Jesus Had Trials Too
It is so easy to feel useless and depressed, wondering what on earth God could do with someone so incompetent.
Reference: v.20 At once they left their nets and followed him. (TNIV Bible)
Explore: When I was going through infertility issues, I thought my whole world was falling apart. While you know it is not rational, you cannot help but think, “Why can I not do the basic thing that I have been created to do?”
The weeks led into months which have now led into years. It is so easy to feel useless and depressed, wondering what on earth God could do with someone so incompetent.
However, I have found purpose through my faith in Christ. While I have gone through a time of trial I can see that it has made me stronger in my trust in God and given me opportunities that would never have been fulfilled if we had young children.
While I still don’t have all the answers, I can see how God has used me, no matter how broken and incapable I may feel.
Application: It must have been a joyous occasion for Jesus once he started asking his disciples to join him on his ministry journey. While these men were all quite different, they would have provided good company and support for Jesus.
However, if we look back just 20 verses earlier, we see that Jesus’ life had not been easy. Just before he invited his disciples along he had endured 40 days fasting in the desert, temptations from the devil, and then moved town for his own safety.
I wonder whether Jesus felt similar to me when I was going through my troubled time. Life was not always smooth sailing for Jesus. While he dealt with it better than I would have, it gives me strength to know that he does understand what it is like to go through trials.
Prayer: Lord God, you really can empathize with us when we go through trials. May we learn to rely on you, especially when our days are tough. Amen.
What has been a challenging time for you this year?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.
2 comments:
My family had a number of trails in the winter of 2011. My daughter and granddaughter live with me north of Boson, MA, USA. I had rotator cuff surgery for a massive tear in February and was out of work for three months, my daughter needed extensive dental work throughout Jan and Feb (root canals, crowns, cavities and a near Percocet addiction) and missed passing her law exam by 4 points. My granddaughter had strep throat so often she was one incident away from getting her tonsils removed. I kind of felt a bit overwhelmed, but in May my other daughter graduated medical school and started her residency in emergency medicine, my older daughter retook and passed her law exam and my granddaughters health improved. My faith never wavered, in fact it might have become stronger. Just yesterday at an eye exam I was diagnosed with a detached retina and spent the next 8 hours at the hospital, finally undergoing an long emergency procedure to repair my eye. When I finally got home I was so happy to see my family, admire our modest holiday decorations and share a pizza. I have learned through the bible to remember what is really important and take time each day to savor life’s simple pleasures.
I will pray for you that you have your precious baby, be it the child of your body, or, if by adoption, the child of your soul. Love, Sara