Thursday, July 17, 2008
Mark 14:36 "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."
AS DEAR CHILDREN
In Gethsemane nothing could cause Jesus to lose His sense of sonship -- not even the full weight of the world's sin pressing down on His soul.
He said, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death" (Mark 14:34).
As believing children of God, we trust God to hear and answer our prayers in spite of the very real consciousness of our own sin. Even in the midst of the misery our own sin brings on us, even stained with the guilt of sin, we can appeal to the heart of God.
We know our heavenly Father will not harden His heart to us when the child who has done wrong comes to Him in tears, comes trusting in His mercy, confidently relying on His grace in Christ, clinging not to the sin, but to the Savior.
You see, we know we are God's children, for our relationship with God rests not on our feelings, works, strength, or life, but on Christ our Substitute. From Gethsemane to Calvary He submitted to His Father's will, from agony to victory. We remember how He prayed. Now we can come to God with the same confidence in His power and childlike faith in His will, His love and mercy in action -- no matter what the problem that confronts, the sorrow that overwhelms, or the sin that besets. Indeed, we come to our heavenly Father especially because of these things.
In Gethsemane's darkness of soul Jesus made the Father His refuge. Let us follow. The soul that cries "Abba, Father," cannot walk in unbroken night.
Let us keep on praying in this way our whole lives through, from the first lisping "Abba" to that final sigh "Father, receive my spirit."
In Jesus, relying on His redeeming blood,
we will ever find the Father's open arms.
