Seek the Lord while he may be found.; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he shall freely pardon.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater; so is my word that goes out of my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you; and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow; This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”
Isaiah 55: 6-13
Several years ago, I helped with a children’s Christmas production called Christmas In Reverse, which, as you may have guessed, told the story of Christmas from a backwards perspective. It started with Christ’s birth, went backward in time to determine why we needed a savior in the first place, and then returned to the Christmas story. Just before returning to the manger, the play mentioned the four hundred years of silence between the last prophet and Jesus’ birth, and the most beautiful song, “Waiting For Christmas” played.
Waiting for Christmas to find me, Knowing God’s promise is true. Anticipating that we’re on the waiting list, too. Christmas will come.
Why am I referencing a Christmas program the day before Easter? Well, first, without Christmas, there couldn’t possibly have been Easter. Christmas and Easter represent the beginning and the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Mainly, though, I think of the Jewish people waiting for the Savior’s birth, and I think today we are waiting for Easter. It hasn’t been four hundred years since Good Friday, but we are still waiting with baited breath for Jesus to emerge from the tomb. We are waiting for Jesus to find us, to show us God’s promise is true, anticipating that He died for even us too. Easter will come.
I don’t know why God chose to save the world in the way He did, because God’s ways and His thoughts are not like ours. I do know that God’s Word came to the earth to water us, and cause us to bud and flourish, and He returned to heaven having accomplished the purpose for which He came. And because of that, we will go out in joy, be led with peace, and enjoy the performance as the mountains and hills burst into song, and the trees clap their hands in worship. Even if we can’t celebrate Easter surrounded by other people this year, we will not celebrate alone.
Lord, we only have to wait until tomorrow for Jesus to leave the tomb, but we don’t wait very well. We are so impatient for healing, for redemption, and for the return to normal. While we prepare to spend this Easter physically distant from other believers, help us to remember that you are always with us. Forgive us for our impatience and our complaints when things aren’t going the way we want them to go. Be with all who are battling this virus, be with their families, their health care providers, and all who are providing those essential services we so desperately need. Be with the families who have lost loved ones, Lord, and comfort them while they are grieving without the support of others. We ask these things in the name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.
