That's the difference between Jesus and us. Jesus focused
on the ultimate result rather than the painful process.
Too often, we get bogged down en route. The battle
in which we're engaged hurts us so badly that all
we can think of is stopping the pain.
I had only hours earlier been talking to the Lord about the health trials we are both trudging through at present and seem to have been weighed down with for the last few years to one degree or another.
As we come up to Easter and ponder on the realities of Christ's death and resurrection, this really hit home to me...."For the joy that was set before Him...he endured the cross". In His deity He knew the eternal purpose of His mission, but in His humanity he ENDURED the cross. The word endurance is not linked with a gentle walk in the park or even momentary or low level difficulty and pain - this is about pushing through the pain barriers, pressing on when he would have felt he couldn't go on. I think about how he must have felt when the cross was laid on him to carry when he was already exhausted and in searing pain. We could ask ourselves why God didn't arrange for someone to intervene earlier than they did to remove that added pain upon pain. But Jesus knows what it means to not understand his Father's way of accomplishing His purposes, but yet press on knowing that His Father does know when to intervene - and the Father did give him a short reprieve before be had to bear the worst of the cross. God does know what is 'enough' and 'too much' for our humanity and Jesus does know what it is to ENDURE in our humanity but in trust of our Father, to the end - till the task is finished!
And we too take courage in the one who is our STRENGTH to ENDURE - till the task set for us is finished!
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