“Despair will not rule the day. Sorrow will not last forever. The clouds may eclipse the sun, but they cannot eliminate it. Night might delay the dawn, but it cannot defeat it. Morning comes. Not as quickly as we want. Not as dramatically as we desire. But morning comes, and with it comes joy.”- Max Lucado
“Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.”- Psalm 30:5 (NLT)
In Chapter 11(“Joy Is Soon Coming”) of Unshakable Hope, Max Lucado talks about Mary Magdalene. Pastor Lucado describes her as the weeping willow in the forest of the New Testament. Because, before Mary ever knew Jesus, seven demons possessed her (Luke 8:2). Yet, after Jesus restored her to life, Mary, with other female followers of Jesus, contributed from her own resources to support Jesus and His disciples.
However, after Jesus rose from the grave, He spoke first to Mary. Perhaps, Max posits, Jesus created the moment for Mary Magdalene to send a message to all heavyhearted people. In other words, you’re everything to God. The greatest news in the world, the author asserts, isn’t that God made the world, but that God loves the world. Therefore, you’ve never lived one unloved day!
As a result, Pastor Lucado exhorts, do what People of the Promise do. Keep coming to Jesus, even though:
- the trail is dark
- the sun seems to stop
- everyone else is silent
Finally, don’t walk away, even when tempted to. Max concludes:
“Even when you don’t feel like it, keep walking the trail to the empty tomb. Open the Bible. Meditate on Scripture. Sing hymns. Talk to other believers. Place yourself in a position to be found by Jesus, and listen carefully. That gardener very well might be your Redeemer.”
Today’s question: What clouds in your life eclipse the Son? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The Holy Spirit promises to give us a push”
