14 Days of Devotion - Day 3: He is Risen, Just As He Said

May 5th at sundown
Today is day 39 of counting the Omer
Today is day 39 out of Egypt
Today is day 39 of Messiah resurrected
"He is Risen, Just As He Said."
Matthew 28:1-9  
1 Now after Shabbat, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Miriam of Magdala and the other Miriam came to look at the tomb.
2 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of Adonai descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.
3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4 And those keeping watch were shaken for fear of him and became like dead men.
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know you are looking for Yeshua who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.
7 Go quickly now and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead. And behold, He’s going before you to the Galilee. There you will see Him. See, I have told you!”
8 They quickly left the tomb, with fear yet with great joy, and ran to bring news to His disciples. 9 And behold, Yeshua met them. “Shalom!” He said. They drew near, grasped his feet, and worshiped Him.
10 “Don’t be afraid,” Yeshua said to them. “Go tell My brothers to head for the Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
Reflect:
Miriam and Martha went to the tomb in a state of mourning. Their Lord had been unjustly executed, and crucified on a cross as a criminal. His dead body was hastily thrown into a tomb with not even enough time to prepare His body for a proper burial. Can you imagine the despair they must have been feeling? The One that they’d put their trust in had died, and it seemed like their hope for everything that God had done through Him and the joy they experienced when He was with them was gone forever.  

It’s the same for us. When we lose hope, our ability to experience joy is diminished. Our negative life circumstances have a way of choking off our ability to navigate out of hopelessness. Loss, illness, problems in our families and careers can all have a way of convincing us that our situations can’t improve.  

This is where God desires to enter our hopelessness and infuse it with His resurrection power! This Power that can raise the dead is about more than just raising a body out of a tomb; it’s an enduring testimony about His faithfulness to us when having hope seems like the most impossible of dreams. When we call upon the name of Yeshua, God will empower us to break free of the chains that hold us back from experiencing a joy “no one can take from us.” (John 16:22)

Prayer:
Father, help us to remember that death itself could not extinguish the hope Yeshua wants to give us when we put our trust in Him. Show us the areas in our lives that have to change and grow so that we can take hold of Your never-ending supply of hope and joy!
In Yeshua’s name, amen.


Recent

Archive

 2021

Categories

Tags