God Can Help Us Gather Courage...For Anything He Asks Us To Do

Mark 15:42-45 -  This all happened the day before the Sabbath. Late that afternoon Joseph from Arimathea, an honored member of the Jewish Supreme Court (who personally was eagerly expecting the arrival of God’s Kingdom), gathered his courage and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.  Pilate couldn’t believe that Jesus was already dead so he called for the Roman officer in charge and asked him. The officer confirmed the fact, and Pilate told Joseph he could have the body.

 

Jesus had spent the last 24 hours of His life suffering untold physical pain….mental abuse and aguish….and temporary separation from His father.  The human body that had enabled Him to become the last sacrifice ever needed for sin now hung physically dead…so close to the traditional Jewish Sabbath that the timeline for burial was short. It was the courage of one of the religious leaders…Joseph of Arimathea…that gave an answer to how to get Jesus buried before breaking any of the Jewish laws.

 

I can only imagine the hardship and persecution this man encountered when the rest of the leaders who had plotted to kill Jesus learned that he had taken such a strong stance in support of Jesus.  But Joseph did not think of what would happen to him…he took courage….and even tenderly wrapped Jesus with a burial cloth before they sealed Him in the fresh grave meant for Joseph’s own family.

 

I admit that I needed a fresh reminder of the courage that is available to me when things seem the hardest.  I am the first to cave in to the pressure around me…shutting my mouth in defeat…or walking away form a blessing because I know I lack the strength and courage on my own. I need to be more like Joseph…stepping up to the hard things…..because I know that I know that I know that God is with me and will give me the strength and help I need to do all things…just like Philippians 4:13 tells us.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you have already prepared a container of all the courage and strength that I will ever need to complete anything you ask me to do. Forgive me for succumbing so many times to peer pressure and plain old fear. Help me to be like Joseph…who gathered His courage and strength to go against the politically correct …most popular beliefs….and do what you make known to me in my spirit…no matter what the repercussions might be after. Amen.