I'll be one of the first to admit current events are concerning, scary even. We could jump into the realm of dwelling on all the "what ifs," especially the biggest, baddest, and scariest "what if," which is this: "What if life never goes back to normal?"
I think we already know the answer.
Life is never going to be the same. That's not to say that life won't ever be good again. I don't believe a Christ-follower could ever say that because doing life with the Lord guarantees there will be peace and joy. His Word says so.
Life pre-Coronavirus will never look quite the same as life after lockdown. For one thing, if at all possible, I'm never again going to allow myself to not have an adequate stock of necessities (I'm looking at you, toilet paper.)
I don't think anyone will ever view the simple joys of connecting with others as something everyday or trivial again.
I think a lot of us introverts have discovered we are not quite as introverted as we believed.
However, the main lesson I believe that will forever change our perspective on life is the fact we all now know, life can change in an instant.
There was a group of people in the Bible who had one momentous life-changing week and at the end of it, had a new normal.
Read with me:
Matthew 28:1-10 (NKJV)Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
The followers of Jesus must have run the gamut of emotion: despair, fear, wonder and joy all in less than a week's time.
First of all, to see an angel with a face that shone as lightning must have been terrifying. It sure scared the guards to death!
But what looked like a scary occurrence was actually a joyous one: God sent an angel, and then Jesus himself, to tell the women that Jesus had risen! What's more, He made a special point of calling the disciples His brothers - He had forgiven them for running away the night of the crucifixion - and telling them where He would meet with them.
He knows the hearts of His children. He knew their fear, despair and confusion and so He showed up. First a messenger was sent to tell the women. (By the way, He chose women to be the first to go and tell about the resurrection.)
He also came Himself to the women. He knew they needed a personal encounter.
He still wants the same thing for us today. He gave us His word that we can read the message over and over.
Do not be afraid. Go and tell!
 |
| via |
I'm so excited that Lisa Burgess of Lisa Notes ... On Seeing God featured this post at her Grace&Truth Link-up. Visit her to see her comments on whether she thinks life will return to normal - and to view a hilarious video!
In this age of pandemic fears, stock piling and shortages, I've resurrected some of my earlier posts about the fears we all experience. I'm calling it F.E.A.R. - False Evidence Appearing Real because most of what we are afraid of is in our minds. Today we've discussed the fear of life changes.
You can also look at my last post, "Even when we need to be rebuked," which focuses on the fear of seeing God's glory.
I'm linking this post with the communities at InstaEncouragements Link-Up
Recharge Wednesday
Let's Have Coffee
#TuneInThursday
Grace&Truth
It is good to look somewhere besides our feelings at this time. Look to the truths in God's Word. I'm looking forward to looking back on this time.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Jerralea, when you say that life is never going to be the same. We are not going back to "normal." There will be a new normal and it will take some time even to get to that. Thanks for this thought-provoking post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements!
Thanks so much for sharing these insights and encouragement. They give us hope and anchor us to the One that never changes.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
"He also came Himself to the women. He knew they needed a personal encounter." This moves me. I so appreciate when he gives us these personal encounters. I'm glad he still does it today, even though it doesn't look like it did back then. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm featuring you and this post on Friday at my blog for the Grace & Truth linkup. Thanks for your faithfulness to encourage us to keep up our hope, Jerralea!
With so much argument about what the right thing is to do next, I have no idea what the next steps will be. I'm praying God will guide the powers that be.
ReplyDeleteI was just reading this morning about Daniel's visit from an angel. And thinking about Mary's. We truly never know what a day will bring forth. But I am glad God is with us and speaks to us through His Word.
Jerralea,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how Jesus forgave his disciples for deserting him and how he trusted women to be the first to see and hear that He was alive. I also like your acronym for Fear.
Thanks for pointing us back to God's grace.
Blessings,
Dolly
I am so thankful that Jesus promised us He would never leave us alone! No matter how fearful the day becomes, He will carry us through. Thanks for this good and encouraging word!
ReplyDelete