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The War Cry of The Salvation Army
He was tested and tried, mocked and persecuted.
He knew what it felt like to stand before tempta-
tion. He knew the loneliness of feeling like nobody
else in the whole wide world understood. He knew
the bittersweet sovereignty of His purpose; a cross
no other man had the power to carry.
Even as Jesus prepared to die, He didn't find
resolution in the comfort of His friends. He didn't
seek rest in the arms of His mother. Instead, He
slipped away into the solitude of the garden. He
went away to be with the only One who could truly
understand--God, His Father.
In your own young life you will brave many hills
just as Jesus once braved the Hill of Calvary. You
will suffer your own persecutions and temptations.
You will stand in the shadow of your own cross.
In these moments, you will not find yourself at
the doorstep of a good friend, nor will the comfort
of a mother's love suffice. Sometime before the
dawn, you will find yourself kneeling in the gar-
den, talking with the One who already knows ex-
actly what you're going through.
Whatever the circumstance--temptation,
anger, pain or loss--we all have our own crosses
to bear. No matter the size or shape of yours, if you
will turn around for but a moment, you will find
you have a helping hand.
Jesus will never let you carry your burdens
alone. Nobody knows what it takes to lift the load
you bear like the Man with scars in His hands.
"We don't have a priest who is out of touch
with our reality. He's been through weakness
and testing, experienced it all.
"
Heb. 4:15, The Message
Brooke Keith lives in Lula, GA.
I
F EVER A MAN UNDERSTOOD THE
BURDENS OF THIS LIFE, IT WAS JESUS.
HE
Knows
e
by
BROOKE KEITH
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