Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
We are to join our supplications with “the prayers of all saints” which are “before the throne” of God (Revelation 8:3-4). I Timothy 2:1 enjoins us, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.” This verse might seem a bit generic (how can we pray for everybody?), but it is not. A bit of contemplation reveals two cogent thoughts. First, if we are praying for someone, we may be the only ones praying for that person by name. I am reminded of Jeremiah 5:1, where God tells the prophet that Jerusalem would be spared judgment if just one righteous individual could be found there. Verses 2-10 confirm that no such person could be found. Each Christian is important, and each Christian’s prayer life is likewise important. Second, since we are to pray “for all men,” we can’t go wrong no matter whom we are praying for! In other words, no prayer is ever wasted, for each prayer remains “before the throne” of God.