Easter Expectations
Philippians 1:20, “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”
Morning dear friends! This season of Easter blessings must be placed in daily positive emotions and actions! Let us find inside ourselves a feeling of gratitude for all things we have acquired, accomplished and future blessings that God has in store for each one of us! What are our expectations about this season of Christ suffering, His death, and the ultimate gift of resurrection? Do we just pass the time living in denial of how His death gave way to victory for each and every one of us? Have we finally pushed ourselves to accept His offer for eternal life so we can now take our Christianity to higher levels? Challenging ourselves to a happier more abundant life doesn’t mean it happens overnight! Each day is another step on our journey to better lives. We must now take time to understand what a powerful gift has been given to us. Each of us must now expect a newness of life that was really never imagined! C.S. Lewis explained how it changed his life when he said, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else!” Powerful words to describe how the light of the sun illuminates everything so we can see God’s creation; the good and the bad. Also, that though we may not see God, He is still there, guiding our paths. Our expectations should be that “seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing”; for many saw Jesus, His ministry, His death and His resurrection, but still didn’t believe. His own disciples; though with Him daily, hid in fear, did not fully understand; until AFTER He appeared back in their presence! It’s sad that they were near Jesus, saw Him, experienced His miracles, yet their expectations were not of God. We must accept with the heart and soul that God is real and His love for us can transform our lives with great expectations. It truly means Easter is not about the bunny, but the Lamb of God! Today, let’s have expectations of the real meaning of Easter!
Scriptures:
Read: Isaiah 53:3-12, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 8:31, Isaiah 40:3-5, Malachi 3:1, John 11:25-26, II Corinthians 10:14-18, Philippians 1:20-21, Hebrews 3:14, Philippians 3:20-21, Psalms 62:5-8, Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 23:18, Philippians 4:6, Micah 6:8, II Corinthians 9:8
Prayer:
Father, we come to you accepting your offer to save our souls, and to provide us with great expectations of what our heavenly home will be like! Thank you, Lord for providing us with your son, who gave His life to save ours. Help us Lord today and daily to follow your guidelines to assure us of all your promises. Amen.