The Hard Place Called Gethsemane

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” Mark 14:32 (NIV) 

Figuratively, we will all have our Gethsemane. For Jesus, it was the point at which He surrendered His will to the Father as He faced the greatest trial of His life. Given a human body like our own He was subject to fatigue, mental and emotional exhaustion, and a fear of pain and suffering. 

"Gethsemane" comes in many forms for us. Perhaps it is a diagnosis of cancer, the loss of a loved one, the pain of divorce, a wasting disease, any overwhelming event that takes us to the brink of despair. 

 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Mark 14:34 (NIV) 

When a terrible ordeal brings you to the brink of despair you have met your "Gethsemane". When you are out of strength and hope is fading fast, when you can see no light at the end of the tunnel, there are two choices before you: Either surrender and give up, or you can give it to God. 

 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14:36 (NIV) 

I do not know what your "Gethsemane" might be, but we are all there at one point in time. There are situations that only God can get you out of or get you through. Faith, trust in God, is paramount to surviving your "Gethsemane". 

Jesus is not only our example, He is the One who stands with us in our battles and guides us down our dark paths through deadly situations. He has gone before us, facing death and conquering it. When you are staring down death or facing any terrible event call upon Jesus, He knows the way through and will lead you past the trial to the other side. 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for everything You went through for us. And thank You for being our example of how to trust the Father no matter what challenges we face. Amen. 

Karlton Douglas 

Copyright 2017 

The Grace We Live By

“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) 

Many of us who have suffered chronic illnesses for years are familiar with the verse above, but I wonder if we fully consider the implications of depending upon the grace of God in our weaknesses? 

None of us want to be weak, but chronic afflictions can leave us very weak, and in that weakness the power and grace of God are essential for us to live as witnesses of God’s goodness. Indeed, to thrive at all in the midst of weakness we desperately need God’s grace and power. 

Long periods of illness can wear away our ability to live godly lives. Many times, I have lived in “survival mode” just trying to get through the day. Yet there have been days when I have been amazed at how God has helped me to thrive even in the midst of my affliction. So often I think: That was God. 

God can take our weaknesses and turn them into strengths. That seems paradoxical and it is. God often works in strange ways to accomplish His purpose in our lives. It is our job to call upon Him for aid in our  weaknesses. 

We have different weaknesses but we need the same God and the same grace every day to endure and overcome and succeed in spite of our weaknesses. We can do so only in the power and grace of God. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, we are weak and in need of Your help, send us grace and strength for the weakness in our lives. Amen. 

Karlton Douglas 

Copyright 2017 

The Empowerment Of Love

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 2 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV) 

Those of us with chronic afflictions have hopefully learned by now to avoid such things as: contention, strife, endless arguments, and a pessimistic outlook on life. Such things drain us and bring no good fruit in our lives. But not only must we avoid negative things in life when possible, we must focus on the good things of life, and at the top of that list is Love. 

God is love. It is the essence of His being.  When we love we draw near to God. Love is a spiritual force, and I’m not talking about the kind of love that is fickle and maudlin, but the powerful thing called godly love that transforms outlooks, hearts, and lives. 

For those suffering affliction, we can never go wrong by keeping love foremost in our heart. To be like God is to live a life filled with love. We must love others, but we must also love ourselves, care for the spirit,  soul, and body that God has entrusted us with. When we have a proper affection for ourselves, we can properly love others. If we are filled with self-hate and self-loathing, we will not be able to properly love others. 

Walking in love is a spiritual approach to life. It empowers us to look at ourselves and others through the eyes of God, and that is no small thing. We need God’s help and guidance to live in this way, and the more we grow as Christians the more we will love. 

Show me a bitter and judgmental Christian and I will show you a Christian baby who has not learned how to love. Love is powerful enough to overcome our weaknesses and to enable us to look beyond the weaknesses of others to see someone who Christ died for. 

We are all still learning in this life, and the most important thing we learn is how to love. If you are struggling with a chronic illness you will need to draw upon God’s love to empower you to live each day, to endure each day, to survive each day, and to thrive each day in love. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, every day living in Your love is a good day. Help us to live in Your love. Amen. 

Karlton Douglas  

Copyright 2017 

Human Suffering And Learning To Live Without Answers

“Terrors overwhelm me; my dignity is driven away as by the wind, my safety vanishes like a cloud. And now my life ebbs away; days of suffering grip me.” Job 30:15-16 (NIV) 

Suffering. It is as old as the day of mankind’s first sin. No wonder we want to attribute some sin to everything that happens to us, or to someone else. Sometimes it may be a sin or some foolish act that has caused our pain and brought us to the place we are now. But more than likely it is a mystery as to why we are chosen, or struck by “fate.” 

I have wasted more time wondering if I might have done something to cause my illness, or rather, might have done something to prevent it. I wish I had spent that time thinking on positives, or at least dwelling on another topic. 

In the book of Job in the Bible we have the story of a man who did no wrong, yet was singled out for testing of the worst kind. Satan got God’s permission to give Job one test after another–the loss of wealth, his cattle, workers, and source of income. Worse still, the loss of his children. All these terrors came one after another. Still Job didn’t sin by cursing God. Finally, the devil gets permission to attack Job’s health–isn’t it interesting that the devil considered this a greater test? 

There is poor Job, wife telling him to essentially kill himself by cursing God. Some “friends” show up just to tell him how horrible he was to bring this on himself. Job wants an answer from God, a face-to-face meeting. God appears, tells Job to explain the beauty and the workings of the universe. Job is silent, asks God to forgive his foolishness, and his friends’ foolishness. God blesses Job in the end, more than in the beginning. The End–not! 

We see this ancient play going on in a thousand ways all around the world. Some claim that because God allows suffering, He must not be real. They should read the book of Job. Notice that God never gave a reason for the suffering of Job. God doesn’t owe us an explanation for our troubles. 

He will use our troubles to help us to grow and learn to trust and depend on Him. He may use our troubles to help comfort others who are suffering. But don’t expect an answer for your trials. 

We are left, like Job, to find comfort in knowing God is there. He is ultimately in control, and He hears our pleas and cares about us. 

Our God cares. That is the message you need to hold on to no matter how many struggles are thrown at you. God has not abandoned you despite your present circumstances. Soon you will be able to see beyond the circumstances, like Job did, and get a greater vision of the God who loves us and is with us in our suffering. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, we face many difficulties in life, help us never to forget that You are with us even in the midst of life’s hardest challenges. Amen. 

Karlton Douglas 

Copyright 2017 

The Strength Of Our Spirit Shines Through

“The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?” Proverbs 18:14 (NIV) 

During my time of wearing away and moving closer to death before my surgery I felt that what carried me most of the time was the strength of my spirit. The human spirit and its will to live is a powerful thing. 

When our spirit is fortified by the Spirit of the Lord we become a spiritual powerhouse. We may be very weak physically, nearly everyone will experience physical weakness at some point in their lives. In our times of physical weakness, we need the Lord’s Spirit to lift us up. 

I often fear that the younger generation has lost touch with the Lord, and I know how badly they are going to need Him. Even those of us who are weak physically, suffering affliction in various ways, we can be strong in spirit and set an example for the younger generation. They might wonder at our ability to endure, and how we can smile instead of complain when we are facing affliction. Our testimony matters and is not dependent upon anything but a strong spirit to guide us. 

The Lord is very near those who call upon His name, and I think He is even nearer those who suffer affliction. Let us lean upon Him, allow Him to strengthen our spirit, and then we can testify about His goodness and power working in us. 

You may feel you are too weak to accomplish anything for the Lord, open your eyes, call upon the Lord, and discover that you are truly a spiritual powerhouse. With the Lord’s Spirit empowering us we are much more than people living in affliction, we are witnesses of the mercy and power of God at work in our lives. 

Prayer: Awesome God, Show Your power in our weakness, through us become strong, and let the world see what You can do through us. Amen. 

Karlton Douglas 

Copyright 2017