Are you going through a tough time, a time you do not think anyone else can understand? Are you feeling all alone, abandoned, misunderstood, or an outsider? Do you think Jesus cannot possibly understand what you are going through?
We may go through times of estrangement. We may be misunderstood by others in what we say or something we do. We may feel as though everyone has abandoned us, leaving us feeling like a castaway. But we should never think Jesus does not understand.
On the night that Jesus was betrayed, He was in anguish over what He knew was to come. He felt misunderstood. The chief priests, teachers of the law, and a large portion of the public did not understand His message nor who He was.
They were willing to come to Him as long as He performed miracles. They listened so long as He fed them. They brought their sick to Him when they had nowhere else to turn. And though He had many followers, He had far more opposers.
As Jesus prayed, His soul cried out to the Father so strongly that He was sweating. To sweat in the cool of the night requires expending a lot of energy. Not only did He sweat, but His sweat was like drops of blood, meaning they were thick, not merely drops of water. Jesus prayed as earnestly and cried out to the Father as strongly as anyone could possibly pray. But in the end, He trusted the plan God had put before Him. What a wonderful example for us to follow!
I pray we all pray earnestly during our times of anguish. I pray we seek God with our whole heart. I pray each one of us follow Jesus’ example of praying throughout our lives and trust God’s plan. Cry out to God in your anguish. Pray earnestly to God. Lay your worries and fears at His feet. Trust God. Trust in His plan.
Luke 22:44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Marty Pressey 