How Did We Get It So Wrong?
Have you ever believed something so strongly only to find out you were wrong – something that completely shattered your confidence or shook your faith?
Step back in time, if you will, and imagine you’re one of the apostles. Your convinced you’ve been hand selected by the man about whom many prophesies had been written. The Messiah! You follow and serve alongside Him faithfully and spend the next three years watching, learning, and reimagining Israel’s future – it’s freedom. Your new king has arrived.
And then that fateful Friday happens: He (this man – this savior) is arrested, convicted of no actual crime, and hung on a cross where he dies. How could this happen? Everything you thought you knew has completely been upended. You have so many questions and so much doubt. Were you completely wrong? Was he not the man you thought he was? Was he not the Messiah who would save Israel?
The wind has been taken out of your sails.
And then Sunday happens: The women come and say the tomb is empty. They say Jesus has returned from the dead. They’ve seen him. It was hard to believe He died. Do you dare believe he’s alive again? Your faith was shaken – but now it’s back.
The wind returns to your sails and lifts your spirits.
Relief hits you. The last three years did mean something after all!! Everything was true. You still don’t fully understand but now you know – and will never doubt again – that this man is going to change the WORLD not just Israel!!!
And change the world, he did. The apostles didn’t understand that Jesus wasn’t preparing an earthly kingdom. For three years their minds were going down a completely different path. How many times has this happened to us? We set out on a path – sometimes one we fully believe God has led us down – but then the path suddenly takes a huge detour. Did we miss something? Did we completely read the message wrong?
It’s not so much that we got the wrong message as much as we tend to be short-sighted. We think in the here and now. God’s thinking is way beyond that. Isn’t it wonderful that His plans are so much bigger (and wiser) than ours? Imagine if the apostles were right – that Jesus was there to be their earthly king and free them from Roman rule. If that’s all he was meant to be, what would happen when this longed-for, EARTHLY king eventually died? They would eventually need another savior. Then another, and another…
We often want someone to come in and save the day. But thankfully, God’s more interested in saving us for eternity than for just “the day”. Pretty remarkable when you look at it that way, isn’t it?
Encouragement:
Don’t let your expectations of what you want to happen (or what you think is supposed to happen) blind you from seeing an even bigger blessing God has in store for His people. Let God work out His timing and trust Him. Things are not always what they seem through our earthly lenses. He will never let us down. This life – this kingdom is His picture. He’s got all the pieces in play and knows exactly how they fit together. When it’s all said and done, the masterpiece will be on full display for all to see.
Armor up! Spread Truth! Pray big! * Ninja Christians don’t Cower! *
God is Love and Love conquers all!
Kendra, Thank you for this today. I need to be reminded often that His plans are bigger and wiser than mine. Patience is not a virtue of mine. ❤️
I wish I had the foresight to see beyond today. We know what we want to see happen in our own lives and in our country and in the present world but we want it to happen today. Guess that’s where faith and trust come in. Thanks Kendra for your understanding.