When Obedience Feels Like Suffering | Mark 14:32-42

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Today’s shout-out goes to Mark Thompson from Lakeland, FL. Thank you for your generosity and partnership in Project 23. You’re helping others find strength to obey—even when it’s hard. This one’s for you.

Our text today is Mark 14:32-42:

And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” — Mark 14:32-42

Gethsemane is a painful place.

Here, in this garden, we find Jesus wrestling deeply with his humanity. He is troubled, sorrowful, distressed—He fully feels the weight of what lies ahead. He knows obedience to his Father means unimaginable suffering.

He prays earnestly, honestly: “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me.” But then, with unmatched humility and surrender, He adds, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

His obedience is not casual. It’s costly. His submission is not reluctant. It’s fully surrendered. Obedience, for Jesus, was agony, and yet, he willingly embraced it.

The disciples slept nearby, oblivious to the battle their Lord was fighting. They couldn’t stay awake, not realizing the spiritual weight of that moment. Jesus wakes them, warning, “Watch and pray...the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

He wasn’t just describing their struggle. He was modeling the solution: total dependence on the Father, even when it hurts.

Real obedience is often difficult. It can feel like loss, struggle, or even suffering. Obeying God when it's comfortable and convenient is easy—but true obedience comes in our Gethsemane moments, when we choose God’s will over our comfort.

Perhaps today, you face a decision where obedience feels like loss, pain, or struggle. Jesus shows you how to respond. Bring your honest fears and struggles to God. Admit the pain. But don’t stop there—choose surrender. Say it out loud like Jesus did, “Not my will, but yours.”

This kind of obedience might be costly, but it’s also transforming. Your greatest growth often comes through your greatest surrender.

#Obedience #Gethsemane #Mark14

ASK THIS:

1. Why do you think obedience often comes with a sense of loss or pain?
2. What can you learn from Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane?
3. In what area of your life is God calling you to surrender?
4. How can you practically “watch and pray” in your moments of struggle?

DO THIS:

Reflect on one area where obedience feels difficult right now. Pray honestly, express your struggle, then deliberately say to God, “Not my will, but yours.”

PRAY THIS:

Jesus, thank you for modeling obedience—even in the midst of agony. Teach me to pray, trust, and obey like you did, especially when it's hardest. I choose Your will over mine. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

“Surrender.”