat Him and prevail… Today, know that the enemy will present choices in your life; He cannot defeat you, but will try to get you to ultimately be your own worse enemy and thus defeat yourself… Jesus drew strength from the words It is written; you can draw that same strength from Him today and not allow the enemy to overwhelm you to the point that you give up on your divine calling and destiny… All these things which Jesus endured was not only to bring Salvation into reality, but it also was to display the Lord’s victory over sin so that you will not grow weary and lose heart…
So many of us would have bailed and given up if it were not for the story of Jesus being spoken to us… We would have ran from our calling and not stood in faith if we didn’t know about a man from the town of Bethlehem and how He overcame every device of the enemy to fulfill the prophetic words of old… Jesus opened the door to rekindle our relationship with the father and also left us with a rod of reinforcement to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel… This life is filled with ups and downs; the minute you think you have peace of mind is the same minute you find yourself on the verge of pulling out your hair… There are many trials and tribulations that we are too fast and the word of God declares to us that we are assured to encounter test and opposition… The beginning of the 12th chapter of Hebrews starts off by saying, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus conquered what people thought was unconquerable (death) and is not sitting at the right hand of God making intercession for us… He is a living example that things are not always what they same and even the most trying situations can produce the most fulfilling results… Keep your hand to the plow; the field will produce the harvest which will make the sowing all that more enjoyable…
ALL FOR HIS GLORY!
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