Living for Jesus when it seems like the world is winning

Last Friday was Good Friday and in commemoration of the day, I decided to watch ‘Passion of the Christ’. Somehow this time, it was different from when I watched it before. I sobbed and sobbed sooo much more!! My closer relationship with God has brought me to a place of incomprehensible gratitude and utter amazement of just how much He loves me that He sent His only Son to bear not just my sin but the sin of the world. A world that is so ready to reject Him. Lets be frank, there are churches that have left Him outside! From the beginning of the movie, I was analyzing everything that happened. I would go into the details of the inner workings of my mind but I shan’t bore you ;). However I did question who I would have been if I was there? Would I still have faith that Jesus came to redeem me when He was on the cross and it seemed like the devil had won? We can’t say for sure.

Jesus knew His fate. He knew the exact time that God the Father wanted Him to start His ministry and exactly how, when, by whom and where His death would take place. He broke bread with the man who he knew would betray Him and He prayed for those who cursed Him – He did not treat these men with hatred or even ignored their existence (which some of us do). He knew when to talk and when to be silent. Jesus knew everything! But here is the thing……THERE WAS A PLAN! Satan had no clue of just how amazing this plan was. I suppose its because satan does not have an ounce of love in him. Satan thought he was winning the whole time. Lets just put out the facts…..satan not only had God’s people, the Jews, sending Jesus to His death, he must have also been really tickled that he had Jesus disciple (Jesus friend!) betraying Him. To the natural eye it would seem that Jesus would not be the Saviour….it looked like someone had to save Him! But everything was going according to God’s plan. It looked like evil won even when Jesus was on the cross. This is the amazing part, when Jesus carried those sins and said ‘it is finished’…..the devil’s plans were UTTERLY CANCELLED and the plan of God prevailed! Not just that, Jesus rose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father!  I will never truly understand what Christ did on that cross. But I must say, the little that my brain comprehends is enough to blow my mind away.

The reason I repeat facts you already know is because…..sometimes it seems like the world around us is winning. What we see seems so much stronger than the unseen. I’m here to tell you, do not try to fully understand God’s plan. The unseen realm is more real than the seen – that’s why you and I need to seek God. Do what God wants you to do and sometimes you may be heartbroken because things are not going your way or how you think it should go…….you just pray (for wisdom, guidance, strength, etc.), seek His face and voice and continue doing His work. The Lord says “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9)”. Just like how Peter and many others did not understand God’s plan at that point in time cause of the situation they were in, we face the same problem today. Question is….is your faith still in God even though it seems like the world is winning? The fact is….the Kingdom of God will rule. Does your faith in this truth (unseen) overrule you current situation (seen)?

1 Corinthians 15:24

“Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom of God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.”

Hebrews 10:22-25

²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.