“Blessed
is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that
person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who
love Him.” – James 1:12
We love Jesus Christ
so easily when our life was filled with so much of blessings. But when the
trials come we ask so many questions in our heart and we fail to love God.
Even when Jesus was in
this earth, He performed so many miracles. Everyone who came to Him received
healing and comfort. So a huge crowd followed Him every day. Everyone loved and
longed for Jesus because He performed so many miracles for their goodness. But
one day Pharisees arrested Jesus. His disciples fled away immediately. Those
who followed Jesus for blessings and miracles vanished all in a sudden. No one
stayed with Jesus. Finally Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross. Everyone
returned back to their home because they know Jesus can’t do any miracles now,
as He was dead.
But there came a man
named Joseph and He went and asked Pilate for the Jesus’ body.
“Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent
member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went
boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.” – Mark 15:43
On that day Pharisees
was against all those who were with Jesus. Joseph knew it. Then why he has to
go to Pilate risking his life for the body of Jesus? He knows Jesus was dead
and can’t do any miracles but yet he went and took the body of Jesus and buried
it according to the custom of Jews. He gave due respect and love even to the
dead body of Jesus Christ. Why he has done that?
Because he loved Jesus
so much. He loved Him with all his heart, soul and mind. He loved Jesus even
when He was dead. The love he had upon Jesus was so great that he even risked
his own life.
His name was written
in all the four gospels and Biblical historians say that Joseph was blessed greatly
and he did God’s ministry saving thousands of souls for the kingdom of God till
the day he died.
When he died it was
written in his tomb like this: “Here lies the body of that most noble disciple,
recorded in scripture by the name of Joseph of Arimathea, and noted by the four
evangelists, St. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, for begging the body of our
Blessed Savior when crucified to redeem lost men from eternal destruction and
burying it in a tomb of his own making.”
What a testimony! He
was declared and testified as the most noble disciple for the way he loved
Jesus.
What about your love
that you have upon Jesus today?
I know a young girl
who loves Jesus so much. She is a God given sister to me. When she was doing
her final year engineering degree she got placed in two multi-national
companies. One of those companies called her to join their training but as she
wanted to join in the other company she declined that offer. After her studies
she waited for months for the call letter but she didn’t get one. Months passed
and one day she got a call from the old company in which she declined the
offer.
Immediately they asked
her to join the company and so she joined the company immediately. There in
another city she continued to grow in God. She passed in some tests the company
conducted but she could not clear the foundation test in the first attempt.
Maximum of four attempts were allowed and with much prayer she went for the
second attempt but she failed. She didn’t ask any questions to God and also she
didn’t doubt God’s love.
She made the third
attempt and again failed. Everyone around her was shocked. But she told God
that even if she fails in the fourth attempt she will not backslide from her
faith. I was so amazed to see her faith.
By God’s grace she
cleared her test in the last attempt and we were so happy. But yesterday her
overall result was declared as failed and she was rolled off from the project
team which she was assigned.
She was so upset but
yet this morning she sent a sms to me saying, “I have no clue why it’s all
happening but God knows. Am not giving up my faith whatever may come. All is
well with the Lord.”
I was really surprised
to see her belief. She was a young girl and this was her first job and they
were going to send her off from that job. But yet she says that she will never
stop loving Jesus.
At this moment, it
feels like God was silent in her life but yet she had put her trust in Him and
she continue to love God.
My dear young friends,
even today you might be waiting for a blessing for so long. You might feel like
God was so silent in your life. God says in Joel 2:26, “...My people shall never be put to shame.”
Those who wait on the
Lord will never be ashamed. God will not put you to shame but He wants you to
love Him even at this toughest moment of your life. If you love Him at this
point of your life when you were not receiving any blessings that you have
expected, you will receive the crown of life that Jesus Christ has promised for
those who love Him.
Love God
unconditionally and you will receive the crown of life. You will never be put
to shame. God bless you.
No comments:
Post a Comment