Bible Reading: John 12: 20-36
Key verse: John 12: 2
“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say–‘ Father, save me from this hour?’ No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.”
I cannot remember another Holy Week where the circumstances around us mirror the journey of Christ toward Golgotha. Jesus was about to experience such a level of suffering that he describes his soul as being troubled (John 12:27). And what was he to do? Ask His Father to save him from this hour? No, he knew that in this particular instance, God wanted him to continue down the road of suffering because there was some greater purpose to fulfill.
In so many instances of my life, when my soul was troubled, I asked God to deliver me from that situation — and I can share countless times when the mighty hand of God came to my rescue. It is clear that God is willing and able to save and deliver us from evil. But there have also been a few times where no matter how many times I asked for God’s deliverance, it did not come and I had to suffer. As painful as some of those times have been, I have now come to realize that sometimes the will of God allows us to suffer because God wants to give us something greater through the trials. Jesus says that unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it cannot bear fruit. (John 12:24)
I cannot explain the reasons for this time of trial. But I do know that whether God delivers us or whether God allows us to go through suffering, God is still God. God is still good. And God is still shaping us more and more into the image of Christ. Friends, God will bring beauty from the ashes. God will never fail us! Stay strong!
Pastor Kim
