Sometimes we may feel overwhelmed with life’s troubles, and we may more commonly feel overwhelmed in a time that serves as a birth pang to Christ’s second coming.
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8 New King James Version)
Though, our Father is never far from His children, nor will He ever forsake us.
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5 New King James Version)
Our God also went through the very same feeling as us, therefore, He knows how to relate to us.
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34 New King James Version)
So then, may we glean from Christ’s feelings of forsakenness, so that we may know how to overcome such as He did.
Jesus Relates
During Jesus’s crucifixion, He asked His Father a question regarding having been forsaken. Moreover, God asked Himself why He had forsaken Himself. So then, would we dare say that God didn’t know the answer to His own question? Thankfully, we would not. For God is all knowing, and He knew of the question that His Son was going to ask Him, the purpose of so, as well as His own answer.
For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. (1 John 3:20 New King James Version)
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. (Psalm 147:5 New King James Version)
Jesus also knows that His Father His father is infinitely with Him, even though He was familiar with grief and loneliness.
He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. (Isaiah 53:3 New King James Version)
Even while Jesus had company, a tone or feeling of being alone may have still been expressed, as while He had such company, He knew that His company would soon flee and leave from Him.
Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. (John 16:32 New King James Version)
Just as we may be surrounded by company and the like, we may still have a feeling of loneliness, though, our Father continued to be infinitely in communion with Jesus, and He is like so with us, even though others had left Jesus and persecuted Him. For this reason, may we try to be present in the season, and seek God’s answers, as He waits to be gracious to us.
Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him. (Isaiah 30:18 New King James Version)
God’s Graciousness
During Jesus’s crucifixion, the Lord provided a time wherein He showed His infinite amount of grace, as Jesus cried out to Him.
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34 New King James Version)
During this seemingly apparent forsakenness, God showed His graciousness, as He is expressed to be waiting to share such with His followers. For our Father later had Jesus’s Spirit committed to Him after His cry.
And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last. (Luke 23:46 New King James Version)
From this cry in forsakenness, we may see that such trials may have the purpose to allow one to see and be comforted by God. After Jesus died on the cross, all who crucified Him recognized Him as who He is, which is God. For the cry from Jesus was used to glorify Him; therefore, may we continually seek God's face and cry out to him when need be, so that we may glorify Him.
As well, when we are in a trial, may we not question God, as if He, God forbid, is to answer to our standard. Rather, may we seek His answers for our spirit, so that we may be given the grace that He is waiting to give more of, to us. For this way is not beyond our spirit and understanding, as parents may often allow their children to go through various circumstances, and appropriate trials, so that they may learn and experience. Moreover, parents may allow their children to continue on in what they are doing, so that the child return to them, and ask them questions regarding their experience, thus showing the parent in a higher regard. Why, this opportunity is a chance for the parent to display their knowledge, comfort, and so on, to the child, so that he may learn and grow from them, and therefore have 'glory' from them, as Christ was given glory from our Father.
Children’s children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father. (Proverbs 17:6 New King James Version)
Likewise, parents may ask their children obvious questions, like, 'why did you do that?', 'are you mad/angry/sad etc.?', and the like, so that they may teach their child to handle and express their emotions appropriately, and to work through them like so. Now then, a father allowing his son to go through a trial, for both of their benefit, is not beyond us, as we understand that experience may bring knowledge. Therefore, such is what happened to Jesus, as He was allowed to be crucified for His and His Father’s glorification. In other words, Jesus was in a position of feeling forsaken so that He may be exalted; for after His utterance regarding so, His Spirit was committed and given up to our Father.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:8 - 11 New King James Version)
So then, what may be gleaned from Jesus’s trial of feeling complete forsakenness? Well, we may see that such feelings may direct us to our Father, as His grace is sufficient for all of our trials, and as He is waiting to express such grace and patience toward us.
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9 New King James Version)
For if we overcome the trial, then we will be exalted and rewarded.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. (James 4:10 Berean Standard Bible)
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. (1 Peter 5:10 New King James Version)
On this account, may we endure the trial, knowing that the outcome is for our benefit, and most importantly, for our Lord’s glorification. While we endure the trial, may we also find comfort in the brotherhood of Christ, as the same emotions which we feel are not unordinary in this walk, but rather experienced by others.
Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (1 Peter 5:9 New King James Version)
With this knowledge, may we then realize that these feelings have been overcame by a countless number in Christ, therefore giving more glorification to Him.
Takeaway
The feelings of forsakenness and the like are real emotions, yet our Father is expressed to be patiently waiting to show His graciousness in various hard times, even if the feeling is brought upon by ourselves.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (1 Peter 2:9 New King James Version)
In essence, may we understand that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ felt the same feelings as us, and He was exalted for enduring such, and for looking to our Father in such. May we likewise do the same, even if we are feeling our emotions due to our own error, as our Father is forgiving and gracious toward us.
Peace & blessings,
Claire Belle
Comentários