Easter Experiences

I hope everyone had a joyous and blessed celebration of Resurrection Sunday yesterday.  We had a wonderful time as we were able to share in the day around the table of one of my cousins. We spent the afternoon enjoying each other’s company, sharing a delicious meal, reminiscing over family gatherings of the past and in telling of the goodness of the Lord.  I have to admit once more, that my cousins really bless and encourage me as they love on my wife!  God’s peace is just so evident as both of them sat next to Piper, held her hand and talked with her.  And Piper rewarded their actions with big smiles and nods of recognition.  She also seemed to be enthralled with my cousin’s husband as he regaled us with stories of his adventures when he lived in New York City.

You know, that is what love is all about.  It is simple, gentle, quiet and giving of oneself.  Sure, my Piper is not currently the vivacious, outgoing and visibly encouraging individual that has left a deep impression on those that she has touched, but that person of the heart is still there and it just takes a little quiet love to draw it out… and my cousins seem to be experts at it!

When I was reading from William Barclay’s “New Daily Study Bible” today concerning First Corinthians 13, I gained a clearer understanding of the difference between fear and Godly love.  Verse seven informs us that “Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.” (Contemporary English Version)  That’s what I saw yesterday.  There was no fear in the eyes of those who simply loved on my wife whether she responded (which she did!) or not.  There was no fear in the silence of the moment.  There was only an air and abundance of love that permeated down to the very soul of all present in the room.

As I studied the Word this morning and thought about yesterday’s events and compared it to some of the confusion and frustration I have encountered with other family members, I suddenly had the revelation that fear breeds confusion and irrational behaviors.  And with that realization, it all made sense!  Fear disrupts the balance and steadfastness that love provides!

2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (NKJV)  It is interesting to me when you notice the placement of love between power and a sound mind or good judgment as some translations put it.  Love is the bridge between the two actions.  Love puts the balance and wisdom in our use of Godly power and gives us the ability to make consistently good judgments!  Without love, we can be all over the place sounding and doing good one moment and be exasperating the next!  That perfectly describes some of the things that I have been dealing with over the last few years!

But thank God for the steading effects of His Word in and on our lives. The Message Bible tells us that love “puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end.” (I Corinthians 13:7)  His Word brings the balance back into my life when I face the rollercoaster situations that occur.  It is what gives me the ability to deal with the roller-coaster reactions of others as I seek to trust God for the trials I face.  It is that “peace which goes beyond anything that we can imagine,” that “guards your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7 God’s Word ©)

His faithfulness is what gives me the ability to have the earnest expectations of a bright and prosperous future for my wife and I.  It is the hope that Jesus gave us when He arose from the dead on that first Easter Sunday a few thousand years ago!  Have a great week.  Stay in tune to His Word and alert to what we commemorated yesterday, as you keep asking yourself… “What or Whom am I expecting today?”