January 11 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

The theme of the month is spiritual war. Jesus won the battle not by might but by obedience. He is the source of salvation for all who obey him. When we have stood the test, we will share Christ's glory.

Bible Reading:

Matthew 26:36–46

Bible Text:

"Watch and pray so that you will not fail into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak" (Matt. 26:41).

Devotional:

Gethsemane was a grove of olive trees. Here Jesus and his friends rested. This was their last night together. Jesus' soul was moved as never before. He knew he had to surrender himself to evil people. He saw before him a mountain of pain and blood and death and hell. He cringed and cried out to his Father, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me .... "

The devil is not mentioned in this description of Jesus' deepest agony. He battles not the devil but his own weakness. "The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." He had the same frail human constitution that we have. Unless he and we are steeled with prayer, we take the easy way instead of the obedient way. For the doing of God's will is a much bigger thing than most people know.

Then he calls on his friends. In this hour he needs them. Jesus was always the strong arm on which his disciples leaned. Now Jesus needs human support in his extreme agony. Yet his friends fail him. Jesus battles alone.

And even now he is not only thinking of himself and his need. In the midst of his own struggle, he is overwhelmed by a concern for his disciples: "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."

We may never overestimate ourselves. We are weaker than Jesus. We fall unless we watch and pray.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.