Mon., 12/9/19 Devotion (Lk. 22:43)

Today's encouragement comes from Luke 22:43, where we read these words:

"Then an angel appeared to Him [Jesus] from heaven, strengthening Him."

All God's churched children need the assistance of others, and strength. Even the very Captain of our souls, the Head of the church Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, did. Sometimes we people of God find ourselves in very tough circumstances. Naturally, we call out to the Lord for deliverance and freedom (from what afflicts us). But what oftentimes our Father chooses to do, is *not* to immediately extricate us from our problem—but to use it as a great oppor-tunity to make us stronger in Christ.

After all: this same dynamic happened with our Savior Himself. He is in the Garden of Gethsemane; He is in agony and anguish; and His Father chooses to give Him strength (even through an angel)—for the purpose of encouraging His Son in His horrendously difficult task of going to the cross to die for all the elect church.

[Puritan quote of the day: "The nature of God is lovely in Christ, and our na-ture in Christ is lovely to Him." —Richard Sibbes, in, "Glorious Freedom"]