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The Garden
Of Gethsemane
Jesus helps us when we are struggling to submit to God's Will.
Jonah:
God's Will prevails
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God's Will is always is done despite our disobedience
Matthew 26:36-46
Jonah 1-3
When you are struggling to walk in love or surrender to God's will, how can you relate with Jesus ?
Have you ever struggled with disobedience/faith? How can Jonah's story encourage you?
In the garden of Gethsemane, before Jesus was arrested and crucified, Jesus “fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).
Although Jesus was sorrowful to the point of death (Matthew 26:38), He chose to obey and surrender to His Father's will (John 5:19). He did not rely on his own understanding but submitted to God's and Christ's death fulfilled God's will to save us (Romans 5:8)
We may think our way is better / safer but God's way is always the best for us (Jeremiah 29:11). God's perfect love towards us is patient and long-suffering (1 Corinthians 13:4 ). He does not expect us to be perfect but to rely on the only perfect being - God. Jesus is perfect because He remained sinless and always submitted to God's Will despite His emotions and struggles in flesh. We are sinful flesh so we cannot always be perfect, but we can rely on the one who is and He will guide us, strengthen us and help us in His Spirit of Truth (John 16:13). God is there to give us counsel and wisdom, He is there to dry our tears when we feel like there is nobody to help us. Jesus is our high priest, holy, undefiled, and seperate from sinners; Who offered himself up for us to save us (Hebrews7:26-28) He has compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. (Hebrews 5:2)
Jesus separated from the world to draw near to God, even with the disciples whom loved him the most and in return God drew near to Him (James 4:8). In our loneliest, darkest, weakest moments God's grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). Our God of comfort will comfort you (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Spending time with the Father, learning His Word, allows us to hear His loving voice and encouragement. God's Word empowers us to trust Him, especially when obedience is difficult. God is not angry with us when we struggle to have faith and surrender to His will, He is here to help you, He understands we are flesh (Psalms 103:14 , psalm 78:39) so He sent us Jesus to die for our sin and the Holy Spirit to guide us in truth and comfort us.
God is on your side , “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13, NIV).
The Lord commanded Jonah to preach against Nineveh for their wickedness (Jonah 1:1-2), but Jonah ran away from Lord by boarding a ship to Tarshish (Jonah 1:3). God's glory was manifested through Jonah's disobedience. God sent a violent storm threatening the ship to break (Jonah 1:3-4). Each man prayed to their gods and threw their cargo off the ship to lighten it but nothing was working (Jonah 1:5). The men asked Jonah who was sleeping, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?" Jonah answered them, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” (Jonah 1:9). The fear of the Lord came upon them and they ended up crying out to the Lord “Please, Lord , do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” They threw Jonah overboard and the men greatly feared the Lord, they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to Him' (Jonah 1:14-16).
The Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.' (Jonah 1:17). A prophetic testimony for Jesus who used Jonah as an example "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40). Then Jonah prayed to God:
'He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord , and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit. “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord , and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple' (Jonah 2:2-7).
'And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.' (Jonah 2:10). Jonah's faith was strengthened, God's glory was manifested to all. God gave Jonah another chance.
Genesis 15 - 22
Abraham, Sarah & Isaac
Isaac was the promised child (Genesis 17:15-27) borne to Sarah and Abraham at old age (Genesis 21:1-7). By their faith, God performed a miracle: 'And not being weak in faith, he (Abraham) did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God" (Romans 4:19-20).
God tested Abraham's faith by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac as an offering to God; But God had a bigger purpose (Genesis 22:1-2). The angel of the Lord stopped Abraham from slaying his son at the altar and provided a ram to take Isaac's place (Genesis 22:11-13). God provided the ram, a male sheep, in place of Abraham's son as a prophetic testimony of Jesus , the lamb of God, being sacrificed for us all (John 1:29, Hebrews 9:28, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Isaiah 53:7). Abraham called the place, "The- Lord -Will-Provide" as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” - Genesis 22:14
"By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.' (Hebrews 11:17-19).
'By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.' - Hebrews 11:8-12
How can we relate? Have you experienced a moment where you had to let go of your own understanding and have faith in God's promises?
It isn't easy to have faith in God especially when faith is in the unseen not the seen (Hebrews 11:1-6). Like us, Abraham would have been experiencing much turmoil and spiritual warfare walking to the place God commanded, and preparing the altar to sacrifice his promised son, Isaac; Yet Abraham surrendered to God's command and trusted in God's promise to him and Sarah.
Abraham had prepared many altars to the Lord in the past, However this one was a real test of faith and dedication to God as it required the life of his son (Genesis 12:7-8, Genesis 13:18, Genesis 22:9). Abraham did not get it all right the first time. In Genesis 15, when God made a covenant with Abraham that he would bore a son from his own flesh (Genesis 15:4-5); Abraham believed so it was accounted to him as righteous (Genesis 15:6); But He relied in his own understanding and listened to Sarah by going into her Egyptian maidservant, Hagar who conceived a child named Ishmael (Genesis 16). Nevertheless God's will was still done. Abraham also laughed when God said Sarah would conceive the promised son at old age (Genesis 17:16-17).
Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!” Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year. - Genesis 17:15-21
Abraham had to let go of all his flesh understanding and trust in God's promise that God promised him this son and God doesn't lie or go back on His promises (Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 6:18). If a son asks for a fish, God will never give a stone (Luke 11:11-12).
God does not expect us to be perfect in our faith like how our world defines perfection. God is looking for a loyal heart and a willing mind to believe (I Chronicles 28:9-20, James 3:17). There will be times of struggle and God understands, so God sent us Jesus, the only perfect, sinless being in which We can go to help us (2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15).
Genesis 15:4-5
And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
Genesis 22:1-2
'Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
Genesis 22:11-13
'But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me. Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son'
I Peter 1:18-19
'Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.'
John 1:29
'The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'
Numbers 23:19
“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
I Chronicles 28:9-20
As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.
2 Corinthians 5:21
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Hebrews 10:23: Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise (Hebrews 10:36)
God doesn't allow a storm if he doesn't have a purpose for it:
Romans 8:28 - "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."
No matter what is happening in your life, God is working things out for your good. Even in your most challenging situations, God is using them to accomplish His good purposes. For example, Paul and some crewmen took sail to Phoenix but experienced a violent storm and the ship was tempest-tossed (Acts 27:18). The crew and passengers lost hope of survival due to the relentless storm (Acts 27:20). But Paul had faith that God would fulfil His promise when an angel of the Lord told him they would survive and be brought before Caesar in Rome, though the ship would be destroyed (Acts 27:23-25). The ship ended up shipwrecked in Malta (approx. 800km away from Phoenix), and all the passengers were unharmed as they continued their journey to Rome (Acts 27:44, Acts 28). God ultimately demonstrated His power and glory to Paul and the crewmen showing that God can use storms in our life for His greater purpose. When we trust God and follow Him, we can have confidence that He is in control, even when we can't see the big picture. God knows what He's doing, and He will use everything in our lives to shape us and grow us closer to Him.
This doesn't mean that everything in our lives will be easy or comfortable; It means God is working through the trials to bring something good. So when you're facing a difficult situation, remember Romans 8:28. Trust that God is working for good, even when you can't see it.
Your salvation is made perfect through your suffering and sanctification (Hebrews 2:10-11). Your storms are not for no reason.
We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.' (Hebrews 2:9)
I Peter 1:6-9 'In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.'
Psalm 40: Faith preserving trial
"I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps." (Psalm 40:1-2)
God promises to protect and guide His followers in His truth and safety, preventing us from falling or being led astray (Psalm 91:1-2, Psalm 121:3, John 16:13). God is always working in our lives, He never slumbers (Psalm 121:3). You matter to God, which is why He tests your faith in fire - He is shaping you, transforming you and healing you for the Kingdom of Heaven with God (1 Peter 1:7). It will not necessarily look like our expectations of success, nor will it be comfortable or happy but for your good.
Joseph’s brothers planned to kill him and betrayed him by selling him into slavery in a foreign land, Egypt (Genesis 37). However, God used it for good and eventually blessed Joseph with authority over Egypt so he was able to save his family from famine (Genesis 41:37-57). Genesis 50:20 states, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
Genesis 41:51-52
Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.” And the name of the second he called Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”'
Hebrews 11:7 - By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
Hebrews 11:5 - By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ - I Peter 1:13
Psalms 145:18-21
The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.
The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh shall bless His holy name Forever and ever.
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