Ever woke up and turned on the news and all that you hear about and see is “Poverty. Disease. Injustice. Brokenness. Death.“? Do you realize what time it is? Are you dealing with pain? Did it concern you? Did it confuse you? What did you do? Where did you turn? Were you looking for answers or understanding?
Firstly, do you realize what time it is? Secondly, do you realize that although it may be painful, we can consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds? Finally, do you understand that in this world you will have troubles and so take heart because Jesus has overcome the world?
Today we step into day 3 of the passion week and continue our journey with my brother Peter who invited me to walk through this devotional with him. As a result, let’s read today’s scripture to understand and receive wisdom and discernment from God!
Today’s Devotional:
“Based on the cinematic study The Easter Experience, this devotional will leave you thinking Easter changes everything. Themes include redemption, forgiveness, compassion, and love.”
The plan I am joining my brother Peter in comes to us from City on a Hill and so I would like to thank them for this plan and Peter for the invitation to join him through this via Bible.com. I look to share what I learn and consider how we can apply it to being dads.
The Easter Experience (bible.com)
Today’s scripture about time and understanding it
‘He was despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and pain and acquainted with grief; And like One from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or esteem Him. But [in fact] He has borne our griefs, And He has carried our sorrows and pains; Yet we [ignorantly] assumed that He was stricken, Struck down by God and degraded and humiliated [by Him]. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]; The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him, And by His stripes (wounds) we are healed. ‘
Isaiah 53:3–5
‘Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane (olive-press), and He told His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee [James and John], He began to be grieved and greatly distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, so that I am almost dying of sorrow. Stay here and stay awake and keep watch with Me.” And after going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible [that is, consistent with Your will], let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not stay awake and keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep actively watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, He went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words once more. Then He returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Listen, the hour [of My sacrifice] is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners [whose way and nature is to oppose God]. Get up, let us go. Look, My betrayer is near!”’
Matthew 26:36-46
Hebrews 4:15 AMP
God understands our pain, let’s be the dads who empathize with others.
Firstly, let’s be the dads who lean in and trust God! Secondly, let’s be the dads who call out to Jesus who understands pain and purpose. Thirdly, let’s be the dads who lift up our cares and our pains to God because God cares for us! Fourthly, let’s be the dads who make time to be with God and lean into His will and purpose for our lives! Finally, let’s be the dads who don’t wander in fear but rather in faith because we know that “we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted knowing exactly how it feels to be human in every respect as we are, yet without committing any sin.“
My Pain Is Understood
- Today’s devotional starts by calling out the reality of the world we live in, “a fallen world that includes immense pain“!
- Today’s devotional even points to our questioning of such pain and suffering in the world and even turn to God to try and find understanding with questions like “If you’re good, God, why won’t you stop the pain?” without really finding answers.
- Today’s devotional points to us to find hope in the reality that God understands our pain through the story of Jesus through this passion week.
- Jesus “has felt our pain and He understands our pain.“!
- Let’s be the dads who remember God gets it, Jesus understands it because He “endured on this earth hurt from relationships, torture, mocking, physical beatings, and death on a cross. He has felt our relational pain and he has felt physical pain.“
- Remember how Jesus was willing to give His life on the cross to make a way for us to be reconciled back to God.
- Similarly, realize there is a difference between the suffering of Jesus and what we are going through, in that He willingly suffered to fulfill the promise of God!
- God’s Word tells us in His Word: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” demonstrating that Jesus “understands deep pain.”
- Let’s be the dads who walk in confidence that God knows what we are going through and understands.
- Let’s be the dads who don’t try to go it alone but cast our cares upon God because He cares for us!
- Today’s devotional closes with the following challenge:
