Matthew 17:22-23 When they came together in Galilee, he said
to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They
will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And
the disciples were filled with grief. (NIV)
The disciples appear to have missed the point. Jesus has
told them about His death and resurrection, but they got hung up on the bad
part of His message. Of course, it could be that they were shocked and couldn’t
get past the image of Christ being killed. I guess if we had been in their
shoes at the same time, we might have dwelled on it, too. This shows us how
human the disciples really were, which means we can often relate to their natural
responses to all Christ said or did.
We live in immensely transitional times, so it’s very
easy to get downhearted about all the
things beyond our control. We can choose to be fearful about the future or we
can decide to remain faithful to the values that we personally embrace. Change
is never easy, but it can be an opportunity to consolidate our reliance on God.
I personally have found that when I’m faced with turbulent transitions, I pray
more often and more deeply. This makes me understand how much I actually depend
upon God to help me endure and enables me
to eventually overcome my changing circumstances. Instead of dwelling on my difficulties,
I prayerfully hand them over to God, letting Him do what I can’t, and allowing
Him to lead me where He wants.
Point to ponder
What am I afraid of most, right now? Am I willing to
let God help me?
Prayer: Lord
Jesus, You perfectly understand our present circumstances. Embrace us at this
moment in time and lead us each day. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
Today’s image is one of
John’s Autumn drawings called ‘Season Finale.’ If you would like to view a
larger version, please click this link: Tree.
John Stuart is the pastor
of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church
website at this link: www.erinpresbyterian.org.
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