Easter

Readings for today: Psalms 81, 88, 92, 93

Holy Week is always powerful for me. It drains me emotionally, spiritually, and physically and not just because there is more activity on the schedule than normal. Yes, there are multiple services and multiple rehearsals and multiple things to do to mark this sacred week. Our teams run hard to pull it all off. There are a lot of late nights. But I find the emotional and spiritual demands of this week far more taxing than the physical ones. Closely walking with Jesus through His final days and hours opens my heart up to all kinds of emotions, many of them expressed so well in Psalm 88 from our reading today. Crying out to God. Feeling the weight of my sin. The loneliness of my journey at times. The rejection I’ve experienced in my life. The despair, weakness, and isolation. I know what it’s like to feel like darkness is my only friend. This is the experience of Holy Saturday and by the time I get there every year, I feel exhausted and spent.

Then comes Easter Sunday. A new day. Another day. An additional day. A bonus day. You see, Holy Saturday is not the end of Holy Week! Though Holy Saturday is the seventh day, the last day, the Sabbath day; the resurrection of Jesus Christ changes things. Changes how we mark time. Changes how we look at our calendars. By raising His Son from the dead, God moves us beyond the old Sabbath into the new Sabbath. An eternal Sabbath. A Sabbath not bound by hours or minutes or seconds. A Sabbath not bound by the cycles of evening and morning. A Sabbath not made for this world but for the world to come. A Sabbath not made for earth but for heaven. And without fail, as each Easter morning dawns, I find my strength renewed. I find my heart lifted. I find my joy restored. I lift my eyes above the hills to see from where my true help comes! My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth! As Psalm 93 puts it, “The Lord reigns! He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, enveloped in strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. Your throne has been established from the beginning; you are from eternity.” (Psalms 93:1-2 CSB) Yes, the floods have lifted up. The world has done all it can to rid itself of God. To throw off all restraint. But the Lord rides the waves like a chariot. His voice is lifted high above the tumult of the seas. He will not be subject to His creation. He will not be ignored by the creatures made in His own image. By dying and rising again, He has declared His Word to be completely reliable, trustworthy, and true.

For Christians, Easter Sunday is not just a day on a calendar. It is not just an occasion to celebrate. It is a lived reality. We are an Easter people, shaped and formed by the Easter experience. Once you’ve tasted the new life Easter has to offer, the eternal life Easter has to offer, there’s no going back. And why would you want to? The old life is drab and boring by comparison. Nothing attractive about it all. Certainly not worth comparing to the glory that has now been revealed in us through the Risen Christ.

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Chronicles 7-9

Refuge

Readings for today: Psalms 7, 27, 31, 34, 52

These words today hit different when you know David’s story. On the run. Hiding in the hills. Living out of caves in the wilderness. Constantly under threat. Always having to watch his back. This is where life finds David right now and what does he do? He sings. He composes songs to God. He sets his prayers to music. He hits on themes that will resonate among God’s people for centuries.

God is our refuge. We don’t place our hope in strongholds for they can be taken. We don’t place our hope in fortified cities for they can be overcome. We don’t place our hope in foreign kings and princes for they can be bought off. We don’t place our hope in our own strength or wisdom for we can falter and fall. God is our only sure refuge. He is the only one who can deliver us from those who pursue us, those who attack us, those who seek to do evil to us. At the same time, to take refuge in the Lord is a fearful thing. It means we will be exposed, vulnerable, and laid bare before Him. He will search our hearts to see if there is any wrong we have done. He will judge whether we have acted in righteousness towards those with whom we are at odds. David invites this judgment for he knows the Lord judges with righteousness. David has no fear for he has done nothing wrong. He has refused to take advantage of circumstances and situations to benefit himself. He is waiting on the Lord. He is confident God has good plans for him and will bring them to pass in His time.

Is God your refuge? Is God the one you run to when you are afraid? When feel under attack? When life is hard? When the future is uncertain? When you are experiencing conflict with those you love or those you serve? How does one make God a refuge? One follows the example of David. First and foremost, you pray. You pray honestly and openly. You pray not for your will but for the Lord’s will to be done in your life. You invite the Lord to scrutinize your life and judge the intentions of your heart. You draw close to the Lord. Wait on the Lord. Sit in silence and solitude before Him. No distractions. No alarms. No rush. You might even journal. Write down what’s on your heart. Perhaps even sing your prayers if you’re so inclined. Second, you trust. You believe. You cling to hope. Like David, you have faith the Lord hears the cries of the righteous and delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is near the brokenhearted and crushed in spirit. You may be facing many afflictions but the Lord’s promise is to deliver you from them all. Finally, you act. You act righteously and justly. You act graciously and mercifully. You act lovingly and compassionately. You humble yourself under God’s mighty hand and surrender your will and your way to Him. Walking with the Lord is what gives the godly their confidence.

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 56, 120, 140, 141, 142