Thirty

 Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Hallelujah!  He is risen!

A Lenten Devotional Guide

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2 NIV 

Scientists were studying learned behavior. Bringing a dog into the room, they zapped him with an electric prod. As he howled in pain, they offered him a steak, which he quickly devoured. Repeating the pattern over and over, they discovered an amazing thing. After a few times of being painfully zapped and fed steak, the dog’s attitude totally changed. He entered the room, tail wagging, salivating at the thought of the steak. He expected pain, be steak was coming.

In a similar way, the writer of Hebrews encourages us to view the pain and suffering in our lives as an indication that God is bringing us toward something good. Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before him – the joy of hearing his Father’s “well-done,” the joy of knowing he had defeated Satan, and the joy of knowing many others would now come to the Father because of his sacrifice.

Learning to ride a bike caused me many falls and scrapes, but whenever my dad would say, “Want to work on the bike,” I’d be ready. There was joy even in the hurts of the learning because of my father’s working with me as I struggled. Then there was the “steak” – the anticipation of the time I’d be able to ride with my friends. 

Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before him. Can we endure our suffering in fellowship with him, knowing the same joy – the anticipation of our Father’s “well-done,” the defeat of Satan and the knowledge our God-focused struggle is acting as an encouragement to others?

The cross reminds us there is purpose in our suffering. We may be feeling “zapped” but we can know there’s spiritual steak coming.

Lord, help me to look past the sufferings in my life. Teach me to look for your joy set before me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Hallelujah! He is Risen!
prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida
Spring 2011
compiled by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator
reproduced and edited by Patience Fort