were you there?

Flame of God 2

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction,
so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction,
with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings,
so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”
2Corinthians 1:3-5

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God could have chosen to restore us to Himself in any way He wanted.
He could have chosen not to.
But He did.

Yesterday marks the day It was “FINISHED.” So why today? Why do we have this whole dark and lonely day of waiting before we get tomorrow?

I believe it’s because we need the time to grieve, reflect, mourn and then greatly desire, understand and appreciate the beauty and gift of tomorrow.

I often think of the disciples..all of Jerusalem who woke to the darkness of today feeling no hope. They’d heard it was finished but they believed it was over.

Their grief was deep and real…..God allowed this full day between yesterday and tomorrow  so they…so we…. could remember and feel the pain, shame, regret… EVERYTHING.

“Sometimes it causes me to tremble…..tremble…tremble.”

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Today’s darkness was necessary so they could experience the deep joy of realized hope purchased for us at that cross and in the resurrection.

That joy was so real that it’s changed the course of history for all time–we can be assured of this because here we are, 2000+ years later and the truth goes on. Lives were changed in the midst of today’s darkness so that when the reality of tomorrow rose with the dawn ...no one could ever be the same again.

Knowing this, how can any of us ever be the same again?

God’s invitation is that we don’t rush past today simply to get to tomorrow. To think about what this day means and hold the truth of it all…feel the weight of the dark sorrow and bright hope mixed together.

This is THE story.
Is it your story?

Praise God, it’s mine:

I was lost. I was STUCK in the darkness without hope. Overwhelmed by my sin and separated from God. At the cross,  Jesus purchased my pardon from God’s wrath and hell and my life is risen with His at the resurrection we can celebrate tomorrow.

I am saved…I am ransomed, I am free! My life is truly and forever changed….and changing more day by day.

 Just as the grieving disciples, stuck for a moment in the darkness of Saturday long ago  would soon discover,  I live from the brilliant joy and truth of tomorrow:

 The Lord is risen, Hallelujah!
THIS is good news!

Happy Resurrection weekend!

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Linking with Sandy and Diedra

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