YESTERDAY IS AS TODAY

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YESTERDAY IS AS TODAY

And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matt 26:39, KJV)

Could I have traveled to a distant land, an unfamiliar place halfway around the world? Did I somehow journey to a hostile society in a strange culture with a different language, and yet not leave the comfort of my room? And in so doing, encounter the single most significant person in my life? I believe I did.

My typical evening prayer transformed into an extraordinary one when I reflected on Jesus’ great suffering while alone in the Garden of Gethsemane. His earthly companions abandoned him through it all. They couldn’t continue to pray during that daunting hour as he sweat drops of blood in preparation for estrangement from the Father. I reached for my Bible and clung to it as if it was a life raft. For some reason it never occurred to me until then, what a privilege it was to hold the rest of the story in my hands. Something my ancient brothers could only hope to do at least for a time. Yet, they had the indescribable benefit of having met the Lord face-to-face!

Jesus was no more human than on that night in the garden and on the following day when he hung on the cross. And no more God as he bridled his all-consuming power, to not give up on us, but rather fulfill his forever promise to us.

My experience occurred right after I read the famous Matthew passage. Although I had read it several times before, this time the realness of his pain brought me out of denial. It drew the strength from my knees – It created an immediate and overwhelming desire to direct my prayer not only to Him, but with...

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...ought more personal encounters with the Savior since that night, I never had another quite like this. Not all prayers being equal, I realized they can’t always reach that level of intensity.

The questions still remained: Did I travel to a distant land, an unfamiliar place halfway around the world and not leave the comfort of my room? Yet, encounter the single most significant person in my life? Well, maybe not physically. But I did in spirit.

Words? What words can I find that would express my deep appreciation and indebtedness to the God of my salvation? I can’t help but be in awe of him and his desire to

love each and every one of us so intimately.

Hence, I humbly offer myself completely—not just in word or in prayer but as a living testimony to the most significant person in my life—Jesus—Who is Lord!

References: 1Luke 15:3-10 and John 10:11

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