Words by Bev Jones
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Gethsemene
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The Message version of Psalm 46 verses 4 and 5 say this:
‘God lives here, the streets are safe, God at your service from crack of dawn.’
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It’s probably true to say that for most of us, our streets feel anything but safe at the moment, and yet the Psalmist is reminding us that God is still here. God is still very much in our midst. As Jesus spends his last days on earth, the streets must have felt very unsafe for him. He knew that his earthly mission was almost complete; that he would be betrayed by one of his closest friends, and denied by another, and yet he shares his Last Supper with those closest to him. After that, he takes a couple of the disciples with him, and goes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray - to plead his case with his Father. He understood that what he was about to go through would be horrendous, and yet he is able to finally say:
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‘Yet not what I will, but what you will.’
Photo by Vek Labs via Unsplash
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In this time of great distress and uncertainty, Jesus does three things.
He:
Prays
Seeks support of his friends
Focuses on the purpose that God has given him
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That’s not a bad framework to adopt, as we navigate through these difficult times that we’re currently in. As we seek the support of friends though, let’s not forget those people that may not know who to ask for help, and maybe pray that God will put on our hearts daily, somebody that would really benefit from a phone-call, and an offer of help. Psalm 46 ends with the words:
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‘Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your high God, above politics, above everything.’ (The Message)
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‘The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress’ (Psalm 46:11 NIV)
- Bev Jones
8/4/20