The 
Phases of Faith
Faith is the only way to grow in our relationship with God.
Faith is the only way to grow in our relationship with God.
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
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My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, sometimes the dead-ends of life, take my focus off of You and Your great ability to overcome every obstacle in my life. I pray that You will fill me with Your Holy Spirit right now, that I may be empowered to trust You completely, and to walk forward faithfully even when it seems that there is no place to go. I pray that You will use me today to encourage other brothers and sisters through Your Son, Jesus, and that You will be glorified in my life today. May I be the salt and light that You call me to be no matter what may come. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God's Word For Me Today
Mark 14:32-36
32And they came to an olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” 33He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be filled with horror and deep distress. 34He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me.”
35He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. 36“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.”
Reflecting on God's Word
Have you ever felt like your soul was “crushed,” because a situation you faced? If so, how did you respond to it?
What is the best method you have found for dealing with the “dead-ends” of life?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word
What was Jesus’ experiencing as He entered the Garden of Gethsemane according to the Scripture? (14:32-34)
Who did Jesus take with Him and why? (14:33-34)
What does Jesus’ prayer tell us about how He handled crushing dead-ends? (14:35-36)
Understanding God's Purpose
What do you think God’s purpose is during the times when we feel like we are being “crushed”?
What do we learn about God from Jesus’ approach to His own crushing dead-end?
Applying God's Word to Our Lives
What do you find in today’s readings that you need to do in your life right now?
Thoughts...The Sense of "Being Crushed" by Dead-Ends...
Jesus’ experience in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before His crucifixion tells us that everyone goes through times of crushing dead-ends. Jesus knew what He faced the next day, and He knew that He faced it in order to take away the sins of the world. Even so, His soul was “crushed” with grief. He faced the most difficult “dead-end” that we face as human beings: death. He faced it with the realization that even though He was God’s Son, He would face it alone, because He had to take the sin of the world upon Himself. So, He felt “crushed.” When the world’s problems, or the criticisms of others, or our physical conditions start to “crush” us, then we can be sure that our Lord, Jesus, knows our thoughts and feelings—not only because He is God, but because He has been there Himself! One of the greatest comforts of all for us when we face dead-ends is that we never face them alone—Jesus promised that He will never leave us, nor forsake us. He is with us ALWAYS to the very close of the age! Praise God that from His perspective every dead-end is really a doorway to deliverance as we trust in Him and as our trust builds in Him, to bring about the ultimate victory in our lives, through His Son, Jesus! Amen.