Early Morning Light

In the stillness of the early morning the whole earth seems to wait in anticipation for the grand entrance of the sun. Darkness gives way to the morning sunrise with shades of pinks, blues and yellows bursting forth as if to announce the coming arrival of the sun.  As the sun makes its way higher into the heavens its brightness dominates the sky forcing these beautiful colors to fade.  A new day begins with all its hopes and dreams.

Imagine what it must have felt like for a grieving band of disciples who watched their precious Lord hang on a cross and die. Darkness covered them. It appeared to them that evil had won and there was no hope at all. They wailed and mourned while fear grew ever stronger in their hearts thinking perhaps they too would suffer a similar fate. Darkness had a strong grip and held them tight.

The women made their way to the tomb in the still of darkness just before dawn to anoint the dead battered body of Jesus. They came with spices and ointments to what they thought was His final resting place.  As they walked down the road toward His tomb, sorrow grew stronger in their hearts. Looking into the heavens pinks, blues and yellows began to fill the sky. The sun would be up by the time they reached His tomb. Little did this small group of women understand what they were about to encounter.

The morning light revealed the tomb with the stone rolled away from the entrance. The tomb was empty and Jesus was not there. The Son had risen!

"He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."  Isaiah 62:1b-3

A Season of Fresh Growth

Spring time has come.  I have watched the Bradford Pear tree behind my house with anticipation as the new spring growth began to appear.  At first there were tiny buds then these buds began to grow.  The growth was slow at first and gradually became a little fuller and larger.  Then suddenly as if overnight the buds burst forth into the most beautiful spectacular blossoms of spring.

Much like this new growth, God also gives us fresh seasons of growth.  Just when we think the winter season will never end, along comes springtime and suddenly we are in a new place with fresh growth in the Lord.  Sometimes the winter seems unbearable and we think we cannot stand another day but even in the winter season He is leading us through.  And just like the growth of spring, the teaching of the Lord is slow at first with small buds beginning to grow until we reach the appointed time and moment of full growth.
 

Song of Solomon 2:11-13 See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.¹² Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.¹³ The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me."

The Necklace

Sometimes we let fear, worry, depression, unworthiness and a host of other emotions cloud our thinking and our daily walk with God.  For a new Christian, for a child who is learning about Christ or sometimes even a weathered mature Christian, it is some times hard to understand the full meaning of peace and assurance in Jesus.  Life has a way of throwing lots of trials, tribulations and just down right old evil at us.

My granddaughter-a young one at age 6 is learning how to handle "fear". Many of us think that children shouldn't have anything to worry or fear but to a child fear is a very real and overwhelming emotion. She is dealing with the pressure of doing her best at school and test anxiety has reared its ugly head.

She knows Jesus in a very honest and sincere way and has asked Him into her heart.  After a one on one talk with her, I gave her a necklace-a cross to wear when she takes a test.  I explained that it was not a magic charm but that it was a reminder to pray and ask Jesus to help calm her fears.  She wears it almost every day.

The cross is a symbol of what Jesus did for us at calvary.  A time when Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God willingly became the sacrifice for sin in order for us to have eternal life.  With that sacrifice came an everlasting life before the presence of a Holy God.  With that sacrifice came the privilege of becoming a child of God and laying our petitions at His feet. He is the only one who can calm our fears and emotions.  

Call upon Him to help you when you have fearful, depressive and discouraging emotions that cause you to look within yourselves instead of to the one who can give you peace and assurance.  Jesus is the answer.