Solace in a Stairwell - Sunday July 08, 2012
Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. Mark 14:35 NIV
While attending this past year's Faithwalkers conference, I received some pretty heavy news that left me reeling. The unsettling details relating to a family member's struggles took my breath away. Shaken emotionally, I knew that I would be unable to concentrate on any afternoon seminars. Finding a private place to be alone (an empty stairwell), I sat in God's presence and poured out my troubled heart to my Father in heaven. As I cried and prayed, I was reminded of another person who knew all about being deeply distressed and troubled.
We are told in Mark 14:34 that prior to His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was "overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." Falling to the ground in grief, Jesus surrendered His troubled heart to His Father. What was it that was so overwhelming for Jesus?
Jesus knew that torture and a cross lay before Him...pretty intimidating in itself! But more than that, He knew that He must bear the sins of the world, undergoing God's wrath and punishment. In that excruciating moment, Jesus understood that He would be without what had always been available to Him-a Father to turn to for help and comfort. As I sat reflecting on all that Jesus went through for me, I was comforted. He understood what if felt like to be overwhelmed and distressed. He knew all about surrendering a broken heart to the Father. And best of all, because of His sacrifice, I now had access to the One who could comfort and support me best. I left that stairwell, tired but at rest. God had brought me solace.
Submitted by:
Dawn Bovenmyer
Stonebrook Community Church
Ames, Iowa
One-Year Reading Plan:
1 Chronicles 5:18-6:81
Acts 26:1-32
Psalms 6:1-10
Proverbs 18:20-21
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