It must have been a shock to the disciples to hear Jesus discuss His suffering and death. They had dreamed of a different kingdom that surpassed Roman rule. What did His death mean for them personally? For me, I used to think that strong believers had an easier life than those who didn’t believe or who had a meager faith. When difficult issues came up in my life, I thought there was something wrong with me. I just needed to try harder. But kingdom living often means difficulties, tests and trials. He will NEVER leave or abandon us. My role is to deepen my loyalty and allegiance to Him.
Jesus’ relationship with God the Father is, of course, absolutely unique, but experientially we are invited into the same intimacy with Father God that he knew while here in the flesh. We are encouraged to crawl into the Father’s lap and receive his love and comfort and healing and strength. We can laugh, and we can weep, freely and openly. We can be hugged and find comfort in his arms. And we can worship deep within our spirit.” - Excerpt From ‘Prayer’ by Richard Foster
“Many have a subconscious, internal monologue that goes something like this: I want to live a fruitful, meaningful life, but I’m just not sure I can trust God. I can trust him as my answer to the big theological questions, but I’m not sure if I can trust him with my dreams, my hopes, my plans. I can trust him ultimately, but I doubt I can trust him immediately. So, I’m white-knuckling my life with everything I’ve got—micromanaging my surroundings, my perception, my next step.”- Excerpt, Praying Like Monks by Tyler Staton
No comments:
Post a Comment