Maturity for the MissionSample

There is Still a Mission in the Midst of Misery

Devo: In the text, we see that John the Baptist was beheaded. He was Jesus’ forerunner in the faith – and a beloved family member. Jesus was sad. But while Jesus was grieving, the Father still had a mission for Him. He sent people to disrupt Jesus’ quiet time. They weren’t sent to keep Jesus company. They needed something from Him. This wasn’t one or two people. There were crowds. And in the midst of His own misery, our Savior saw a mission! He healed and performed miracles. He didn’t stop there. As He attempted to go away to grieve again, He fed the 5000.

The sovereignty and goodness of God declare that, even in the midst of grief, His Son, Jesus, is capable of living in that place of sorrow while still participating in the mission assigned to Him. God can trust that, although Jesus is in a state of pain, He will not prioritize His own suffering over the needs of others. God knows that the people who come to interrupt Jesus' time of mourning are sent by Him, and His Son will recognize this.

It’s not that we ignore our feelings – we yield to the Spirit to fill in the gaps.

We do not have to give that out of our natural flesh. If you’re waiting on your own strength and your own good day to have peace of mind, it may never happen.