We can always hold the promise of Easter close, despite our current circumstances.
Last Sunday morning, I woke my groggy seventeen-year-old up to tell him his daddy and I were going to church. (He always comes later than we do.) I told him to be very careful driving in because we were expecting some bad weather that day, possibly even some tornadoes.
Without even opening his eyes, he asked me, “If the weather is going to be so bad, why are we going?”
Ahhh, questions from the mouths of babes, are not really surprising, but I suspect that those of us who claim to be mature in our faith, may not do much better.
It’s easy to praise and worship God when life is beautiful and everything is going well. But, how do we do when the really rough weather arrives? What about when it sets in and stays a while?
We probably find ourselves praying and asking for deliverance, which is fine. We should call out to God when we are in distress, but do we find ourselves praising and worshiping Him? Do we revert to the, “I don’t deserve this/ why is this happening to me questions?”
Do we question God’s goodness when things in our lives aren’t good?
The Christian life has never been a promise of a trouble free walk. We live in a broken world with an enemy who is very active and intent on causing chaos.
But, today is Good Friday, a day many of us would prefer to skip over and go straight to Easter. I get it. Easter is glorious. God wins and grace and redemption were born. Death was defeated for good.
Yet, Easter Sunday couldn’t possibly be what it is without the darkness of that Friday. We have the privilege of viewing that Friday through the Easter lens. Jesus’s disciples, friends, family and loved ones, did not. I imagine to them, they felt completely abandoned. The pain and sorrow they felt during those three days must have been unbearable.
But, God was at work. He had a plan just as He always has, just as He always will. When Sunday at last dawned, everything had changed and life on planet earth would never again be the same.
As we contemplate the events of that Friday which ultimately led to that Sunday, may we remember to never stop worshiping and praising the God who loves us enough to grant us eternity with Him.
May we be reminded that our current circumstances are not how our story ends and hold that truth close always. May our souls be filled with the hope that Easter brings.
Today may be Friday, but Easter is coming. Perhaps you needed reminding.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂