JTJ: Surrounded

Journeys Through John is somewhat of a journaling type approach taken towards passages I come across as I'm reading through the book of John. Enjoy!

Have you ever felt surrounded by defeat and circled by doubt because of your sin? Has it ever felt like you've ended up stranded on an island alone, cut off from God and everything you've known? Imagine this happening literally. The Bible tells of how a woman entangled in sin becomes surrounded by her accusers. At the peak of the altercation we see an image of Jesus intermediating between the woman and the religious fanatics. Jesus confronts everyone of their sin and slowly they walk away until it's only Jesus and the sinful woman.

You see we need to know we can lean on Him to aide us in our fight against being surrounded by things like anxiety, fear, and even despair. Often times our sin seems pleasurable at the moment but really leaves us broken, weak, and spiritually mangled. I truly believe that no matter what surrounds you today if you can trust in the power of Jesus, whatever is surrounding you will begin to surrender. It may not be people with rocks wanting to stone you for being committing adultery, but maybe it's something else. Maybe worry and uncertainty have closed in on you in regards to your finances. You just cannot seem to save enough money or get that promotion. Slowly you can hear the voices against you ranting and raving about you're never going to make it out of this alive. Again, maybe it's something completely different, but to be honest with you everyone is circled by something that wants to destroy you.

It is in the midst of our weakest moment that Christ becomes strength for us - as I said earlier he intermediates into our lives and our most difficult situations. One thing I love about this passage of scripture is how the woman realized she was dead in her tracks. There was no room or time to plead her case or fight back and try to escape. Sometimes that's where we need to end up before we can grasp the full saving power and grace of Jesus. The same is true for you and I, we stand guilty in our sins and should receive the full penalty of death - BUT Jesus intercedes even though we don't deserve it. It's important to remember Jesus is the cure because at times this twisted mess of sin we're caught up in can seem overwhelming. At times things can seem so bad you may not see a way out. You may even be buried so deep you go as far as to think you will literally live in the same sins until your days are through. Worse yet, there are also those who will end their own lives because they feel like they don't have an escape route.

Let me tell you friend if that's where you are today please know there is life on the outside of whatever circle you're currently in. To attain it, you must accept Jesus Christ into your heart and not only hear is message but believe in it completely. We serve a God of unlimited "second chances" and the only requirement is believing and trusting in Him. Do not go another day giving your struggle more power over your life than Jesus Christ. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but when you do this the circle that surrounds you will slowly break away drawing closer to the moment you're at peace with only you and Jesus.