And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. Mark 16:2
If you've ever dug up a passionfruit vine, you would have found it shallow-rooted and woody. Quite the opposite of the vine of our passion for Jesus Christ.
Our verse reflects a perfect illustration of passion. People who could not wait to see Jesus. Who rose early, even if it was to visit a sepulchre to anoint a dead body.
Today, we don't rise early to seek a dead body or a beaten, bruised and pierced man on a cross. Our Saviour is alive. Resurrected in the most impossible way. Unmistakeably divine. Today, we have a risen Saviour. Today we have the opportunity to have Jesus’ holy presence within us in the form of the Holy Spirit. Our passion is alive.
Every morning is like Christmas as a child, where we couldn’t wait to wake up and run to the tree for our presents. Except we are not running to open up gifts. We can’t wait to awake to commune with our Holy friend within us, the Holy Spirit. What a gift we have been given.
Proverbs 16:32 tells us what changes can occur within us if only we handed over the reins of our life to the one who can and wants to change it for the better.
“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.”
We don't need to be angry, vengeful, always right, argumentative, sneaky, deceptive, lazy, sordid, or foul-mouthed. And we don't need to be striving to be great. We are being changed in mind and heart, learning the way of righteousness, the way of God, the way His Son walked. That is greatness. Why wouldn’t we run to that when we awoke?
Romans 14:7 says “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Awakening of a morning to righteousness, peace and joy is what we have before us. And we can have it in abundance. So why do we wake up as if we have little for which to live? As if our life is draining away? As if we are seated in ashes like Job? “Oh, not another day” “Same stuff, different day” we cry. What blindness when there is so much to be enjoyed. He is there even when we[re going through trials.
Isaiah 61:3 says Christ came to give us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spiritofheaviness; that we might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.
Jesus gets glorified when we ask Him into our lives and allow the Holy Spirit to change our nature, our thoughts, and therefore our future.
Imagine having Jesus with us right now? What would it do for our spirit to arise and see Him seated in the lounge room waiting for us to get up and run to Him, to speak with Him, to hear His voice? In our scripture, those passionate followers just wanted to hear His voice again. They thought He was gone. They found out He was far from gone!
Acts 2:38 shines the light on what greatness we can have when we walk down the avenue of simple belief. “…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Such an unparalleled destiny sits on the end of our tongue waiting to be spoken. Waiting until we awaken to the beauty set before us. A life of spiritual abundance in Christ.
Today’s prayer:Dear Lord, thank you greatly for the hope brought by the Holy Spirit. Thank you for the vision of future changes to my life. Of substituting my many deficiencies for your beautiful nature. I need to change. Please help me hand over my life so your Holy Spirit can lead me toward better paths.
Photo by Randalyn Hill
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