Greetings to you…who rests in the shadow of His wings…in the beautiful, transforming, and powerful name of Jesus Christ – THE Risen Savior! Please remember…this is the day that the Lord has made for us – let us rejoice and be glad in it!…and it is a lovely Spring morning! One of the things that I thank God for is that every day He gives us is unique. He never puts a day in a divine “copier” and runs off a succession of one particular day and delivers it to us…I suppose that depending on your day that could be a plus or a minus! Today I will be praying for you, asking Father to make His presence known to you…may He send people your way to bless you or to be blessed by you…may He give you a blessing that will bring a smile to your face…may He increase your “hope level”…may you hear Him call your name!
As I make my way towards Easter, I have discovered that so many devotionals and Easter music speed through the forty days of Lent to get to the empty tomb and the Resurrection as if these days of ‘travelling’ have little value or significance. I suppose we have become immune to the trip that we have forgotten how precious the days leading up to Easter really are. When you read the accounts of Jesus last days before Jerusalem…He was busy touching people’s lives and they must have been pleased to have had those moments with Him.
Although I haven’t found many songs that reflect the importance of this forty day journey, there were a few. One, “Lead me, O King Eternal” highlights the words – Thro’ days of preparation-Thy grace has made me strong. Another, “Lead me, Lord” says – Make Your way plain before my face. Then there is a favorite – Lead me, Lord, once more to Calvary…lest I forget Gethsemane. One more, a favorite to me says – Let nothing draw me back-Or turn my heart from Thee-But by the Calvary track-Bring me at last to see-The courts of God, that city fair-And find my name is written there…Beside thee as I walk-I will delight in thee-In sweet communion talk-Of all thou art to me-The beauty of thy face behold-And know thy mercies manifold.
These words only affirm to me the importance of the forty day journey to Easter. These are the days when God’s grace strengthens me, where He gives direction, where I see the depth of his love, where I know profound intimacy with the Almighty, where I understand that this journey is part of the preparation for an even grander adventure, and where I not only begin to understand Jesus but I begin to understand me. So let’s not rush through these days of Lent because we already know where we are going. Let us take time to savor the forty days of being with our Savior.
Have a great day…be blessed