Thursday, July 14, 2022

Matthew 20 Devotions by Stephen Taylor

Matthew 20:22,23

“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered.

Will we drink from His cup? Will we join Him in this? Most, if not all of us, want to join Him in His peace, His hope, His joy, and His love, but will we join Him in His suffering? For Christ’s cup is not an easy one to partake of but one we must endure with Him each day. It’s a cup that many will shy away from or consider it too costly to take, but Christ Himself did not back down, and neither can we. This cup of suffering, anguish, and hardship must be embraced by those who follow Him. Not that He enjoys watching us suffer, but He warned us it was coming.

Each one of us, if we walk this earth long enough, will face some sort of persecution, trial, hardship, suffering, or loss. There is no way around it; the question we must ask is, are we willing to face those things for Him and do it all for His glory? Christ was willing to drink the ultimate cup of suffering for you and me; though it must have been bitter and hard to swallow, He would not deny it and even faced it with a right and beautiful heart. He did not let the situation change His character; do we?

As Christ was drinking the cup of suffering set before Him, He prayed for those who brought it to Him and asked His Father for mercy for them! Imagine if we could endure and glorify God in such a way! Think of how that spoke to the hearts of those around Him. Whether they realized it or not, they were experiencing one of the greatest prayers ever prayed; mercy for those who crucified Him, forgiveness for those who forsook Him, and a chance to turn from the hardness within to the King of Glory!

So, when the cup gets passed to us, will we partake in it with Him or refuse it in selfish self-preservation. Lord, help us to receive it in faith and the strength of Your Spirit! Remember, Jesus wasn’t alone in His suffering; the Father and the Spirit were with Him, and those of us who belong to Him can expect the same company as we go!

Hebrews 12:1-3- Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

God bless! I love you all, but His love took the cup of suffering for you and me. Will we follow in His footsteps? He is worthy! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!

 

 

 

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