Jesus is Worth It

Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. The were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. Then went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated – of whom the world was not worth – wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Hebrews 11:36-40

What does Jesus mean to you? Is He simply an authority figure to whom we tip our hats? Is He little more than a lucky charm, a place to turn when we need a little bit of “blessing”? Do we merely think of Him as we do some distant cousin that we enjoy being around? Or, is our commitment to Jesus more valuable than anything we possess? Are we willing to die for Him? Does He mean more to us than life itself?

When we read the above passage, we see the commitment level of those who have gone before us. These people were radically committed to their God. Nothing was going to separate them from their passion, commitment, and zeal for serving Him. Hebrews 11 was written for the express purpose of motivating those who were waffling in their faith. It was written to be an encouragement – a motivation.

When we read of people who were mocked, flogged, imprisoned, stoned, sawn in two, and killed by the sword – it should move us. And, when we read of others who hid out in sheep skins and goat skins, who were destitute, afflicted, and mistreated – and yet the stood strong – we should be motivated to press on in our faith. These people knew that their relationship with God was more valuable than other thing they had.

Let us evaluate what Jesus means to us. I hope He is more than a few feelings of comfort or security. I hope that He is truly our all in all.

Persevering Through Difficulties

When difficulties or challenges arise in our lives, we must choose how we are going to respond. We can view the difficulty as the end of the story or we can wait and see what God is going to do. Throughout Scripture we see people face difficulties, some of their own making and some they had no control over. However, God always seems to move on their behalf to bring about great things.

One such story is the story of Joseph. Joseph’s brothers sell him into slavery. He is taken from his home into Egypt. While in Egypt he ends up in prison. If ever someone had a reason to declare defeat and just give up, it was Joseph. However, Joseph continued to give life his all and to trust the Lord. The time came that God raised Joseph up out of his dungeon and put him in a place of power.

It was in this place of power, essentially the Prime Minister of Egypt, that Joseph once again faces his brothers. In spite of all they did to him and the fact that his life was incredibly difficult because of their actions, he displays grace. When his brothers discovered that it was him, they were afraid. Was he going to use this opportunity to settle the score? Joseph does not. Instead, Joseph says to them, “do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life” (Gen. 45:5).

Joseph recognized that God has been working the whole time. Though he had to face some very dark hours, God had sent him ahead to prepare for a coming famine. Now that time and come the purposes of God were revealed. Many of us face difficult days. It is often hard to understand what God is up to. However, we must keep the faith, live our lives as God has called us to, and press forward in optimism. When the time comes, God’s purposes will be revealed.

Door Opening Prayer

Prayer is a discipline that ought to characterize the believer. Too many times in life we allow our circumstances and the situations around us to steal our joy and rob our peace. It seems, at times, that we forget that we serve the King of kings and the Lord of lords. We forget that our God created the heavens and the earth. We forget that His hand sustains all that we are and all that we have. How do I know we forget these things? Because we allow fear and anxiety to rule the day. If we did not forget these things, we would walk in perfect peace.

Acts 12 records a story for us that testifies to the power of prayer. King Herod has continued his persecution of the church. He killed James, the brother of John, and then arrested Peter. In order to make sure that Peter did not manage to escape, Herod assigned four squads of soldiers to guard him. However, the Bible tells us, “Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church” (Acts 12:5).

God responds to the prayer that is offered up on Peter’s behalf. An angel of the Lord appears to Peter and leads him out of the prison. Once free, Peter goes to the house of Mary where the Bible tells us, “Many were gathered together and were praying” (Acts 12:12). In almost humorous fashion, those gathered told Rhoda, the young servant girl who answered the door when Peter knocked, that she was “out of her mind” (Acts 12:15). Even they struggled to believe that it was Peter at the door. We are told that when they opened to door, “They saw him and were amazed” (Acts 12:16). God had answered their prayer.

As it was to the early church, prayer should be central in our lives. When we are faced with hard times, we should pray. When are faced with things that hold us captive, we should pray. When we need God to do something powerful on our behalf, we should pray. After all, our God stands above all creation, He sustains it by His hand, and not a single sparrow falls from the sky without His knowledge; we can trust in Him. Take time today to lift your heart in prayer.