God is in complete control. He understands what is necessary to make individuals move, act, and respond in specific ways and how to incorporate our actions into His predetermined plan.
Sign up to receive our blogs directly to your inbox
Betrayal was part of the plan
God understood Judas's heart and knew his greed would lead him to betray Jesus. He also knew that the only way the Jewish religious leaders could reach Jesus was through someone close to Him.
Tempting the other disciples likely wouldn't have worked, but Judas's greedy nature opened the door to the enemy (Luke 22:3; John 13:27), and allowed God's plan to succeed through him.
Although Jesus knew Judas would betray Him and how it would occur, He did not intervene, as the betrayal was part of God's plan for redemption. Jesus needed to die for our sins, and the Jewish religious leaders were already prepared to kill Him.
When we encounter negative experiences, remember that they might be part of God's plan for something greater.
Jesus was aware of Judas's future actions, yet He never complained, informed anyone, or tried to prevent it. He understood that Judas was integral to the plan for His capture and execution, but He stayed faithful, trusting that with God, all things work together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
For three years, Jesus knew Judas would betray Him and kept this from the other disciples (John 13:27). And despite knowing about the impending betrayal, Jesus still referred to Judas as His friend (Matthew 26:50).
Can God trust us
God may refrain from assigning certain tasks to some of us due to the condition of our hearts. Issues like pride, greed, and lust can make us vulnerable, and God understands the potential consequences.
Assigning us certain tasks might lead us to fall further into sin, commit new sins, invite other negative influences, or distance us from God. Thus, out of His deep love for us, He shields us by not assigning certain tasks.
Also, God cannot assign certain tasks to some of us due to our lack of faith. We have faith when it concerns something we want but when it comes to doing something unconventional or uncomfortable, we are unreliable.
Let's use money as an example
In pursuit of our personal goals, such as making money, we are prepared to face inconveniences like sacrificing sleep, working extra hours, and overlooking friends, family, and responsibilities. But when something is for God and helps others without offering us immediate benefits or rewards, we often shy away from it. Yet, we envy those who are willing to make sacrifices and are greatly rewarded by God.
However, Jesus' love and obedience to the Father allowed Him to fulfill whatever God wished, all for God's glory and "for the greater good," fully understanding that His actions would benefit all of humanity, even if it demanded personal sacrifice.
Jesus pleasure wasn't for Himself, it was for God the Father (John 5.30; Hebrews 5:8; Philippians 2:8; Luke 11:28; John 14:15; Exodus 19:5), and because of this selfless act, many will be made righteous (Romans 5:19). His love for the Father and us outweighed His difficulties.
It's also worth mentioning that Jesus wasn't upset when Judas didn't refer to Him as Lord, unlike the others. Yet, some of us feel offended when someone misuses our titles (Matthew 26:25).
Regardless of what God requests from us, whether it is difficult or simple, our hearts should be so committed (Revelation 2:10; 2 Timothy 2:13; Galatians 5:22) to God's desires that even if the task is unpleasant at the time, we will still undertake it because of our deep love for God and the joy it brings.
Jesus endured the cross, ignored the shame, concentrated, and focused on the joy that awaited Him—beyond the cross (Hebrews 12:2), and understood that what he needed to do was necessary.
Necessary Experiences
There are experiences we must go through before other events can occur in our lives. These experiences are necessary to fulfill specific plans.
In Matthew 26:42, Jesus expresses this by saying, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” In this context, the "cup" represents God's anger towards sin.
Psalm 75:8 describes a cup filled with foaming wine mixed with spices in the hand of the Lord, which He pours out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it to the last drop.
Similarly, Isaiah 51:17 states, “Awake, awake! Rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes people stagger.” These Scriptures indicate that the "cup" signifies God's wrath against sin.
Jesus understood that if enduring this wrath was necessary for the atonement of sin, He was prepared to accept the punishment so that humanity could be spared from God's judgment.
Although we may never have to endure what Jesus did, we may need to face hardships to achieve promises, be delivered, break generational curses, transform into who God intends us to be, overcome challenges, create a legacy, and more.
During our personal trials or challenging periods, "in our own cross moments," if we focus, meditate, and keep our eyes on the joy that comes after the hardship and suffering, we will also find the strength to persevere like Jesus (Hebrews 12:2; John 16:21).
The reality is that for some believers, we must endure difficult experiences if we want to move from one stage of life to another. This might involve being betrayed like Jesus, experience bondage like Joseph (Psalm 105:17-22; Genesis 41:41-45), starting over in life like Ruth, or facing significant loss like Job, among others. Certain experiences must be endured, similar to what Paul went through when he was tasked with spreading the teachings of Jesus.
But just like a soldier who might get injured while fighting the enemy, in God's army, your painful experiences transforms into joy.
An excerpt from chapter 2 from the Book Everything Happens For A Reason
Sign up to receive our blogs directly to your inbox
Here's what to read next - Here's How to Handle Difficult Situations
Before you go...
Join thousands of subscribers and get monthly blogs to see how the Bible is your guide for life, helping you grow, mature and get through anything in life. Join
One last thing...
If you've found this blog valuable, please remember to share it on social media below. Sharing is a free way to share the Gospel and to let everyone know what God can do.
SUBSCRIBE to our Youtube Channel
Explore our website...
A call for salvation
When you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, His spirit will become one with yours. This is one of the greatest blessings of salvation. You don't have to go through someone else to get to God, as you and Him are now one.
All you must do is receive salvation, simply choosing to repent of your sins and welcome Jesus into your life by confessing Him as Lord. In Romans 10:9 Paul said, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Here's a Prayer that you can pray to get saved:
Jesus, I confess that you are Lord, and I believe in my heart that you died and were risen for my sins. I ask for forgiveness of my sins, and I accept you as my personal Lord and Savior—in Jesus' name, Amen.
After this step, pray for guidance to find a ministry where you can grow spiritually, gain knowledge about the kingdom, and begin living the abundant life promised by Jesus.
Please Share below!
SEO Keywords: SSFL, Christian, Blogs, ChristianBlogs, Bible, Jesus, God, Spirit, Spirituality, Experiences, Experiences, Process, Destiny, BridgeToDestiny, Purpose
Comments