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I've had a pretty average week - my daughter is dealing with some severe mental health concerns and had a car accident this week, my other daughter has covid and my dishwasher broke. Despite all this, God is still good. No one was hurt in the accident and the tow truck driver was really nice. And there's so much more to be thankful for - God's peace despite my circumstances, support from family and friends, good health care, encouragement from God's Word, the fact that I can talk to God in prayer, etc.
When you are stressed out or in crisis, it's easy to neglect your physical health. Often you end up sleep deprived, dehydrated, lethargic, full of sugar or malnourished. It's really important to get enough sleep, drink plenty of water, eat good food and move your body. These things help you to cope with your difficult situation. The night before he was betrayed, Jesus ate dinner with his disciples, even though he knew what was going to happen. What is one thing that you can do to look after your physical health?
It's fair to say that the final week of Jesus was extraordinarily difficult for him. He knew that one of his closest friends was going to betray him, he was about to bear the weight of the sin of the world, and he was about to die. We'll be looking at Jesus in his final week to see how he coped with the stress. Whether you are going through a crisis or you've just hit a rough patch in life, these devotions will give you helpful ways to cope.
 The start of the school year can be a very anxious time. Add to that the uncertainty of living through a pandemic with ever-changing restrictions and rules and it's no wonder we're all stressed out! God said to tell him all your worries because he cares about you.
1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Psalm 55:22 Give your worries to the Lord. He will take care of you. He will never let good people down. Even though God made the universe and everything in it, he cares about you - your friends, your grades, your family, your relationships, your physical and mental health and much more. God is with you in the happy, good, laughing till you snort times and good hair days. He is also with you during the anxious, lonely, crying till you have snot running down your face days. Hebrews 4:15-16 For our high priest is able to understand our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin. Let us, then, feel free to come before God’s throne. Here there is grace. And we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it. Jesus wept when his friend Lazarus died. He was in anguish when he was praying before he was crucified. He was disgusted when the people turned the temple courts into a market place (so much that he tipped over the tables). He experienced shame when he was hung on the cross. He was angry with the hypocritical religious leaders and called them a bunch of snakes. He was frustrated with the lack of faith of the believers. Jesus can empathise with what you’re going through. He can relate to your worries. He was a human and a teenager. He experienced loneliness, temptation, persecution, happiness, love and everything in between.  One of the most beautiful verses in the Bible is John 11:35 "Jesus wept." He had just found out that his friend, Lazarus. Verse 38 says that he was "deeply moved." Just before Jesus died on the cross Luke 22:44 says, "And being in anguish, he began praying more fervently and his sweat became like drops of blood falling down to the ground."
These verses remind me that although Jesus was God's son, he was also fully human. He experienced big feelings of pain, frustration, anger, sorrow, love and joy - just like we do. Hebrews 4:15 says, "Jesus, our high priest, is able to understand our weaknesses. When Jesus lived on earth, he was tempted in every way. He was tempted in the same ways we are tempted, but he never sinned." God is not an angry judge who sits on his throne in heaven wagging his finger at us. He is a compassionate God who sent his son to live with us and die for us. Jesus understands our pain, our anger, our frustration, our sadness. Talk to him about your big feelings - he understands because he walked a mile in our shoes. |
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