March 24, 2001 Devotion

"And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received
up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem." Luke 9:51

Jesus "stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem." He had a definite
destination, and He knew what it held for Him. It meant Jerusalem with
its sorrow, Gethsemane with its travail, the judgment hall with its
injustice and shame, the cross with its anguish, and even the hiding of
the Father's face. For Jesus there was no royal road to the throne of
Israel. For Him the only path lay by Jerusalem and Calvary. It was a
long and weary road, but Jesus took every step. He was tempted to turn
aside from His goal and He was tempted in His sufferings. His friends
wished to draw Him aside from His sufferings. Peter rebuked Him when He
spoke of them. Satan even tried to perplex Him, and His own soul
trembled when the time for His crucifixion came.Yet He knew He had
reached the point of no return, and He proceeded in the midst of the
storms of sin and doubt about Him to go toward the cross where He would
be victor once and for all!
In looking at Jesus' life, one thing that impresses us is His
steadiness. He was never shifting, or even driven about. The throb of
His life was constant and perfect. And He did all of this for you and I!
What road have we taken for Jesus today? What hardships have we suffered
or endured for His Name's sake? Think about what you have done for Jesus
and what He has done for you. Could you do more? I know I can!

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