Solutions August 2018 | Page 58

it seems you will never reconcile with your wayward child? What do you do when the pain of heartache is so great you feel that you cannot go on? shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’ s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’ t become weary and give up.
Hebrews 12:1 – 3
Jesus endured Hell Week on the cross. He endured the accusations. He endured the ghastly torture. He endured the beatings. He endured the spit. He endured being stretched out on two pieces of wood. He endured the nails driven into His hands and His feet.
One, remember that the trying of your faith brings something more precious than gold. We read in 1 Peter 4:12 – 13, Dear friends, don’ t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad— for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
Two, consider Jesus. The book of Hebrews offers,
And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its
Jesus could have rung the bell. But He made up His mind in the Garden of Gethsemane that He was not going to quit. When He hung on the cross suspended between heaven and earth, He determined to do what God told Him to do.
If you are going through your Hell Week, consider Jesus.
Paul spoke of how he served God“ with many tears”( Acts 20:19). He then said,“ I don’ t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead”( verses 22 – 23). That’ s pretty sad! Nothing but trouble awaited the apostle in every city. But check out what Paul wrote next:“ But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus— the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful
58 • Solutions