IN THE MIDST OF ENEMIES

DAY 139 OF 365 IN 2021

John 17:15 I'm not asking you to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one

Sometimes, it does feel as though the only way out of a tough spot is to have the whole situation reset- back to a state where the difficulty did not exist in the first place.

About the Apostles today, in a world where they were going to have trouble, in a world where they could lose their lives and in a world where an enemy was looking forward to sifting them like wheat at the earliest convenience, it seemed rather unfair, even uncaring that Jesus would pray for them to remain in it. It felt like a cruel twist of events at the hands of a master.

However, we also realise the heart behind the prayer he makes for them. In that one sentence, he reveals what He had not prayed for and what He had. With certainty therefore, we know that Jesus’ prayer was for their preservation IN the world with the grace to carry on, not for a rapid exit.

Winston Churcill’s words add another layer to this discourse “You have enemies, good. Because that means you’ve stood up for something some time in your life”. Beloved, the very fact that we have an enemy crouched like a lion waiting to pounce at any opportunity does suggest that we have stood and stand for Jesus. That is why His prayer of covering was offered up for us.

Why? Because man was still intended to thrive in this world regardless of the trouble. As the Psalmist wrote, the table was to be set in the midst of enemies, not without them.

#sly