Beautiful Word: Your Daily Devotion

Daily Scriptural Insights, Curated by the Editors of CT | [View online] [ChristianityToday.org] [Donate] [Beautiful Word Newsletter] Thursday, January 19, 2017 Asking and Accepting [Vaneetha Rendall Risner] Today’s Verse Powered by the [New Living Translation] “He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. ‘Abba, Father,’ he cried out, ‘everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’” Mark 14:35–36 [View in context] In Gethsemane, the cup Jesus asks God to remove isn’t mere physical suffering. Jesus is anguished over suffering that’s infinitely deeper. He is facing the terrifying fury of God’s wrath over our sin. And he’s facing that wrath alone, with no comfort from above. Jesus knows God can change this horrifying situation. So he asks. He wants God to remove the very suffering he was sent to bear, the suffering he willingly came for, the suffering that would secure salvation for his people. Jesus wasn’t coerced onto the cross. He laid down his life of his own accord (John 10:18). But now Jesus is asking if there is another way—any other way—for God to accomplish his purposes. So often I filter my requests. Should I ask God to relieve my suffering when I know he can use it? Is it okay to ask for healing, or is that presumptuous? Should I not ask for anything and just accept what I’ve been given? That posture seems more holy. Yet Jesus asks God to remove the cup. If Jesus can ask, I can, too. It’s appropriate to ask God to remove my suffering, change my situation, keep me from further pain. He longs to give me good gifts. I’ve begged God to heal friends, save family members, and give clarity, and he has answered yes. But I’ve also pleaded with God to save my dying son, heal my escalating disease, and bring back my husband, and he said no. So even though I don’t know how he will answer, my Father still bids me to petition him earnestly for the things I desire. Reflect: Read Mark 14:35–36. What would it look like for you to follow Jesus’ prayer example in relation to your own suffering or heartache? Pray: Name specific requests to God; after each request, pray “I want your will to be done, not mine.” Vaneetha Rendall Risner is the author of [The Scars That Have Shaped Me] and is a regular contributor to DesiringGod.org. Excerpted from The Scars That Have Shaped Me, © Vaneetha Rendall Risner 2016, used by permission. [Read devotions online] | [Share with a friend] More for Women [When Women Blame Men for Domestic Stress, They Miss the Big Picture] [When Women Blame Men for Domestic Stress, They Miss the Big Picture] The gender wars inspire finger-pointing. The gospel offers another way. Anne Carlson Kennedy [Patricia Heaton: My Career Floundered, Then Flourished Because of Faith] [Patricia Heaton: My Career Floundered, Then Flourished Because of Faith] Q+A: The star of 'Everybody Loves Raymond' and 'The Middle' reveals the prayer that changed her life. Rebecca Cusey Follow Us [Facebook] [Twitter] [RSS] [Subscribe to this newsletter] In the Current Issue [January/February] [500 Years After Luther, We Still Feel the Pressure to Be Justified] [Subscriber access only] [Reading the Reformation in 2017] [Pro-Life's Reformation Ripples] [Subscriber access only] [View Full Issue] [Subscribe Now] Christian Bible Studies [The Minor Prophets: God Still Speaks] [Lead your group in experiencing God's sovereignty, holiness, and love.] [by Tom Cowan, with Kyle White] [Beautiful Word] Delivered via email to subscribers daily. [Subscribe] | [Email Preferences] | [Unsubscribe] | [Privacy Policy] | [Advertise] | [Subscribe to CT] You are currently subscribed as: {EMAIL} Copyright ©2017 [ChristianityToday.org], Christianity Today, 465 Gundersen Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved.