As they entered the tomb,
they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side,
and they were alarmed.
“Don’t be alarmed,” he said.
“You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.
He has risen!
He is not here.
See the place where they laid him.
Mark 16:5-7 (New International Version 1984, ©1984)
But He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,
and by His wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5 (New International Version 1984, ©1984)
As we anticipate Easter morning, let’s reflect on Christ’s unfathomable love for us. Before we ever came to be, He was thinking of us when He became the sacrifice for our sins on the cross. He was beaten and pierced for our iniquities. He took our eternal punishment the day He was nailed to the cross. And He conquered death forever on the day He arose from the grave.
The glorious result of His sacrifice is in sharp contrast to the torture and pain He endured for us. We can have peace and healing thanks to His suffering. Because of His undeserved punishment, we have an open invitation to spend eternity with our Savior in paradise. He died, so that we would have the opportunity to live with Him for eternity.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
The gift of eternal life in heaven is available to all of us. No matter what wrongs we have done in this life, the Son of God provided forgiveness of all our sins when He died on the cross. The promise of God is that whoever believes
in His Son, Jesus Christ, will have eternal life. We could never be “good enough” to earn our way into heaven. All that is required from us is that we believe in Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the sacrificial Lamb of God, our Lord and
….our Savior.
Take time during this Easter season to thank God for the ultimate sacrifice He made in our behalf and for His immeasurable love for us. Reflect upon your salvation from sins, and give praise and honor to our Savior, Jesus Christ. If you have been trying to figure out how you could be “good enough” to deserve God’s love, realize that you already have an open invitation to spend eternity with Him in heaven. Simply believe in Jesus Christ!
But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
A tree planted by a stream doesn’t have to search far for its life-giving nourishment. Its close proximity to water ensures that it will remain lush and fertile, regardless of extreme heat or periods of extended drought. This well-rooted tree has several distinct characteristics:
Just as a tree planted by a stream thrives in any type of condition, our lives will be fruitful and blessed regardless of our circumstances if we keep ourselves firmly rooted in close relationship with our Heavenly life-source. By remaining deeply grounded in our trust and confidence in God, we can flourish no matter what sort of malady life brings. Faith in God eliminates fear and erases worries when we are hit with the extremes of life or when we face extended periods of “drought.”
Being blessed doesn’t mean that we will never see adversity. It simply means that we are internally equipped to handle difficult trials. When the winds of hardship blow, we can sink our roots even deeper into the rich soil of God’s love and soak up the life-giving nourishment of His Holy Word. He is our inner strength and our firm foundation. The blessings which flow from His throne are eternal, but we must choose to plant ourselves next to Him. By placing our trust and confidence in Him, we do not need to fear the “what-ifs” in life, nor do we need to worry about our future. He promises to provide, protect and guide us through any situation.
Blessed are those
…who delight in the law of the LORD
and meditate on his law day and night.
They are like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
Psalm1: 1–4
Whether you turn to the right or to the left,
Your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying,
“This is the way; walk in it.”
Isaiah 30:21 (NIV 2011)
If you have a GPS system in your car, you are familiar with these types of directions: “In a quarter of a mile, right turn ahead.” “Stay straight ahead.” “Left lane ahead.” Or even, “Make a legal U-turn.” Do you ever wish there was a GPS system for your life with a gentle voice telling you which direction you should take for major decisions?
As a child of God, you do have a personal GPS system built in with your Heavenly Father. By reading His word and praying to Him for help in making your decisions, He will give you the answers you need. Listen for God’s guidance in your life. He will tell you the path you should take.
Pray and ask Him to give you wisdom and direction. He is faithful to answer your requests.
“…Your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.””
“…God not only loves you very much
But also has put His hand on you
For something special.”
1 Thessalonians 1:4 (MSG)
God loves you unconditionally. No matter where you go or what you have done in your life, you can never escape God’s love. He knew you as you were formed in your mother’s womb, and He’s been watching you grow and develop since your birth. He knows you by name, and His eyes are continually upon you. As a unique workmanship of the Master Craftsman, you are His treasured possession.
Like an open book, the stages of your life are spread out before God. He designed you especially for a certain mission. You are gifted with a specific set of skills and abilities, and you are part of God’s ongoing work in the world. Before the beginning of time, He knew His special plans for you, and He placed you exactly where you are for a reason. He wants to use your gifts and talents in an extraordinary way.
Not only does God love you very much, but He also has His hand upon you for something special…
Ask Him to reveal your one-of-a-kind assignment.
My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love…
Colossians 2:2a
Do you have a purpose for your life that defines who you are and provides a framework for your priorities? Have you established an intentional goal that sets the stage for each new day, one that focuses your thoughts and serves as the underlying theme for every moment of your life? Having a purpose gives clarity and guidance for every decision you make, every action you take, every word you speak, and every thought you think. It serves as a lens though which you view the world.
The dictionary defines purpose as “the reason for which something exists.” If you are searching for “purpose” and meaning for your life, turn to God and ask Him to help you find this. He uniquely designed each one of us with a specific purpose in mind. Who better than the Creator Himself to provide the answer for which you are searching?
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,
“Plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
Plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9 (New Living Translation)
God’s ideas are limitless. When something seems humanly impossible, God can craft a solution that would be unimaginable to us. If you feel like you have come upon a “roadblock” regarding an issue you are facing or you feel like you are dealing with a problem in which there is “no way out,” ask God to reveal His solution to you. When God shows up on the scene, you will be amazed at the incomprehensible ways He chooses to rescue His children. Think about the way he parted the Red Sea for the Israelites! Do you think they would have ever guessed that they would walk across it on dry land? He’s willing and able to do the same for you in whatever situation you are dealing with. His ways are far beyond anything we can imagine!
Don’t limit God to your way of thinking by trying to make Him fit into your plans. Instead, strive to fit your life into God’s plans.
Dear children,
Let us not love with words or speech
But with actions and in truth
1 John 3:18 (NIV,
©2010)
God goes in front of you to Guide you,
Behind you to Encourage you,
Above and below you to Sustain you,
And beside you as a Friend goes with a Friend.
(Author unknown)
