Be Constant
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
Author: Lori Casto
Forbearance
I asked The Lord to show me what to study next. Here it is. I’ve landed at Forbearance/Patience I look forward to seeing where this will lead.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
- Forbearance -refraining from the enforcement of something (such as a debt, right, or obligation) that is due – longsuffering patience mercy tolerance ; the quality of being patient and being able to forgive someone
- Forbearance is more than just patience; it is an active choice to remain calm and supportive when others challenge us or let us down. To Show mercy, grace, and self-control.
Patience- : bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint; manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain; not hasty or impetuous; steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Ephesians 4:2 With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
He Is Risen!
Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to bring His disciples word. Matthew 28:1-8
Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Mark 16:1-8
Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ” And they remembered His words. Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened. Luke 24:1-12
Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were [e]assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” John 20:1-23
Your Will
And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. Luke 22: 41-43
Beauty Beyond the Broken
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:34
God, the Creator of the Universe, sent His son in the form of a baby through a virgin birth. He watched His son’s life, and He watched His death. God put His plan into place and watched it all unfold. He watched as His son took on the sins of the world. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the World that He gave His only son that whoever believes in Him will not parish but have everlasting life.”
Could you imagine watching your child suffer the way God watched Jesus?
Jesus was broken. He went through so much suffering. He was hurt by so many that some of His last words before His death, burial and resurrection, were of forgiveness. The completion of what Jesus came to earth to accomplish included forgiveness. Jesus had to forgive and He asked His Father, God, to do the same.
There’s nothing more beautiful than the brokenness of a savior who gave up everything to give me everlasting life. There’s nothing more beautiful than the brokenness of my savior who showed me what it’s like to be completely broken and still overcome. There’s nothing more beautiful than my Savior who is willing to forgive and ask His father to forgive so He could be an over comer.
There’s beauty beyond the broken. Jesus is the prime example. He was broken, yet because He overcame, we can overcome. It’s important to recognize Jesus didn’t stay broken and we don’t have to stay broken, either. We don’t have to live in our past situation. We don’t have to stay hurt. We don’t have to live with everything rejection brings.
We can’t experience fullness of joy if we aren’t walking in love which includes exercising forgiveness.
Jesus was denied by Peter, one of the few closest to Him, yet instead of avoiding Him after His resurrection, He sought Him out. The angels even instructed the Mary’s to “get the disciples and Peter.” They mentioned him by name. Jesus walking in love and living in forgiveness completely changed the outcome of the rest of Peter’s life.
We’ll never find beauty if we keep living in the broken. Maybe now is the time to get beyond the broken. Maybe living the love walk is part of the process of letting go of the broken pieces. Maybe the ultimate demonstration of our love walk is unconditional forgiveness.
We can’t experience fullness of joy if we aren’t walking in love and exercising forgiveness. There’s beauty for you just beyond the broken. Maybe today you get to your beauty with your final act of forgiveness, the key to freedom.
How will you devote2day?
No Condemnation
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:17
A Multitude of Sins
But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. Matthew 27:20
Jesus was standing before the governor and being accused and questioned by the chief priests and elders, those with the most influence. The governor didn’t want Jesus’ blood on his hands, so he permits the crowd to decide. The crowd was to the point of an uproar and shouted, “Crucify Him.”
How long did it take the influencers to cause the crowd who yelled “Hosanna, blessed is He comes in the name of the Lord” to instead yell “Crucify Him?” I believe the influencers were in the original crowd as Jesus entered Jerusalem quietly getting in the ear of anyone who would listen. They had been influencing them since before Jesus even got into town. They were plotting, positioning, writing, and pleading with “the crowd” and it all finally paid off. The influencers got exactly what they wanted.
Jesus let the chief priests and elders (influencers) plead their case. They knew exactly how to provoke the crowd.
Why didn’t Jesus speak up? Why did He let them continue spreading lies & do so much damage? Jesus was doing the most important thing He could do. He was exercising love. He was demonstrating the love walk. That was just the beginning of the love Jesus would demonstrate.
What does love do? “Love covers a multitude of sins.” Love covers the betrayal. Love covers the denial. Love covers the bruises. Love covers the beating. Love covers the nails.
What must love cover in our own lives? Who must love cover in our own lives? Maybe it’s not necessary to say a word. Maybe we simply let love cover it. There isn’t one thing in our own lives that would be more difficult to cover with love then what Jesus’s love covered.
Today is a great day to demonstrate the love walk. “Love covers a multitude of sins.”
How will you Devote2day?
He Gave
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Hosanna!
Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!” Matthew 20:9
Indignant
But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant… Matthew 21:15
- Indignant- angered, outraged, furious, livid, foaming
There was a huge crowd both preparing the way for Jesus and following behind as He was about to enter Jerusalem. When He arrived on a donkey, the crowd was shouting “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” It was a joyous and exciting time. Jesus was healing the blind and the lame after He arrived, yet the chief priest and scribes were outraged.
They were so full of anger they were practically foaming at the mouth. I think the crowd that was excited to see Jesus greatly outnumbered the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees. Yet, the same crowd who welcomed Jesus, would later yell “Crucify Him!” The crowd was so easily influenced by those so influential.
A little while later in chapter 22, Jesus had been teaching, when a scribe asked Him a very important question…
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:36-40
The Holy Spirit has been taking me on a “love journey.” Just when I think He’s ready for me to move on, He adds another layer or reminder to what He is showing me about love. I noticed that a scribe, one of the very people who is an influencer to sending Jesus to the cross, is asking Jesus what the greatest commandment is. Jesus knew exactly who He was talking to and exactly what was about to happen.
I think it’s entirely possible Jesus was not only telling the scribe the greatest commandments, but He was also reminding Himself. (The love your neighbor part) How much love do you have to possess to love the ones who sent you to the cross? How much love must you possess to love those who nailed your hands to a cross or beat you or put a crown of thorns on your head? How much love must you possess when your very own denies and betrays you?
Remember, the influencers (chief scribes, priest) and the people responsible for Jesus’ death and everything that took place on His horrific journey, kept their hands clean. They weren’t the ones doing the beating or nailing Jesus to the cross. They didn’t touch blood one time. They were eloquent. They said all the right words to plant seeds and change the minds of those around them. The crowd did the rest. The people who once held palm branches were now yelling “Crucify Him. Crucify Him.”
The influencer is eloquent. He’s cunning. He’s sly. He’s clever. He’s a fox. His hands always stay clean. He never carries out what He influences us to do. We do it and we enjoy it for the moment. We deny Jesus. We betray Jesus. We may as well have been the ones nailing Him to the cross. Yet, Jesus loves us. He loves us so much He went through the process of death on a cross to save us from our sins.
How deep is God’s love for us? He sent His Son, Jesus, to give the ultimate life sacrifice of love. My humanness doesn’t allow me to fully comprehend it. This week, as we think of Jesus death, burial, and resurrection, the least we can do is try to comprehend and demonstrate the same kind of love that God has for us.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
Consider Him
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders (every weight) and the sin that so easily entangles. (ensnares) And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter (Author & Finisher) of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3
Consider Him
Consider the Savior of the World who is the sinless Son of God and everything He went through for us.
Consider the rejection, denial and betrayal He went through. Consider the loneliness He must have felt. Consider the bruises and stripes he received from the beating He took. Consider the crown of thorns He wore and the blood that ran down his cheeks. Consider the nails that pierced His hands. Consider the cross he carried and hung on. Consider His death, burial, and resurrection.
When you feel like giving up, consider Him. When you grow tired, consider Him. When you lose heart, consider Him. Keep your eyes on Jesus and don’t stop reading His word. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you as you continue to consider Him. What hinders you? What weighs you down? Isn’t time to let it go? Put the weights down. They are too heavy.
It’s time to consider Him.
Throw Off Everything
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders (every weight) and the sin that so easily entangles. (ensnares) And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter (Author & Finisher) of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3