God Cares . . .

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures . . . (The Apostle Paul)

The setting is early Sunday morning at the grave of Jesus Christ. Here we find Mary Magdalene. Just a couple of days prior, she had watched Jesus die a gruesome death on the cross. And now she is standing, weeping at his grave.

LIFE Happens

Reading the newspapers, listening to the television, scrolling through social media – one can find on any given day at any given hour, a story of someone who is depressed or angry or unhappy or anxious or even suicidal. Take your own emotional temperature today. What is your reading? Unhappy? Depressed? Anxious? Worried? Bordering on emotional instability? Maybe your temperature registers that everything is well with you; but what about the temperatures of those around you?

Not too long ago we heard someone say, Life be life-in! What does that mean? There are things that will happen to every one of us that will be beyond our control. And there will even be some things that we can control but we just don’t. We find ourselves in spaces that take us to places where our only desires are to escape. God Cares . . .

The Promise

For a moment, let’s travel back to approximately the year AD 33. Jesus has just been crucified on the cross. Jesus’ followers have scattered. They are emotionally distraught – in fear of the same persecution that Jesus has suffered – confused.   A man by the name of Joseph, not the father of Jesus, requests that he be allowed to bury Jesus. Nicodemus, another follower of Jesus, and Joseph take the body. They bind it in linen cloth with fragrant spices. The body is put in a tomb and sealed with a stone. There are several women watching from a distance, waiting.  

The women go home. Their plan – to return to Jesus’ grave later. But why? Why would the women return when Jesus had promised that he would not remain in the grave, that He would rise again on the third day? On that third day, why would Mary Magdalene leave her home and go to Jesus’ tomb looking for him? What is she thinking as she approaches the tomb? How did this happen? Is not this the same man who delivered me from seven demons? What am I going to do without Jesus? She arrives at the tomb.

God Cares

Let’s watch the scene play out. She arrives and gazes into the tomb. And there she sees two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They ask her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She responds to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turns around and sees Jesus standing, but she does not know that it is Jesus. Jesus questions Mary, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she says to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”Jesus calls her name, “Mary.” She turns, speaking in Aramaic [language], “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

It was not pure luck or coincidence that Jesus appeared at the tomb. As the omniscient, all-knowing God, Jesus knew that Mary Magdalene would be at the tomb. He knew that she needed to see him. Do you need Jesus to show up for you today? Different places, different times, but God has not changed. The Bible tells us that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. In other words, He showed up for Mary Magdalene, He will show up for you.

For many, God has already shown up. He is working in our situations; but like Mary, we just don’t recognize him. We have forgotten His promises.

GOD, ARE YOU THERE?

It is almost guaranteed that at some point in time you or someone that you know will have a life be life-in moment. Natural disasters, mass killings, airplane crashes, financial failures, unexpected deaths, life’s uncertainties . . . You fill in the dots . . . can all take us to places where sometimes we wonder what is happening. Where is God?

Even the one who appears to have absolute faith in God can be driven to wonder, God, are you there? And suffice it to say, it doesn’t have to be a major event. Sometimes minor events will cause us to wonder, God, are you there?

What do you do in these moments? Remember Who God Is! Use your personal knowledge of God’s mercy, love and kindness to help you keep your faith. See every situation as an opportunity for Him to show His goodness and His mercy to you! Wake up in the morning expecting to see God move on your behalf! At night, go to sleep with the same expectation. Use this moment to draw closer to God – pray more, read the Bible more, fast. https://www.gotquestions.org/grow-in-grace.html

Dr. Charles Stanley may have said it best, Whatever storm you’re facing in life, the right response is to go to Jesus and tell Him about it. Because no matter what, He’s always there to see you through.

And whatever you do, for your sake remember, God Cares!

Scriptures: I Corinthians 15:3-4; John 20:11-16

God Has Spoken Ministry (GHSM); Celebrating God: The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost! #GHSM