"Worth Repeating!"

 "And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus." (John 20:14 KJV)

  "[Young Woman] One night as I lay in bed, I yearned for my lover. I yearned for him, but he did not come. So I said to myself, "I will get up and roam the city, searching in all its streets and squares. I will search for the one I love." So I searched everywhere but did not find him. The watchmen stopped me as they made their rounds, and I asked, "Have you seen the one I love?" Then scarcely had I left them when I found my love! I caught him and held him tightly, then I brought him to my mother's bed, where I had been conceived. Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and wild deer, not to awaken love until the time is right." (SONG OF SONGS 3:1-5 NLT)

 Let's step back for a moment and gather our thoughts. First of all, Mary was someone that had understood and believed what Jesus said about rising 3 days and being killed; so, the problem is not what she knew, but was based upon what she felt. Feelings can cause us to do and react to things, sometimes without even thinking or considering what might actually be happening around us. Our emotions can sometimes get the best of us, and usually not in a good or productive way.

 Secondly, what the heck just happened! Was this a Balam moment, where she really didn't care about the angels, thinking more about the travesty she was feeling in her heart? Like Balam, who spoke back to his donkey, as if he was engaged in an argument with a regular human, just because his emotions were what was guiding him, not common sense! 

 If she could just take a moment a pray for peace, if nothing else, that God would calm down her racing heart, to allow her to reconnect with what was right before her! I know that might sound like some kind of thing that requires an explanation or an intervention; but sometimes we just need to stop and pray, letting God show us a whole different side of what we might think is going on.

 Yesterday I heard a brief message from Pastor Jack; and without going into great details, I will just get right to the point of his massage. The cancer that several people he knew had, was the vessel used to bring them to Christ! Billy Graham couldn't do it, but cancer did! 

 We struggle in this life to find the reason that God allows certain people to suffer, but God's work is not about healing people from their disease or circumstance; His work is to get people to be made whole, by being reconciled to Him, not to be given more time on this earth. This earth will soon pass, as will so many of those around us; but the real thing to be concerned about is saving souls! 

 Thirdly, why are we weeping over things which we do not understand! I mean, I get that we see the hurt and want relief for our loss; but the feelings of remorse or the discomfort will do nothing to change what we are sad or torn about. But we can change our perspective and start looking for the good things that God is doing, even if we still cannot see them, there is always hope! 

 That is what faith is all about: Believing that God will work everything out, even when it looks like everything is lost! God is more than able to make anything from nothing! Which reminds me of another message I heard yesterday, based upon another twist about Abraham getting ready to sacrifice his son, Isaac. The point we have always believed, is that Abraham knew God could bring his son back to life, if it came to him being killed on that altar. But in this message, the point was about Isaac, that he was taught and believed that God could bring him back to life, therefore he did not fight off his father. 

 Stranger things might happen, but when God is the one who makes the rules, His rules cannot be broken! I hope that might shine a little light on whatever darkness surrounds you; because we who have hope, should never need to think that things are hopeless... 

"Several days later and man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. He came over, took Paul's belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, "The Holy Spirit declares, 'So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.' " When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. But he said, "Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus." When it was clear that we couldn't persuade him, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done."" (Acts 21:10-14 NLT)