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He is Risen Indeed!
I pray that today you will experience and celebrate the One who satisfied the demands of a Just God by His death, who defeated the fear of death by His resurrection, and who equips us to live even now by His intercession. He was. He is. He is to come. Hallelujah! Amen!
Happy Easter, my friends!
When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:15-17
I believe with all my heart that one of the activities in Heaven is going to be for God to show us “behind the scenes” what was going on throughout our life. And then we will get to see how God protected us, guided us, and provided for us through His Heavenly messengers. That is going to be so very exciting! I sort of imagine that I might sit down with Jesus with a Heavenly bowl of popcorn in front of a screen stretched out across Eternity and watch with Heavenly eyes how the events of my life played out. And I’ll not only be able to see things I’ve never seen before but I also will view them through the lens of Eternity…I’ll be able to see what God was up to, how He was accomplishing His plan for me and through me. What a truly incredible showing that is going to be!
When I think about that, about what is going on around me that I cannot see, I find encouragement. Instead of feeling defeated by the battle I am in or discouraged by the attack I am under, I am strengthened by the assurance that God is fighting for me. And His warriors are stronger than those of the enemy.
Is there a battle going on in your life that has you scared, or at least worried? Maybe you feel panicked or even hopeless as a result of the attack. Maybe the enemy seems not only to outnumber you but also to be racking up victories at your expense. But the truth is, there is more that’s for you than against you. You just can’t see it when you’re in the midst of the attack unless God opens your eyes.
Like Elisha, we just need to ask. And then God will open our eyes to see that He is at work on our behalf in a thousand different ways. He is preserving us, He is unfolding His plan…He is not absent nor unwilling or unable to help. His warriors are all around us…ask Him to let you see with spiritual eyes what He is doing…how He is fighting for you…and the help He has provided.
And like the young servant, let that assuage your fear. Do not dismay. Do not give up. Help is here!
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Read moreI have had the great honor twice of being the Mother of the Bride. It truly is an honor and a privilege - I am so thankful I have some daughters and get to enjoy all the joys a wedding brings for a Bride. (Full transparency - I do hope to also enjoy being the Mother of the Groom some day but that’s not what this post is about!)
The planning. The preparation. The parties. The people. And the pictures. It is all so very exciting, so very fun. To be truthful, there might also be some Maalox Moments but I admit that I had it easy. My girls were pretty independent and low-maintenance Brides. The overall atmosphere was joy and fun. Getting to celebrate the joy they each had been to their Dad and me was high privilege. Watching him walk them down the aisle to the one God had chosen for them was priceless.
I stumbled across a verse today that reminded me of a specific moment in each of my girls’ weddings. One I will hold onto forever, treasuring it in my heart. At every wedding, I always enjoy watching the face of the Groom as he sees his Bride coming towards him and, even though I wanted to grasp every second as my gorgeous daughters were escorted by my husband down the aisle, I did not want to miss experiencing the joy of my sons-in-law in that moment. I am glad I got that chance. The tears of each Groom seemed to be full of gratitude, delight, love and maybe even disbelief that this was happening for them. It was surreal and a forever treasure indeed.
So what is the verse that reminded me of these scenes?
Isaiah 62:3 - You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
When I think about Heaven, and being the Bride of Christ, I usually think in terms of what it will be like for us as the Bride. Free from sin and all its effects. Inexpressible beauty, peace, and joy. FULLNESS of joy - all we can contain! Enjoying Him - forever! No tears, no fears, no sickness. No pain, no inadequacies, no sadness. No tension, no strife, mourning. Just beauty and peace and joy - the presence of our Redeemer FOREVER!
This verse, though, made me think of our Groom. How HE will feel. How HE will view His Bride. Somewhat like my Jon and Andrew saw my Katie and Mary as they floated towards them on the arm of my handsome husband. Receiving a crown of beauty, a royal diadem - that is how He describes us! Unbelievable!
To know we are so valued, so treasured, so delighted in is a game changer, isn’t it? Knowing that love is why Brides are so beautiful on their wedding day - and we can live in that assurance all the time. The Apostle Paul longed for us all to have that, evidenced by his words in Ephesians 3:17-19 : so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and that you, being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge so that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.
It is HE who makes us valuable. It is HE who makes us lovely. It is HE who makes us a crown of beauty and a royal diadem. A treasured people for His own possession. The joy for which He endured the cross.
Next time you are a wedding, watch the Groom’s face. And remember that is how Jesus is gonna look at US!!
