The Day After: How to Carry the Wonder of the Resurrection Every Day
I hope you enjoyed my lent devotions. I will be posting three times a week for the foreseeable future. I hope you are challenged, encouraged, and strengthened in your faith as you journey with me through Rethinking My Thinking.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. John 21:3 ESV
Jesus rose from the dead! We just finished celebrating that fact yesterday. And much like the disciples we ought to ask ourselves, “What now?” Simon Peter decided he needed to go back to doing what he knew – fishing.
And perhaps that is what you are doing today. Going back to work, back to school, back to the daily grind. Sunday was a wonderful day full of family, food, fun, church celebration…but today, what difference does Easter hold for you today? How can we carry the wonder and the glory of the resurrection with us through all our days?
Knowing that Jesus rose from the dead ought to change everything. His resurrection should be our greatest delight. That means that when we face financial struggles we have a secret delight, the hope of heaven, the knowledge that if Jesus defeated the grave, He can overcome financial difficulties. The way He does so may not be the way we expect, but He is able to supply all our needs.
Knowing Jesus is alive means when we get the unexpected diagnosis we can know that the grave is not the end. That death holds no true sting, we have an eternity to look forward to in heaven. We have a powerful God who can choose to heal us here on earth or forever in eternity.
Jesus’ resurrection helps us face difficult relationships with hope. If through His death and resurrection He reconciled sinful folk, like us, to God, then He can certainly reconcile to sinful people this side of heaven. It may not be in the time or way we would prefer. But we can trust that God is able and His way is perfect and He is making us more like Him in these difficult relationships.
Look to Jesus, when the road is hard and hope seems like pipe dream. We see Jesus’ victory in part now, but one day:
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21:4 ESV
And so we carry His resurrection with us as we acknowledge that God is able, we trust Him to move in our best interest (even when it isn’t the way we hoped it would be), and we wait in hopeful anticipation for His full victory.
Father God, I confess that often I forget the power and majesty of Jesus’ resurrection. I don’t act like I believe You can do miraculous things. Help me to keep the power of the resurrection close by reminding myself of what You can do, what You have done, and what You promise to do. Then help my heart to delight in Your power and majesty that You may be glorified and honored. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
