For thought and meditation

[rl69]

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. . . .—Mark 16:9 (http://harvest.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4f108f827aed8d503b5fca9fa&id=4b2f172f88&e=3dd732485b)Of all the people Jesus could have appeared to first after His Resurrection, He appeared to Mary Magdalene. It is interesting to think about, because among the Jews of the day, the testimony of a woman was not held in high regard. In fact, some of the rabbis falsely taught that it was better for the words of the Law to be burned than to be delivered by a woman. Yet Jesus chose a woman to be the first herald of His Resurrection.

It is also worth noting that women were the last at the cross and the first at the tomb. Mary had courage that many of the men did not have when Jesus was crucified. She stood by Him through it all. In fact, the Bible tells us that after He was crucified, Mary “observed where He was laid” (Mark 15:47 (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/x-apple-data-detectors://1)). She watched as they took His crucified body from the cross and wrapped it and placed it in a tomb that belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. And Mary, along with the other women, was at the tomb very early on Sunday morning (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/x-apple-data-detectors://3) to demonstrate her love for Jesus by anointing His body with spices (see Mark 16:1–2).

And her love was rewarded. God said, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). God rewards the person who is diligent. And for those who will take time in their day to seek the Lord, for those who will take time to read His Word, for those who will take time to wait upon Him, He will reveal His truths to them

[USMC87]

Amen, A great lesson to start the day.

[Blackwater]

What a great story that we can see so many things in in our day and time! Faithfulness does NOT come "naturally" nor easily to us willful creatures called "humanity." But that's because of our own doing, and our own wills, and NOT because we can't be faithful. We CHOOSE to err, and we do so frequently, and often for the most capricious of reasons. Yet, God has provided us with redemption, if only we'll accept it, confess and repent. He doesn't even require that we be "right" in everything we perceive or believe. Just that we be faithful, and continue to seek what is right, according to the writings He left us in the Bible.

It's said that "God is not the author of confusion," and that is imminently correct. It's US who so often confuse our own selves, and usually, it's by including our wills into our "logic" and equations for deciding our next pathway. Our will so often mocks us, and deceives us! God's will will NEVER do that, no matter how many non-believers claim it. Understanding comes from truly seeking Truth, rather than seeking the fulfillment of our own wills. When we follow our own wills, we always get a warm fuzzy, but it's quickly over, and has to be repeated incessantly for us to "have fun." God's grace provides a satisfaction and joy that lasts and lasts and lasts, as long as we maintain it, and keep His will rather than our own. He loved us so much, that he gave his perfect life for us on the cross, and THEN, left us all the guidelines we'd ever really need in order to live in peace and tranquility, no matter what we may face in this life.

When one knows that it's all going to end well, even if we're killed ..... well, what greater blessing could we possibly have than that? And it can, if we let it, give us a confidence we could never have without it. What a wonderful and loving Lord we serve!