He knew it would be a long-lonely-tortuous trip
But for this purpose, He came. He prepared
A willing and ready sacrifice
But when natural eyes beheld the inevitable
He prayed, “Father, if it were possible
Let this cup pass from Me . . . .”
Lifting up His head, looking through Abba’s eyes
The blood of faith flowed through veins of purpose
Reviving a determination nothing could deter:
The prize reappeared, dearer than the price
The crown above the cross and He concluded,
“. . . nevertheless, not my will but Yours be done.”
It is easy to believe and to confess our faith in the Almighty. Finding His will and living it is another thing altogether. That was the case with Adam. He and his wife were close friends with God. He would visit them any time and they were sure to enjoy some great moments together. However, things fell apart when Adam missed the mark, blamed it on a wife who overstepped boundaries, and God had to be the just Judge.
Thereafter, the lot of humanity travelled contrary to God’s ordained purpose until Christ came, made up the hedge that was broken, and restored our relationship with the Father. Even for Christ, who had to assume our humanity, it was not easy. He was tempted in every way as we are. He battled destiny and wills; to live for the moment or for the eternal purpose that championed His coming: to enjoy a while longer or accept to suffer and die now in order to live later, forever: His will or the Father’s.
Like the rest of us who must make that choice on a daily basis; to succumb to the pressures and pleasures of the moment or to take up our cross; to reach out and take a bite of something bad that calls to us, or to struggle to resist; to take the easy way out now and face the consequences later or to choose to die now that we might live for a cause greater than the one to which we died – it is a constant battle.
Christ came to show us the way to live; the way to the Father, the way to Life that really matters. He came to teach us how to please God, to live for God, and for a higher purpose than the momentary pleasures that pressure us into decisions we are bound to regret. Being found in the form of man, he was exposed to all that we daily face, and through it all, He not only lived steadfast to the Father’s will, but also by so doing, left footprints that constantly call out to us, above the voices of distraction and destruction, saying without ceasing, “It is not impossible to please God. If I did it, you can do it. And I did it so you can do it.”
When we follow the ways of religion, God is shrouded in mysteries we can never unravel and pleasing Him turns into a scary affair that we can never measure up to. When we look away from all the confusions and complexities that men invent and endorse, and keep our eyes on the simple and humble steps of Christ who at one point prayed, “Lord, please take this away . . . , yet not My will but Yours be done,” we will find comfort in our failures and courage in His success, and rise whenever we fall short, to keep pushing, never giving up in our quest for God and all that is His. For this purpose we were made, for this purpose we live: may every moment of every day, draw us nearer to Him whose will is the ultimate for our lives.
Thank You Jesus for accepting to die on our behalf that we might live; for setting the eternal example that we too can learn, despite our weaknesses, to be strong. Thank You for showing the noble purpose of life: to please our Father and Master, amen.
Glory!