Monday Meditation~Living Proof

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41 (NIV)

I'm living proof.

Of the flesh being weak, that is.

All it takes is a Chocolate Chunk Cookie at Chick-Fil-A.

I don't know that my affinity for chocolate chunk cookies is prayer worthy, but I do know that there are many areas of weakness in my flesh that scream for watchfulness and prayer.

Help me, Lord.

The verse for pondering today comes from the passage of Scripture where Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane just before Judas betrayed Him and "the crowd armed with swords and clubs" came to take Him away. He said to Peter, James, and John, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." The weakness of their flesh at that time was to sleep...instead of keeping watch...or joining Jesus in the anguish of His prayer, beseeching the Father to take "this cup" from Him.

We might be quick to judge and murmur, "How could you, guys? He's been warning you that this was coming? How could you even think about sleeping at a time like this?"

I fear that we fall into the same apathetic slumber.

For us, we should be watching for His return! And praying to resist the temptations of this world that hinder our readiness for that glorious day.

Lord, we cry out to You, asking You to open our eyes. Keep us from laziness and instead, help us to "Be alert and of sober mind . [Knowing that our] enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) Father, You know our individual tendencies toward "the sin that so easily entangles" us. Help us to wake up and "run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author [pioneer] and perfecter of our faith." (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Wow. I just have to share this. Oh, how I love when God works to share His Truth in multiple ways! I just watched this clip from Steven Furtick. I'm not anywhere even close to his league in sharing God's truths. But I love how God speaks to each of us and affirms it through others.