When the dust settles....live!
And He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? (Luke 24:38)
Greetings Followers of Jesus,
It was a life changing event! No one really expected it; most, if not all, were totally caught off guard when it happened. Shock and awe; Fear and trembling; Doubt and suspicion; embarrassment and worry; regret and self-condemnation. I don’t think any of us really understands what it must have been like to completely surrender our lives, leave everything and give ourselves so wholeheartedly to someone else. I guess the closest we could compare it to is a marriage – maybe an old-fashioned marriage where two people are so in love and committed to one another, from two different worlds, where one party leaves their entire life behind to love and serve their new spouse and become truly one with them. And then, one day, unexpectedly that love of your life is gone, taken from you. The grief, the sorrow, the regrets. You prepare for the burial, watch your loved one go into the grave, and begin your new life alone, empty, and afraid. Then, suddenly, after spending many waking hours trying to figure out how life will go on and what to do next, there they are! Alive! In your presence! Ready to live out phase two of the plan. Who could really imagine it?
I’ve never known anyone whose spouse came back to life after being buried in the grave, or after 3 days of sitting in a morgue. One day, I’ll ask Mary and Martha what it was really like to live life again with Lazarus after his resurrection event. But for now, I try to put myself in the disciples’ shoes, cutting them some slack for their response to the risen Lord. I would have acted just like them or worse. (Read & meditate on Luke 24; can you understand their slowness to comprehend.) It is just not normal for people to come back from the grave and resume where they left off. Who gets a second chance like that? Well, the disciples did! And it took some supernatural doing so they could truly understand what was taking place: “Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him” (vs. 31); “Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (vs. 45).
We’ll probably never get the chance to experience living life with a resurrected loved one. But, one thing is for sure, when and if that day happens, once the dust settles and we get our feet back under us, life will never be the same. The first reaction would be just like the disciples – worshipping and praising God and full of joy (vs. 52-53).
Wait a minute friends…what am I talking about!!! That day has happened! You and I are the resurrected loved ones! We were dead people walking; zombies; corpses with no direction, nor life, wandering aimlessly through this world – dead in our sins and trespasses. Then because of the great love of God with which He loved us, and because of His great mercy, even when we were dead in our transgressions, God made us alive with Christ (Ephesians. 2:1-5). By the supernatural wonder-working power of God, we who were dead have been brought out of the tomb and resurrected unto new life in and with Christ. His death and resurrection allow our death and resurrection. You are living with someone who has been raised from the dead – look in the mirror! Have you experienced it yet! Has it sunk in! You have been given a second chance! Has the dust from that cataclysmic event settled yet! Well, here is the only response: let us worship and praise God, and enter our new life full of joy for having been given real life, and let us live that life surrendered to the One who gave it to us (Romans 6:1-23). Let’s replace the ‘trouble and doubt’ with 'faith in' and 'faithfulness to' the One who gave us resurrection life and power to accomplish great kingdom exploits for His purposes! Let’s live our resurrection life to the fullest for the glory of our King!
Live loud!
"Advancing the Kingdom of God by releasing Spirit-filled followers to serve Jesus in freedom and joy."
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