WE KNOW WHO HOLDS TOMORROW - Matthew 17:22-23

WE KNOW WHO HOLDS TOMORROW - Matthew 17:22-23
What Does it Say?  After they gathered again in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” And the disciples were filled with grief
How Does it Apply?  The penalty for disobeying God is death.  If we have to pay for our own sin, we will spend eternity separated from God.  Jesus died to pay the penalty in our place because He loved us and wanted a relationship with us.  He knew He was a tool in God's hand and his job was to die so we could live.  We are tools in God's hand too.  As I wrote this, I was preparing to be on stage as part of the Christmas Eve service and I was nervous.  I was reminded that I do not need to beg God to help me because He was doing the work, I was just the tool.  My job was to prepare as best I could, but ultimately it was God doing the work.  When I thought of it that way, it helped me keep a humble heart.  I prepared myself by getting enough sleep, doing my homework, and praying about it with a focus on God doing the work through me.  God could have done whatever he wanted because it was His work.  When we obey God, it will always be a win, but it may not always feel like a win.  Jesus predicting His own death did not look good to the disciples.  They did not understand why He needed to die.  They only saw that they were losing the leader they hoped would free them from Roman rule.  Bad things do happen; we may never understand why and we need to be OK with that.  At those times, we can remember that we don't know what tomorrow holds, but we do know who holds tomorrow. When we are afraid, talk to God, do what we know is right, and trust God no matter what happens.