Looking back on the Christian tradition of Easter we commemorate the death and resurrection of Christ. I cannot help but think of the terrible suffering Christ endured during his crucifixion. He experienced pain and humiliation like any other human would have at that time. He was not exempt or excused from bearing that. But He endured it because he knew that Sunday was coming. He knew that on Sunday He would conquer death and accomplish His Father’s plan of salvation for humanity. Yet, that knowledge did not make His suffering less painful on Friday, but it gave Him hope to endure His hardship.
What pain are you having to endure today? We live in a broken world; none of us are exempt from the suffering it inflicts. Even the good endure sickness, loss, and traumatic life experiences. We know firsthand the crippling effects of emotional, mental, and physical pain. But there is hope! Sunday is coming!
That first Easter Sunday morning sprung forth with new life. Resurrection power defeated pain and death triumphantly. Let this be an encouragement to your soul today. You may be enduring a hard, cold season of life. You do not see a glimpse of life anywhere. There is something dead or dormant within you. BUT because of Jesus and the power of His resurrection we have access to God and He can bring to life that which is dead, buried deep in the recesses of our hearts. We must have faith to believe it and the endurance to wait for it.
W-a-I-t-i-n-g…… S-u-f-f-e-r-i-n-g. No one wants to embrace or accept that. But it is part of our common human condition. There is no escaping it. However, HOPE springs forth with the rising of the SON. It gives courage for endurance now and hope for deliverance later. One day, just as Jesus stepped from heaven to earth, and just as sure as he stepped from the tomb, He will step back to earth and free us from our broken condition and make us completely whole and new. In fact, the process can begin NOW if we embrace Christ and the power of His resurrection today. He will provide us with strength and courage and bring to life that which God planted in our souls from the day He created us. It is a daily renewal. It is hope for every single day of our journey. Have you embraced this kind of hope?
Nature itself even testifies to this amazing phenomenon of courage and endurance awaiting renewal and life. It is God’s unique way of demonstrating, in a tangible way, this whole supernatural process. He never leaves us in the dark. He wants us to know this!! I love that about Him. So, He presents us with a physical model, an analogy of life, making it easier for us to embrace. It is the seasonal life cycle. Plants die back in the fall and lay dormant in the winter buried beneath snow and ice. But when the sun rises in Spring they spring forth with new life and beautiful blossoms. Hope rises with the sun.
However, the process feels slow. Rain must come first. The snow must melt, the cold hard ground must thaw and warm up. We wait for the power of the sun to do its work, and it seems to take forever. We tire of the long dark and dreary days of winter. We get little glimpses of promises when sunlight lengthens and the crocuses and tulips first peak through the ground. We know that life is around the corner, and it renews our hope for fresh starts and new experiences. Then it happens, life springs forth. Then summer finally arrives! We welcome the joy and freedom it brings.
So do not lose heart, dear one. Hope rises with the sun and SON. Dark and dreary days do not last forever.
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