The Resurrected Promise

When Mary of Magdalene was at the tomb, Jesus asked her a question. “Whom do you seek after?”

She said, “I seek after the Lord, where have you taken him?”

Mary was in a place and time where all seemed lost. They just killed the One who had delivered her from her demons. Her spirit was in turmoil. The promise of the future seemed lost. Hope was delayed so badly she became blinded and sick.

Proverbs 13:12a says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” All was lost to Mary. The one she loved was destroyed to an unrecognizable pulp, promises of a better life seemingly gone, hope shattered, and all was lost. She had nowhere else to turn except to an angry and sorrowful blame.

“Where have you taken Him? I can’t see him anymore. I don’t feel Him. Heaven has turned to brass and the earth is like hardened clay baked in a furnace. What is supposed to be glorious is now portraying death. Where do I turn? What do I do? Why? Why? Why?” Tears are pouring out. Tears of anguish and despair. Needing hope, wanting hope, desiring just a glimpse that the opportunity of happiness will come.

If this doesn’t bring just a small bit of realization to you, then you may have to pinch yourself or call the coroner. We have all been in this exact position at one time or another in our lives. A place where all seems lost and hope seems gone.

We find ourselves in a Peter dilemma, stepping out of the boat to come to and trust Jesus. But the waves begin to smack against our ankles and up our knees. We begin to sink.

But we don’t have to stay there. Here’s the rest of the story:

Proverbs 13:12b, “BUT when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.”

Christ didn’t leave Peter out to drown. Hallelujah! No, He grabbed Peter up and helped him back to the boat.

As Mary was asking the Man in front of her about where he had laid the body of Christ, Jesus spoke. He said “Mary!” All hope rushed back in as she began to recognize Jesus.

You see there are times that things have to DIE in your life so that the PROMISE can come forth. Yes, it hurts! Yes, we grieve! It’s natural. However, we seek and desire spiritual things, not natural things. So, when we don’t recognize God’s hand in our situation, sometimes it brings grief and despair! Especially as the dead things in our lives come to be recognized as what they truly are: dead things. Then the hope of the promise appears.

If we aren’t careful, we can be grieving our loss so much that we won’t recognize the Resurrected Promise. That Promise must shake us!

“Robert, it is ME! Wake up out of your stupor! Recognize ME!”

Suddenly, our eyes open and the fullness of who Jesus is hits! Then we fall on our knees and cry, “Father God, how great You are!”

Your hope may be deferred, but don’t be so blinded by what you are going thru that you don’t recognize Christ when He walks into the room. Be encouraged saints of God. Trials and tribulations will fall upon us, but God has overcome the World. Stay focused, stay prayed up, keep your spiritual eyes open. If a true promise has been spoken to you, even if it is deferred, when it comes it will bring life.

Focus on the Holy Spirit to recognize true promises and avoid garbage words that come from a desire of needing to be heard. Remember, not everyone calling themselves prophets are prophets. Some are speaking sensual words not Holy Ghost breathed words. Learn to recognize the difference and a lot of your hope won’t be deferred in the first place. Wait on God, let your strength be renewed like that of Eagles, so you can walk and not faint. So you can run and not grow weary. Hallelujah! Look out, I’m gonna start preaching!