Daily Devotionals

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Every one of us needs to recognise that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Jesus told His disciples the night before His crucifixion that, cheer up, I have overcome the world (John 16:33). He was facing the worst agony He would ever experience in His physical body and His ministry here on this earth, but He still said cheer up. He said you are going to have tribulations, He could have put it this way, I’m going to have tribulation but I’m rejoicing. Some people will say, that was Jesus, and I can’t relate to Jesus. He was perfect, He was sinless, He wasn’t human as we are. Well, I will admit that Jesus was sinless, but the scriptures said He was tempted, but without sin.

Jesus didn’t give in to His emotions. Jesus never gave in to discouragement when He saw trouble coming because He was believing God. He is our example. I don’t relate to people who say, “I can’t be like that,” and so they embrace failure, they embrace weakness. They quote from scriptures, “the spirit is willing, but the body is weak”. They forget that Jesus never preached to born again Christians. So, before His ascension, He said tarry in Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49). After Pentecost, Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13). See Acts 1:8, John 14:12-14. Yes, I admit that not everything works in my life, but I can assure you that I’m not embracing failure, I’m aiming at the example that Jesus recommended, cheer up no matter what you are facing!

• Thank you for reading our devotional on “Don’t Embrace Failure”.