Let’s go at this a bit differently, ok? At first glance, when you see “who do you trust”, you may start searching through your list of “mom” “dad” “close friend” “attorney” etc., evaluating each one.
But let me re-direct you for a moment. Back to when someone you thought you could trust actually failed you. Were you shocked? Or did you say to yourself, “yep, should have seen this coming” or a similar sentiment?
Maybe it was someone who was usually SO reliable over such a long period of time that you never imagined they would fail to come through as you expected. And yet, they failed you in some way at some point.
Well, Easter put this on my radar in such a way that I have not really examined it before. And yes, it was Henry Blackaby’s devotional that brought the full lesson home for me.
Remember, when Jesus was facing his final moments on this earth and the level of distress that was upon him, and all he asked the disciples to do was stay awake and pray? And they couldn’t do it. And even when Peter and the others swore to stick by Him, Jesus knew they would all fail Him on the night He was crucified – and He was proved correct.
And I can’t quite put out of my mind how many times I have failed Him as the disciples did. I have received unique opportunities to serve my Lord and Savior – but too often I have been preoccupied with my own needs and missed the blessing of sharing in His divine activity. The loss is mine.
Another topic for another time, but knowing His forgiveness is there and He will provide other opportunities keeps me humble and ready to serve. Just saying — I know a little bit of how the disciples might have been feeling.
And I need to look back at Jesus’ example. He faced the cruel injustice of a hostile world and even though he “knew” his closest friends would desert and betray Him, He kept it all in perspective.
How? Ok, I know the temptation to say “He’s God and I’m not!” but that just doesn’t help. And it misses the real point.
What sustained Him in his dark moment? He found His comfort in the Scriptures. (Matthew 26:20-25, 31). They kept things in perspective for Him – He knew and reminded Himself that everything He was experiencing was according to His Father’s plan. And He could have confidence in that plan because the Scriptures assured Him that the Father was in control.
What we can know for sure will happen in this world in which we live is that we will be confused by events around us. Those in whom we place our trust will fail us, or abandon us. And yes, we will be misunderstood and criticized – it is painful, for sure.
That is when I need to remember what Jesus demonstrated – the Word of God will guide me in the same way it guided Him. So in my times of distress or disappointment, I need to let Scripture guide and comfort me.
And that means I need to be “in the Scripture” consistently, daily, searching it more deeply at those distressful times. I need to “know” it so well that key parts will come to mind as I need to remember them – yes, I am talking about memorizing scripture.
I love Donald L. Whitney’s illustration in his book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life on this topic. He pointed out that asking people to memorize Bible verses gets a lack of eagerness in reaction equal to a request for volunteers to face Nero’s lions. How come? We equate it to school exercises in memorization – hard work, uninteresting, and of limited value.
But, he says, “what if I offered you one thousand dollars for every verse you could memorize in the next seven days?” Do you think our attitude toward Scripture memory and our ability to memorize would improve? Of course!
And that is his point – “Any financial reward would be minimal when compared to the accumulating value of the treasure of God’s Word deposited within your mind.”
And he is so right! When Scripture is stored in your mind, it is available for the Holy Spirit to bring to your attention when you need it most.
Case in point: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” Psalm 119:11. Or try this one “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:2
What’s particularly challenging about this? How we view Scripture is truly being tested, right?
Even as a young boy, Jesus was already well acquainted with the Scriptures. And no, He didn’t have the easy-to-read bound Bibles with concordances and study notes and reference guides like we have. And he certainly didn’t have the New Testament. Wow.
But, as Blackaby pointed out, Jesus lived with confidence because the Scriptures had prepared Him for everything that He would face.
So what is our takeaway here? If we will immerse ourselves daily in the Word of God, we will not be caught off guard when crises come. Our focus will already be on God, and he will safely guide us through our difficult moments. Thank you, Blackaby, for this reminder.
