Practice the Promise

We are approaching Resurrection Weekend of 2022. This is a very sacred time in that we have the opportunity to reflect on the ultimate sacrifice that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ made on that Cross, bearing the weight of all our sins so that we can spend eternity in Heaven. In Luke 22:42, we find Jesus in a state of intense prayer as he gathers the strength to utter these words: 'Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." Our Lord and Savior knew that he was about to be endure a very excruciating and humiliating death process for all of eternity. He would be stripped of everything, enduring the shame of all measures of sin so that we would be cleared.

This has been an extremely trying season for many of us. In the wake of all the uncertainty that has plagued our world, many have been paralyzed by the spirit of fear. There has been a loss of income, a loss of commitment in marriages, a loss of covenant relationships, a loss of peace of mind, and sadly, a loss of trust in the promises of God. Perhaps you have experienced a painful loss in this season, and you are just barely able to weather the storms of guilt and shame.

In practicing the promises of God, it is important to remember that the trials and tribulations we face are an essential part of the journey. Jesus was fully committed to the redemption of mankind from the curse of sin, even to the point of death. Like Jesus, we must maintain a 'nevertheless-mindset' to fulfill the promises that the Lord has ordained for our lives. We have to be willing to lay down our reputation and even our livelihood in that Christ may be glorified. Let us return to the joy of our salvation and celebrate the promises that have been fulfilled through the obedience that Jesus demonstrated at Calvary.