Whom Do You Seek - EasterSample

Imagine being on death row. You have a chance to request your last meal. What would it be? Steak? Ice cream? Pasta? Fried chicken? Each bite of your meal may be a delight, but as you chew, there is the ever present knowledge that you will soon be walking towards your end.

Jesus faced the greatest challenge. Not only did He know that He must die, but He also had to take the cup of God’s wrath — punishment for our sin —with Him. How much sorrow and anguish must He have faced carrying this burden! In this low moment, what did Jesus do? He took time away from His disciples to pray. And He was strengthened.

We face many challenges everyday. Some seem trivial, others feel insurmountable. Yet, our human response is usually one of fight or flight. We can dig our heels in and work hard at finding solutions to overcome the challenge. Or, sometimes we avoid and ignore the issue. Or, we might just complain about the situation to a friend or a partner. Like the disciples who fell asleep whilst Jesus was praying, we fall into temptation of surrendering to our earthly desires or human strength (or lack of!).

Shouldn’t our first response be to pray? Just like Jesus! Our Heavenly Father knows every situation we go through. Jesus Himself, came down from heaven, walked this earth, was tempted, betrayed, tortured, and even killed. He knows what you are going through.

Before we take a step, try to fix things, or run away, let us pray! Jesus is our hope and salvation! He is sovereign over every situation and moment. Paul in his letter to the Philippians reminds us — "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Today, ponder this: What situations in your life right now do you need to commit to God? What do you need to surrender through prayer in submission to God? List them now and hand your burden to our God who rules, rescues and reigns.