The
day Jesus was crucified only a few followers are recorded to
be with Him as he died on the cross. Others had fled in fear.
One of those few was a woman named Mary Magdalene. She had
served Jesus and sat at his feet to hear his words.
How
hopeless that moment must have seemed to the small group of
followers. They had put their hope in Jesus and now he was
dead. On that day their hope was put in the tomb and a stone
covered it. It must have been a very dark day in their eyes.
Yet
Mary Magdalene rose up early on the first day of the week to
anoint the body. She was serving him to the end. When she
arrived at the tomb she saw that the stone was rolled away.
She looked in and the body was gone. Bewilderment, then tears.
Mary raised her eyes, and two men sitting in the tomb asked
her why she was crying. Mary answered, "They have taken
my Lord away and I don’t know where they have put him."
As she turned around she thought she saw the gardener, so she
asked him where he had put the body of Jesus. He said only one
word: "Mary." With that one word, hope leaped alive
in Mary’s heart. He wasn’t a gardener at all. He was the
resurrected Lord standing before her. Jesus rose from the
grave victorious. With Him rose our hope. Our hope is alive
because Jesus is alive.
Oh,
to be like Mary. Someone who puts all their hope in God and
remains faithful to the end. She was a woman who sat at
Jesus’ feet and listened to His words. He had changed her
life. She would always follow Him.
Mary
was faithful to Him and her Lord was faithful to her. The eyes
of God are upon the faithful. He will not abandon us. Let us
never give up following Jesus even if the day grows very dark.
My
heart seeks after Jesus. He is my hope and desire. I want to
be faithful to God until the end of my life, so that on the
day I stand before Him and He calls my name,
"Cheryl," my heart will leap with joy.
Philippians
3:8 I consider everything loss compared to the surpassing
greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. NIV
Draw
Me Nearer
A
hymn by Fanny J. Crosby 1820-1915
I am Thine, O
Lord, I have heard Thy voice and it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith and be closer drawn
to Thee.
Consecrate me
now to Thy service Lord, by the power of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope and my will be
lost in Thine.
Oh, the pure
delight of a single hour that before Thy throne I spend, When
I kneel in prayer, and with Thee my God, I commune as friend
with friend!
There are
depths of love that I cannot know till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach till I rest in
peace with Thee.
**Draw me
nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast
died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to Thy precious,
bleeding side.
All scripture taken
from the Holy Bible, The New International
Version, Zondervan Bible Publishers and The Living Bible,
Tyndale House Publishers.
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