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As I am doing my devotion for Lent, a burden is continually laid upon my heart. The same resounding message that keeps ringing in my ear is "time is short, pray hard".
Luke 22 talks about the last hours of Jesus. After he had his last supper with his disciples, he went up to the Mount of Olives to pray. Verse 40 says"...pray that you will not fall into temptation..." but when he came back from from his prayer, he found his disciples sleeping. He again reminded them to pray so that they will not fall into temptation. I feel the anguish of Jesus and the intensity of his feelings. He prayed so earnestly that his sweat fell like droplets of blood.
Jesus was very focused upon his mission, he knew that the hour was near for him to die. Verse 42, "...Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Jesus was here on earth not to have a successful ministry, he came to seek and save the lost, he came for sinners like me. His blood was shed on the cross so that we can have eternal life. We need a sacrifice that was perfect so that our sins can be redeemed. And Jesus was that Lamb of sacrifice, he was without sin.
We are living in the last hours, let us get up and pray unceasingly. In the last days many hearts will grow cold, Matt 24:12, "...Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold..."
Sometimes it may be very hard to understand the necessity of this sacrifice. Why must God allow man to sin and then send Jesus to die on the cross for us? This is the will of God that sometimes it is too complex for our human minds to comprehend. I think he wants us to see the consequences of our sins or wrong doings and he also wants us to know that despite our imperfections, he still loves us. This is perfect love.
And he provided a way for us to be saved,
Acts 16:31,"Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household."
There are many who are living broken lives, so broken that they find no hope in living. Let us pray for them and share this message of hope with them. Jesus did not come for the "rich", he came for the "poor", he came for those whose spirits are broken. If you are loosing hope and feeling discouraged, go to Jesus. If you feel despair and meaningless in this life, go to Jesus. He is our perfect love, he came for you and me. He came to save us and to give us hope.
