When betrayed we hurt. How we react is ultimately important. Look at how Jesus responded. Christ Himself was betrayed, by a friend, a close friend, one of His 12 trusted disciplines.
Remember when Jesus (The Christ) was enjoying the Passover meal with those 12?
The passover was a set ceremonial meal with every element representing when the spirit if death passed over & spared God’s people who put the blood of a lamb over their door post.
Jesus knew by His actions, going along with being put to death, would allow Him, His blood as The Lamb of God, to cover the door posts of all human hearts so death, once again could pass over us.
Jesus knew Judas (again, one of the 12 people who followed Him very closely) was going to turn Him in to the authorities who would kill Him for claiming He was God’s Son (blasphemy in their misunderstanding eyes).
Remember what Jesus did? He said to Judas, “Go & do what you need to do.”
Remember as if you were there:
And as they were eating, He said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you that one of you will betray Me.” Being deeply grieved and extremely distressed, each one of them began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?” Jesus answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the bowl with Me [as a pretense of friendship] will betray Me.
The Son of Man is to go [to the cross], just as it is written [in Scripture] of Him; but woe (judgment is coming) to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!
It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.”
And Judas, the betrayer, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him, “ You have said it yourself.” MATTHEW 26:21-25
After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night [disillusioned about Me, confused, and some even ashamed of Me], for it is written [in the Scriptures], ‘I will strike the Shepherd , and the sheep of the flock will be scattered .’ But after I am raised [to life], I will go ahead of you [leading the way] to Galilee.” Matt. 26:30-32 AMP
I look back as I read God’s words left for us & I remember, not only this betrayal & how Christ responded but I consistently recall Jesus Christ on the cross asking God, “Forgive them, they don’t really know what they are doing.”
Perhaps any betrayal we’ve done to others was because we didn’t think things through. Perhaps those who betrayed us did it because they were not thinking correctly.
This may not help us right after we’ve been betrayed by someone or after they betrayed us but as we pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Or “Forgive us our debt as we forgive our debtor.” May we all see that not one of us is without sin.
We all muck things up.
Maybe ya feel like you haven’t mucked up as much as others but we are all mucked up & muck things up all the time. We all fall short.
God, help us to forgive others just as you forgive us.
Is that double talk, saying, “Ask without asking?!” We do it all the time. We sometimes assume people can read our minds. People can’t but God can.
As I read the verse of the day I wanted to look a little deeper, not over think it but, consinder what Jesus said, what He is still saying and what He is saying to me personally.
The verse alone, by its self, could easily be takenen out of context & misunderstood:
So, I campared translations, here is one:
For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you.
MARK 11:24 AMP https://bible.com/bible/1588/mrk.11.24.AMP
It’s really all about God’s power & our trust in Him.
Here is that same verse but looking at just a few verses before & after it, above & below it:
Jesus replied, “Have faith in God [constantly]. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will]. For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you. Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him [drop the issue, let it go], so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions and wrongdoings [against Him and others].
MARK 11:22-25 AMP https://bible.com/bible/1588/mrk.11.22-25.AMP
Let go & let God
Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, ‘Go jump in the lake’—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it’s as good as done. That’s why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you’ll get God’s everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it’s not all asking . If you have anything against someone, forgive —only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins.”
Mark 11:22-25 MSG https://bible.com/bible/97/mrk.11.22-25.MSG
“You can’t add a single day by worrying You’ll worry your life away Oh don’t worry your life away You can’t change a single thing by freaking out It’s just gonna close you in Oh don’t let the trouble win You may feel alone
But you’re not on your own
If He can hold the world He can hold this moment
Not a field or flower escapes His notice Oh even the sparrow Knows He holds tomorrow Lean in and it’s hard to miss
Everything can change When you make it His Oh He wants to carry it Carefree in the care of God When you let it go You’ll find that He’s enough Oh you never leave His love You don’t walk alone
If He can hold the world He can hold this moment
Not a field or flower escapes His notice Oh even the sparrow Knows He holds tomorrow There’s not a single star that’s out of place
There’s nothing broken He can’t remake If you long for hope when you’re afraid Oh look at the sparrow Look at the sparrow If He can hold the world He can hold this moment
Not a field or flower escapes His notice Oh even the sparrow Knows He holds tomorrow Even the sparrow knows He holds tomorrow”
Credits:Songwriters: Mia Fieldes / Jason Gray / Jonathan Lindley Smith
But you, God, will throw the others into a muddy bog, Cut the lifespan of assassins and traitors in half. And I trust in you.
Psalm 55:22-23 MSG https://bible.com/bible/97/psa.55.22-23.MSG
Leave your troubles with the Lord , and
He will defend you;
He never lets honest people be defeated.
But you, O God, will bring those murderers and liars to their graves before half their life is over.
God is very great! He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray that his Holy Spirit will make you wise .
I pray that his Holy Spirit will help you to understand what God is like. Then you will know God better and better.
I pray that God will bring light into your minds. Then you will understand about the many good things that he has prepared for you. You know that you will receive those things because he has chosen you to be his people.
God has prepared very valuable things for you in heaven.
You will also know how very powerful God is.
He uses that power to help us now, as we trust in Christ.
God’s power is greater than anything we could ever know.
He used that power to raise Christ, so that he became alive again after his death. Then he gave Christ a place to sit at his right side in heaven.
There, Christ rulesover every other ruler and leader.
He rules over everything else that has authority.
He is greater than any power which human people respect.
Song, “Soul Mender” by – DeGarmo & Key – from the album “Go to the Top” (1991)
💠🔉🔊Extra🔊🔉💠
Isaiah 55:1-13 MSG
God’s Word says,
“Hey there! All who are thirsty, come to the water! Are you penniless? Come anyway—buy and eat!
Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk. Buy without money—everything’s free!
Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest. Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words.
I’m making a lasting covenant commitment with you, the same that I made with David: sure, solid, enduring love.
I set him up as a witness to the nations, made him a prince and leader of the nations, And now I’m doing it to you: You’ll summon nations you’ve never heard of, and nations who’ve never heard of you will come running to you Because of me, your God , because The Holy of Israel has honored you.”
Seek God while he’s here to be found, pray to him while he’s close at hand.
Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking.
Let them come back to God , who is merciful, come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness.
“I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God ’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, Doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.
“So you’ll go out in joy, you’ll be led into a whole and complete life.
The mountains and hills will lead the parade, bursting with song. All the trees of the forest will join the procession, exuberant with applause.
No more thistles, but giant sequoias, no more thornbushes, but stately pines— Monuments to me, to God , living and lasting evidence of God .”
I’ve learned not to try & fix all the things that seem to be broken but just be here, offer encouragement & love, be presen, don’t pull away; rather, offer a hug & hold on tight.
Writing in my journal & here in my blog really helps me process things better.
When my son died at age 22 the bottom dropped out of my world; however, many people supported me and God’s Holy Spirit kept me from falling completely into a deeper pit.
All of us grieved & each of us, in our own way, are still grieving three years later.
At my son’s funeral one good soul gave my mom the following verse and it helped put things into perspective as we tried to make some sense of how my son’s mental health could take his life.
Here is that verse:
The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Isaiah 57:1
Reading on a little further and considering the context, the persecution God’s people went through in their lifetime, we hear God’s comforting voice that there is more than just this life we know, more than this present darkness we are in.
For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. Isaiah 57:1, 15 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/isa.57.1-15.NIV
You ask me how i know He lives? He lives within my heart and because He lives i can face tomorrow.
No matter how low and down we may sink God’s Holy Spirit is there to help & pull us up.
Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.
Proverbs 4:23-27 MSG https://bible.com/bible/97/pro.4.23-27.MSG
I remember hearing the term, “Helicopter Parent”, meaning a parent that hovers of their child’s ever little endeavor, to the point of being over protective so that their child may not experience any hardship.
The issue with this is that, as difficult as pain and opposition are, hardships fasion us. Opposition allow for opportunities. A certain amount of courses from the school of hard knocks teaches us coping skills.
For this post I’d like to just take a moment to focus not on if we are too over protective but rather that we are sure to be protective over,
Protective over our own hearts.
May we continually, daily learn how to be protective over what God gives us, His Word hidden in our hearts. His teaching & guidance as our plumb line, the ruler that we use to measure the structure of our lives.
Go to God.
Perhaps you’ve heard & used the acronym B.I.B.L.E.
It is still:
Basic
Instructions
Before
Leaving
Earth
It’s my hope & prayer that we don’t get caught up in empty philosophy, that we simply walk & live in God’s care, in His Spirit, in His light.