The Day In-Between

The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.  “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’  So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that He has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. ~ Matthew 27:62-66; 28:1

Today is an in-between day. A day firmly wedged in between two very different days:

Good Friday: a day of great sorrow, fear, discouragement and darkness

Resurrection or Easter Sunday: a day of joy, fearlessness, hope and light!

A day of silence, a day of hopelessness, a day of sorrow, a day of waiting (not so patiently) and wondering what the heck is going on, and where is God and what happened to those promises of His anyway? Perhaps this is what Jesus' disciples and His very own mother were experiencing and wondering after His body was laid in the tomb, as they rested and grieved on that Sabbath Day. 

Perhaps, they felt as if they were in a tomb of their own. 

And perhaps this is what you are experiencing in your own life today, too.  Entombed, grieving, you're laying somewhere in-between hurt and healing; hope and Hell. And the silence in there can be deafening sometimes.  I know, because over the years, I've been there way too many times myself. 

But hang on!  Don't give up! Despite whatever it is you're going through, however you're feeling right now, whatever lies the enemy of your soul is bombarding you with, KNOW THIS:

There is hope, and that hope is in our Lord and Savior, our Beloved Brother and Friend, Jesus Christ, Who gave up EVERYTHING, from the moment He arrived on this earth to the moment He breathed His last breath on that Good Friday so long ago, to give you and me EVERYTHING. 

Every hope. Every help. Every healing.

EVERY blessing.  


There is a song whose lyrics begin, 'Come thou fount of every blessing.'  Who is that fount? Jesus is. Everything we need pours forth from Him.

EVERY blessing. Perhaps not the kind we envision and consider to be blessings  -- not the material or tangible kind, like brand new cars, beautiful, immense homes, gorgeous jewelry, loads of cash in the bank (and in our hands), etc.  But the kinds of blessings the Lord knows we need and is delighted to give.

• Are you weak today? He will give you His strength
• Are things chaotic? He will give you His rest and bring things to order
• Are you anxious and worried? He will give you His peace
• Are you afraid? He will give you His courage and boldness
• Are you confused, lost? He will order your steps
• Are you overwhelmed by sorrow?  He will stand with you and give you His comfort
• Are you feeling unloved? He will give you His unfailing and unconditional love
• Are you broken and feeling shattered into a million pieces? He will take those pieces in His hands and send forth His healing upon you

Let Jesus, the Christ, roll away the stone from your tomb of death; step out with Him and into His light and life. The day of resurrection. No longer the day in-between. 

Remember, I am with you always. ~ Matthew 28:20 (HCSB)

Worship Song Sunday -- 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) by Matt Redman

Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name!
Bless the LORD,  O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, Who forgives all your iniquity, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, Who satisfies you with good, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. ~ Psalm 103:1-5, ESV

I came across this quote from a Hebrew website and felt it appropriate and worth sharing here today. Meditate with me on this one for a bit, won't you?


"If you enjoy something in this world without saying a blessing, it is as if you stole it." 



How many reasons can YOU think of to bless and praise the LORD today?

'It's Mysterious And Wonderful' - Sharing A Blog Post from 'Created For Blessing!"

As we enter into the beautiful season of Advent, once again, I've been led to share something that Curt Leininger, my friend and pastor of Cornerstone Christian Church up in Wyckoff, NJ, posted yesterday on his blog, Created For Blessing (http://www.createdforblessing.com/) 

His post is entitled, 'It's Mysterious and Wonderful.'  Whether it's a long, deep and detailed post, or like this one, short, sweet and simplistic, Curt ALWAYS has something powerful and so good to say about the amazing love of our Lord.  And as he told me, good things are meant to be shared.  So I'm delighted to share this with all of you (thanks a million, Curt)!!

A video, called 'The Christmas Story' goes along with this post.  I hope the children's joyful and endearing innocence and enthusiasm as they act out the story of the birth of our Savior will make you smile and touch your heart, as it did to me.  Enjoy!
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'It's Mysterious and Wonderful.'

It’s mysterious. It raises a lot of questions. It incites wonder. But, the gentle and loving approach of God stepping into our world as a human being is changing my life, and I hope it continues to change your own life. Smile, laugh, cry, and allow this Advent to be a time of anticipation and joy. This is good news for all people. And, so is the gift of your own life as you follow Jesus into the mystery, questions, and wonder.