The Bible says that we are to live a life of faith (Romans 1:17). We are to “walk by faith, and not by sight,” allowing God’s Word to be our guide in every situation—good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:7). We are not alone in this, however. The “author and finisher of our faith,” Jesus, did the same while here on earth (Hebrews 12:2). He came to earth by faith. He lived His earthly life by faith. He went to the cross by faith. In every situation He encountered, He handled it by faith.
Coming from heaven to earth was not an easy decision. Enduring earthly limitations, persecution, and the pressures of sin wasn’t something anyone accustomed to heaven would want to endure. Yet Jesus did it all—not because He was a superhero on His own, but because He operated by faith fueled by prayer.
In Acts 2, we read the story of the Day of Pentecost. Peter stood before the people and testified to Jesus and the Gospel message. To confirm Jesus as Messiah, he quoted Psalms 16:8-11 to describe Jesus’ conviction when He was faced with the cross.
For David says in regard to Him, I saw the Lord constantly before me, for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken or overthrown or cast down [from my secure and happy state]. Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue exulted exceedingly; moreover, my flesh also will dwell in hope [will encamp, pitch its tent, and dwell in hope in anticipation of the resurrection]. For You will not abandon my soul, leaving it helpless in Hades (the state of departed spirits), nor let Your Holy One know decay or see destruction [of the body after death]. You have made known to me the ways of life; You will enrapture me [diffusing my soul with joy] with and in Your presence (Acts 2:25-28, AMPC).
How did Jesus fulfill such a challenging assignment? He found His strength in God’s presence, making a lifestyle of prayer. As a result, He experienced everything He needed to sustain Him through His calling.
He Wasn’t Shaken
Verse 25
Jesus handled every challenging situation by staying close to the Father. He kept God’s face in constant view, knowing the promise that God would “never leave Him nor forsake Him” while He anticipated the Cross (Hebrews 13:5). This was His strategy—that through His earthly challenges, He could maintain His “happy state.”
In our Western culture, we get stressed out by sickness, financial struggles, and relationship tension. Even in these temporary situations, we find it hard to cope under normal conditions. But we, like Jesus, can stay in that “secure and happy state.” We simply need to make God the Father’s presence our greatest priority. As with Jesus, God the Father will never forsake us.
He Rejoiced and Rested
Verses 26-27
Because Jesus knew the powerful result of His thirty-three years on earth, He could rejoice in God the Father’s presence. He could rest in the hope of what was to come—God’s promise of resurrection and the salvation of millions of souls.
Consider Hebrews 12:1-2, NKJV: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
The power found in God’s presence is what enables us to run our race of faith—with rejoicing and resting—because we know the victory that lies before us. It’s not only victory over sin but also victory over every physical battle here on earth.
He Received God’s Wisdom
Verse 28a
Operating as the Son of God, yet as a physical man on earth, required wisdom. Jesus was fully aware of this, so He planted Himself consistently in God the Father’s presence to receive divine wisdom. The Bible says Jesus did only what He saw the Father do and said only what He heard the Father say (John 12:49, John 5:19). How did He discover what to say and do? By abiding in a lifestyle of prayer.
Colossians 2:2-3 says that “in whom [Jesus and God the Father] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (NKJV). If we want the insight of God for our lives in the good and bad times, we need to make listening in His presence a greater pursuit than seeking worldly counsel.
He Was Filled with Joy
Verse 28b
Jesus didn’t just rejoice because of the future; He was enraptured with joy. This supernatural joy didn’t come from what He saw or felt. It was something God the Father diffused into Jesus’ soul with His presence and in His presence.
Like Paul and Silas, rejoicing is often an act of faith, something we do when we don’t feel like it (Acts 16:16-40). But when we’re infused with the spirit of joy, nothing can keep us from rejoicing. It is within us. It is who we are. If we’re finding it hard to experience joy in the challenging times, we need to realize that joy is already in us through the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). It’s simply waiting to be awakened by God’s presence. God’s Word says that “in His presence is fullness of joy” if we will take the time to go there (Psalm 16:11, NKJV).
Conclusion
In Jesus’s greatest temptation to give up and quit, He entered the presence of God. As promised, there, He found the strength to finish His race. While sweating drops of blood from excessive stress, an angel came and ministered to Him (Luke 22:40-46). God the Father was faithful to grace Him for what lay ahead.
Regardless of what is going on in our lives, God’s presence should be our life’s priority. When we make a lifestyle of seeking Him in the good times, we will be ready to seek Him in the bad times. It won’t be a discipline; it will be an automatic response because of our relationship with God the Father.
Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it] (Hebrews 4:16, AMPC).
Christa Madrid 