Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).
Disappointments, defeats, struggles and falling are all part and parcel of what we call life. The diverse vegetation and geographical presentation of the earth surface is a perfect illustration of life here on earth. You will notice that the earth is not just one piece of smooth, evenly surfaced landscape. But it is also adorned with valleys, hills, mountains, rivers and oceans. In much the same way, it is perfectly normal for us as humans to experience what we call the vicissitudes of life.
Even the Lord Jesus partook of virtually all these experiences when He walked here as human. For example, He was disappointed by His intimate friends at the most crucial hour of need. Again, He stumbled and fell a couple of times under the weight of the cross He had to carry for sins He didn't commit. The Bible says He was tempted in all points, meaning that He was afflicted in order to prove His character and the steadfastness of His faith (Hebrews 4:15). He had a cross to endure, and some shame that He had to despise. Yet, His was a life that should have been packaged to be smooth-sailing without the slightest hint of stresses and sorrow, being divinity Himself. But Jesus went through all the positives and negatives of life with unparalleled deportment. Jesus' positive attitude in it all is the inspiration for today's message.
You may be going through some stuffs right now, but I want you to have the attitude that you will survive it all and you will be here to tell your story. You see, God has designed life on earth in a way that everyone can always bounce back and recover out of the most hopeless situation, unless people do something really stupid like committing suicide. I haven't been around for too long, but in these few decades I've been here, I have seen a marriage shattered into shreds and then restored after twenty-seven years. Even in medicine, there is what they call spontaneous healing, meaning that the body has a mechanism by which it heals itself over time. So also, there is a mechanism that God has built into what we call life whereby it recovers itself from whatever distresses it. If God is still alive as He always will be, all things are possible if we have the right attitude.
Now, whatever you may be going through, brace up and say, "I will survive this and tell my story with joy". If you are thrown out of where you believe God has a plan for you, don't sulk. Just tell those who threw you out that you'll be back by the power of God. Even if you don't get to return there, your declaration will hunt them and secure your portion for you if you truly have any there. That was what happened with Jesus. They threw the Owner of the world out of the city, and kicked Him out of the world by crucifixion at Calvary. But He had earlier declared to them that He was coming back. That declaration hunted them all through that era, and has created hope for the Christian world ever since. Indeed, that declaration has continued to see fulfilment every day through the people who received His Spirit, functioning as His hands and feet all over the world.
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