WHAT DID JESUS DO?

WHAT DID JESUS DO?
Tuesday, July 9, 2024 by SHARON ARPANA EDWARDS

Categories: devotional / GUEST AUTHORS / TUESDAY'S TREASURE

PLEASE WELCOME

SHARON ARPANA EDWARDS

TUESDAY’S TREASURE

The Lord occasionally uses social media to teach me an important lesson or to remind me of one from the past. I found myself in this situation recently, when in the span of a week, two friends treated me in the same hurtful manner. It may have been unintentional, but it still hurt.

These are not casual “Facebook friends.” One I’ve known since childhood, and the other stood with me in my darkest hours in 1999, the year I moved to Los Angeles. I love these ladies, which is why their behavior hurt as it did. The dearer a person is to us, the more deeply can they wound us. David says something to this effect in Psalm 55:12–14, where he laments being betrayed by a close friend.

While my friends did not betray me, they both responded to my messages with a puzzling and hurtful silence. My first message was a birthday wish, and the second was to congratulate my friend on her daughter’s wedding. The ceremony had taken place some weeks before, but I didn’t see the post because of a phone crash. I wrote as soon as I saw the post, explaining my late congratulations.

When I did not receive a response from either friend, I wondered if their silence meant they no longer wanted to remain friends with me. I asked the Lord if I should unfriend them but was prompted to simply forgive them and wait for further directions.

A few days went by and I heard nothing on the unfriending issue. Now troubled by the Lord’s silence, I imagined myself asking someone, “What would you do?”

At once the Holy Spirit corrected me with this gentle rebuke: “What did Jesus do?” Then He reminded me of something He had taught me years ago from the betrayal of Jesus.

On the night of Jesus’s arrest, when Judas comes to Gethsemane with an armed crowd, he greets Jesus and gives Him a kiss. Knowing beforehand that He would be betrayed, Jesus says, “Friend, do what you came to do” (Matt. 26:50 ESV). In other words, Jesus calls Judas “friend” even though the disciple is now a traitor.

My friends’ silence, though nothing like Judas’s actions, had been hurtful, but the Holy Spirit graciously reminded me of how Jesus called His betrayer “friend.” I thanked Him, and repented for even imagining asking someone what they would do instead of waiting for the Lord’s guidance. My heart was instantly healed, and of course, I did not unfriend my friends.

If you’re in a situation where you don’t know what to do, I encourage you to seek the Holy Spirit for His counsel. He has the perfect solution to every problem, and He will reveal it at the right time. May this devotion also inspire us to keep Jesus as our example in all things: as 1 John 2:6 says, “Whoever claims to live in [H]im must live as Jesus did” (NIV, italics added).

ABOUT SHARON ARPANA EDWARDS

Sharon Arpana Edwards is an Indian-born author in Los Angeles. She has been a follower of Christ and a student of the Bible since childhood, and she enjoys sharing her faith and praying for others. Her books include The Blessing of Melchizedek Devotional, an award-winning 100-day devotional; There Once Was a Man Who Suffered: The Book of Job in Limericks; and Pioneer Boulevard, a collection of stories set in LA’s Indian community. Her first novel is slated for release in August 2024. For more information or to contact Sharon, please visit her website, sharonarpana.com.

ABOUT THE BLESSING OF MELCHIZEDEK

This devotional invites you on a life-changing 100-day journey. As you study the significance of Melchizedek, the king-priest in Genesis 14, and how his blessing fitted Abraham for his destiny, you'll be prepared for greater fruitfulness in your own life. You will also learn more about Abraham’s rich devotional life, and the seven qualities of his faith that won God's favor.
“Having spent my entire adulthood preaching the Gospel and helping people grow in their faith, I believe this devotional is a must-read for anyone who aspires to be a fruitful disciple of Christ. I recommend it highly and wholeheartedly.” --Rabi R. Maharaj, author of the best-selling spiritual autobiography Death of a Guru.