My daughter recently shared a devotional with me and she declared, “You are in a season of Saturday.” We honor Good Friday and we honor Easter Sunday. But what about the significance of that “other” day? The one in between. That Saturday.
Most of us can better relate to that “other” day than the two most historically important days of the life of Christ.
What were the followers to do the day after watching their teacher, their friend, their Messiah Jesus, suffer so publicly, die a horrific death on a cross, wrapped in death clothes and shut off from the world by a huge stone, a seal and Roman guards? No joy in this for His followers. Dreams are gone. Shattered! Hope left in a split second when He said, “It is finished.” Now in place of hope, fear enters. They are suddenly in a state of crisis. We are next! Hide! Cover the windows. Speak in hushed tones. Trouble has entered the void vacated by hope on Friday.
Haven’t we all had a Saturday? When that financial crisis comes? When that illness visits? When relationships are severed and broken? When our loved ones leave us far too soon? When we lose stability and hope, and momentary depression visits. I’m in trouble here. It is over. I see nothing but darkness!
The thing about Saturday? Sunday comes next. The risen Savior walks into their presence unannounced and stuns them. While his most faithful followers were hiding, wringing their hands and fearful for their very lives; Jesus was thinking of them in their hiding time. But first, He had the business of His Father in Heaven to take care of and then He stepped back into the lives of those who were afraid and overcome with hopelessness.
We are no different. We have times when we think life will never get back on a normal course. When grief completely shuts us down. Our reason to go on has left us. When that illness continues beyond what we feel we can bear. When there are more bills than funds. When that relationship is too broken to even hope for reconciliation. When we have disappointed those who were counting on us to overcome the obstacles in our lives. What do we do when we are panic driven in the middle of a crisis and Jesus seems silent? Shut off from our world.
Because we think He is not hearing our prayers, does not mean He is not working all things out to help us. He did not stop on that famous Friday nor on Sunday. He never stopped thinking about us in the silence between. As we cower in our dark place of despair in fear; He was then and is now, busy about what affects us.
Sunday came…Saturday is now behind. Once His followers got past that Saturday, nothing could silence them or stop them. No matter how many Saturdays revisited them as they went about the business of their Savior…They remembered that special Sunday when the sun rose and so did the Son.
So we are having a “Saturday?” Bear up my friends. The Son rose to help us with all the Saturdays life will bring. We must have faith to believe Him when He said…
John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (NASB)
And you? What did He say about you and me? Well, the one who believes…
Psalm 1:3
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. (NASB)
Prayer for Today
Hello Father! We praise You for the risen Christ. We thank You that we never have to go through the Saturday’s of our lives without Jesus at our side. We ask that You bless those who are fearful, ill, grieving and without hope. Find them in their hiding place and bring them out to the light of Your forgiveness, mercy, grace and healing. Forgive us our sins. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
© 2017 Kathy Ledbetter. All Rights Reserved.