Strength in Surrender

Scripture Link Host (0:01): Wake up. It's time to kick start your day. You are listening to Scripture Link's daily dose of inspiration. Let's go.

Scripture Link Host (0:14): Good morning, and welcome to this brand new day. This description links daily dose of inspiration for Friday, 06/19/2026. And today is National Garfield the Cat Day. You remember that cartoon that used to be in the funny pages with that cat? I'm not much of a cat person.

Scripture Link Host (0:38): I did like reading that cartoon anyway. Looking ahead to the weekend, Saturday, national vanilla milkshake day, and it is also ice cream soda day. No. I don't think I've ever had an ice cream soda unless an ice cream soda is like a Coke float or a root beer float, something like that. If I'm wrong, tell me, because I don't really know what an ice cream soda is, but I do know what a vanilla milkshake is, and I like those.

Scripture Link Host (1:06): So and then on Sunday, of course, it's Father's Day, the day we honor our fathers. And so make sure that you you take time and thank your father and honor him for everything that he's done for you because he sacrificed more for you than you could ever ever know. It also is National Seashell Day. So if you live along the coast, why not take your dad and search for seashells on this Father's Day? Our scripture reading today, Mark chapter 14, Saturday, Mark chapter fifteen and sixteen, and on Sunday, Luke chapter one.

Scripture Link Host (1:52): Excuse me. Luke chapter one and two. And today, we're gonna continue and actually finish up the series we're looking at here at Jesus praying in the garden right before his betrayal. And then we looked yesterday. We're comparing how Jesus faces his trials and how Peter faced his trials.

Scripture Link Host (2:20): And yesterday, we looked at Peter, and I encourage you to go back and take a listen to that episode, but we discovered that Peter ultimately failed in his temptation for two reasons. Because of lack of prayer, Jesus challenged him in verse number 40, said unto Peter, what could you not watch with me? Could you not pray with me for an hour? Watch and pray that she enter not into temptation. Jesus told him that because he already revealed to him that he was gonna go through time of trial, that the devil wanted to tempt him.

Scripture Link Host (3:01): He even went as far as to say what his temptation was gonna be. It was gonna be causing him to deny Jesus. I mean, Jesus laid it out for Peter. He made it plain for Peter. What was gonna happen?

Scripture Link Host (3:16): He painted him the picture. And I wish and and maybe I wouldn't be any better than Peter was, but wouldn't it be great if Jesus painted out the temptations that we were gonna face, the trials that we were gonna face. He did that for Peter but Peter was overconfident, Lord I'm not gonna deny you, I'm gonna follow you, I'm ready to go with you to death. So because of his overconfidence and because of his lack of prayer Peter ultimately failed. Now we're gonna look here at Jesus and see what he did here in the garden.

Scripture Link Host (4:00): Verse thirty six and and thirty seven tells us that he took his disciples to the Gethsemane. That was a garden. And he said to his disciples to stay here. They were probably at the gates. He says, you stay while I go and pray over there.

Scripture Link Host (4:18): And he took with him the inner three, Peter, James, and John, and he began to be sorrowful. The weight of of what he was about to experience was was coming upon him. I'm sure that he probably heard the devil whispering in his ear saying, you don't wanna do that. You wanna escape that. Think of the pain.

Scripture Link Host (4:38): Think of the agony. Think of the embarrassment. And he said to said to the industry here in verse 38, he said, My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death. There's some commentators that say that the wrath of God may have been coming upon him at this time. I don't know if it was, but Jesus was was Jesus was hurting.

Scripture Link Host (5:08): I'm gonna put it in a in a that way for you. He says, His soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death. Then he says, tarry ye here and watch with me. This verse is highlighting the the humanity of Jesus Christ. His biggest challenge yet is what he was facing.

Scripture Link Host (5:34): There was intense pressure and and we've all been in a spot like that that I'm sure I'm sure maybe not as as grand and bold and and life changing as what Jesus was looking at doing. But we've all been in the pressure block at some point. Maybe you've lost your job and and the mortgage payment is due and the car payment is due. And while that don't even compare to what Jesus is going through, in our lives today, that's something pretty major. Maybe you went to the doctor and didn't get a diagnosis that you wanted.

Scripture Link Host (6:11): Maybe cancer's come back. Maybe, you know, I don't I don't know what you're facing today. But there's been times that all of us has been in that spot that Jesus is in right now. And he tells his disciples, tarry tells the inner three, tarry ye here. Stay here and watch with me, or stay here and pray with me.

Scripture Link Host (6:37): Excuse me. And and then we see here in verses 39. Well, then he's he's he tells them to watch and pray. He's giving a call to watchfulness here. This is important of being spiritually ready.

Scripture Link Host (7:00): You know, a couple weeks ago, we talked about the parable of the 10 virgins and saw the the importance of being spiritually ready. We looked at Peter yesterday and we saw the importance of being spiritually ready. That's something else Peter wasn't here. He's praised. That's the importance of being readiness, spiritual alertness, being able to stand over temptation, being ready for those times.

Scripture Link Host (7:31): Remember, I told you that verse yesterday in in one of the letters of Peter, either first or second Peter, where he says that we have to be alert, we have to watch, we have to be ready because the devil's looking, roaring we're walking around like a roaring lion seeking whom he's gonna devour. He already tripped up Peter. He's trying for Jesus right now. It would have been like the ultimate prize right there, and he's trying. In verses 49, I'm sorry.

Scripture Link Host (8:04): Verses 39, 42, and 44, we see three times that Jesus prayed. Three times that Jesus prayed. He says in verse 39, and he went a little further and fell on his face and prayed saying, oh my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. And jumping down to 42, and he went away again the second time and prayed saying, oh my father, if this cup may not pass from me except I drink it, thy will be done. And again in verse 44, and he left them and went away again and prayed the third time saying the same words.

Scripture Link Host (8:56): Jesus is praying and look look at what he's praying. We see a progression here. We see here in verse 39, he says, God, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. And in verse 42, if it may not pass from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. Is Jesus trying to back out?

Scripture Link Host (9:20): Is Jesus trying to to get away from from what God has has brought him there to do? Absolutely not. If we look over here to the gospel of John chapter number 12. John chapter number 12 and verse number 27. Jesus says, now is my soul troubled and what shall I say?

Scripture Link Host (9:51): Father, save me from this hour, but for this cause came I to this hour. Jesus wasn't trying to to get away from his calling. He was submitting himself to the will of God. He was submitting himself to fully following the path that God had for him. None of us look look forward to times of trouble.

Scripture Link Host (10:23): None of us looks forward to times of temptation, to times of trial. And now here and and Jesus is showing his humanity and he's saying, God, if there's any other way, if there's some other way that people can be saved, let's do it. But look at what else he prayed and probably the most important part of his prayer. He said in verse 39, nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And verse 42, thy will be done.

Scripture Link Host (11:00): How many times do we pray that way? How many times do we pray and say, God, let your will be done? God, I don't know how I'm gonna face this diagnosis, but God, your will be done. God, I don't know what I'm gonna do to pay my bills, but, God, your will be done. That's what was first and foremost for Jesus.

Scripture Link Host (11:39): These three prayers these three prayers here show us that in times of trial, in times of trouble, in times of temptation, that the correct response is to seek God persistently and pray for his will to be done. I think it was Martin Luther I could be wrong about this, but I saw a a quote one time, and Martin Luther said that he wished he spent more time in prayer during his ministry. I don't think we as Christians today understand the true power of prayer and what power is held there, what power we have in prayer. But Jesus knew that power and that's why he went to pray. That's why he sought God's will.

Scripture Link Host (12:43): That's why he got the strength he needed. And after the third prayer, we read in verse number 46, rise, let us be going. Behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. He submitted to the father's will and then he calmly went forward to meet his betrayer. What's our takeaway today?

Scripture Link Host (13:15): What can we learn from this? Some battles we can face and we can win on our own. It makes me think back to to Matthew chapter four and and our Lord's temptation by the devil in the wilderness. We see three different areas that that the devil tempted him. In all three areas, Jesus quoted scripture.

Scripture Link Host (13:44): That's why bible study is so important. That's why studying the bible is so important. He was able to fight the tactics of the devil with scripture. But some battles require us to submit and be obedient to the will of God. You know, it's probably one of the the the biggest, most difficult things that we as Christians face, and that is the submission to the will of God.

Scripture Link Host (14:28): Why is that? Because that's putting somebody else in the driver's seat. You know, we like to be in control. You know, I know what I like in my comfort zone. I don't wanna get out of my comfort zone.

Scripture Link Host (14:44): But sometimes submitting to the will of God requires just that, for us to lose control or rather for us to give control to God and follow and be obedient to his will. Don't be overconfident. Submission and prayer works best. I'm sure if we could talk to Peter right now, he would say, man, that night in the garden, I wish I would have prayed instead of sleeping. Don't be overconfident.

Scripture Link Host (15:28): There's a story in the book of acts. I had to find it. But there's a story in the book of acts that that somebody tried to cast out demons, and the person said, hey. In the name of of Paul, I cast you out. In the name of Jesus, I cast you out.

Scripture Link Host (15:48): The devil looks at him and says, well, Paul, I know, but who are you? Don't be overconfident. And finally, pray. Pray persistently and pray for God's will to be done in your life and pray that you submit to God's will in your life. In this in this account here, in this prayer in the garden, We see Jesus who prayed and stood up and faced and won over temptation.

Scripture Link Host (16:30): We see Peter who slept, who was overconfident, and who failed in his temptation. Which one are we most like, but which one should we be like? Think about that as you go through this day and remember, get into God's word and allow God's word to get into you, then share that word with someone today. Have a blessed day.

Unknown Speaker (16:57): So you wanna get to I 5.

Unknown Speaker (16:59): Ever get lost?

Unknown Speaker (17:01): Well, go down this road a piece and turn right. Shouldn't matter where. It's all

Unknown Speaker (17:05): open field. If you are looking for heaven, Jesus said he came from heaven. Next, I think you turn right at a filling station. For directions to heaven, who are you listening to? Someone who thinks they know the way?

Unknown Speaker (17:17): Then I think there's a farm or something.

Unknown Speaker (17:20): Or someone who's been there. Another message from Lifeline Productions, the comic strip of radio at lifelinepro.com.