Last Sunday we had the privilege to go to an event at our church called Journey to the Cross. The pastor took us through the seven days leading up to Jesus' resurrection. It was good to be reminded of everything but this in between day was what resonated with me. Yesterday, Friday, Jesus was crucified and buried. Today, Saturday, the people who were close to him in Jerusalem were left waiting. They had no idea what to expect. Jesus told them what he had to do; he used imagery to describe that he would die, be raised from the dead and go on to be with His Father in heaven. I don't think they really got it though. If I was there I don't think I would have either. When tragic events occur, it is hard for us to see past our immediate emotions. I am so glad I live on this side of the resurrection and know that tomorrow I can celebrate the fact that Jesus didn't stay dead in that tomb. Imagine how Jesus' disciples, friends and followers must have felt, though. The things they knew for sure were what they witnessed. They saw Jesus suffer and die on the cross. They saw him be taken into a tomb in the side of a cave. They saw a large boulder be rolled in front of the entrance. Perhaps some of Jesus other-worldly words regarding his resurrection resonated in their minds but how could that compare to the evidence right in front of them? So often we get caught up in the earthly facts we see around us and we forget that God is at work in a way we can't see. When we are in those periods of waiting we ought to ask God to give us more faith - after all "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1)
Now, I am guilty of not practicing what I preach. I woke up one morning this week feeling completely overwhelmed and uncertain of my future. I feel like these last two years have been a period of waiting for myself and my husband. At the beginning of it, I prayed that God would use this time to teach us what is important in life and what we should seek. I've had my ups and downs through it all, but I feel like we're ready to take small steps to proceed. One step we are taking is buying a house - which has proven in the past to be an extremely stressful event! The morning I woke up this week I couldn't handle the unknown. I was too caught up in my negative feelings to allow the promises of God to change my spirit. He even put these lyrics from a song in our school's musical in my head:
By faith we can believe God’s promise
By faith we can believe it’s true
Faith is a never-failing, rock-solid
Forever and always truth
That all God said, He will do
And that all He promised is true
Yes, all He promised is true
God promises to never leave us or forsake us. This is what we need to cling to in our times of fear, uncertainty and doubt. It doesn't matter where we live, how much money is in our bank account, what type of clothes we wear, how many friends we have or what type of job we have. What matters is whether we have a living relationship with God through Jesus. His presence will keep us focused ON His other worldly plan for our lives and OFF the earthly situations that weigh us down.
