Silent Saturday
Silence: The complete absence of sound.
Silence can be hard. It's the unknown. It's the uncertainty. It's often in moments of silence that we begin to wonder, wander and write our own narrative. No wonder scripture exhorts us to "be still and know that I am God" and repeatedly tells us to train our heart and mind to remember God. To remember the things he has done in the past for us, to remember his promises, to know his word because we will all face moments of silence or what appears or sounds like silence. We will all have a "Saturday."
I have great empathy and compassion towards the disciples in the days Jesus walked this earth. It took great courage for them to follow Jesus. So for those disciples who fled or denied Jesus in a moment of their humanity, I cast no stone or judgement. I don't see it as a failure. They responded the only way they knew how - in their humanness. They did not have God's spirit - the Holy Spirit. They didn't have the benefit like we do of knowing that Sunday comes. We've been given the play book. We know how the story ends. We know who wins. We understand today with greater clarity of God's redemption plan. Why things had to happen as they did. We are living in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. And yet even still the best of us can be "shaken" at times when death, trauma, crisis, disappointment, sadness, grief, loss or tragedy knocks on our door.
So today what seemingly is silent Saturday, I take courage in this truth that silence does not equate the absence of God or the absence of God at work. He is always moving and working. There is never a moment that he is unaware, not present or not in control. Secondly, I am encouraged that even in my weakest moments or when I succumb to my emotions or humanness in a way that does not fully represent me, that one moment does not define my faith, love for Jesus, nor does it speak to who I am. And in the same way, that moment of confusion for Jesus' disciples that led them to respond the way they did does not negate their bravery or commitment to Christ in all of the other moments they followed and obeyed. And that's why I love that after Sunday, with gentleness, grace, compassion and love Jesus restores his disciples. It's hard being human and God is compassionate and sympathetic towards us. He's also made provisions for us to be victorious and to live in victory on this side of heaven.
Silent Saturday speaks to second chances and that things are not always as they seem. So don't be quick to judge, summarize or conclude something or someone when God is still writing the story.
God always has the final say.
Silence can be hard. It's the unknown. It's the uncertainty. It's often in moments of silence that we begin to wonder, wander and write our own narrative. No wonder scripture exhorts us to "be still and know that I am God" and repeatedly tells us to train our heart and mind to remember God. To remember the things he has done in the past for us, to remember his promises, to know his word because we will all face moments of silence or what appears or sounds like silence. We will all have a "Saturday."
I have great empathy and compassion towards the disciples in the days Jesus walked this earth. It took great courage for them to follow Jesus. So for those disciples who fled or denied Jesus in a moment of their humanity, I cast no stone or judgement. I don't see it as a failure. They responded the only way they knew how - in their humanness. They did not have God's spirit - the Holy Spirit. They didn't have the benefit like we do of knowing that Sunday comes. We've been given the play book. We know how the story ends. We know who wins. We understand today with greater clarity of God's redemption plan. Why things had to happen as they did. We are living in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. And yet even still the best of us can be "shaken" at times when death, trauma, crisis, disappointment, sadness, grief, loss or tragedy knocks on our door.
So today what seemingly is silent Saturday, I take courage in this truth that silence does not equate the absence of God or the absence of God at work. He is always moving and working. There is never a moment that he is unaware, not present or not in control. Secondly, I am encouraged that even in my weakest moments or when I succumb to my emotions or humanness in a way that does not fully represent me, that one moment does not define my faith, love for Jesus, nor does it speak to who I am. And in the same way, that moment of confusion for Jesus' disciples that led them to respond the way they did does not negate their bravery or commitment to Christ in all of the other moments they followed and obeyed. And that's why I love that after Sunday, with gentleness, grace, compassion and love Jesus restores his disciples. It's hard being human and God is compassionate and sympathetic towards us. He's also made provisions for us to be victorious and to live in victory on this side of heaven.
Silent Saturday speaks to second chances and that things are not always as they seem. So don't be quick to judge, summarize or conclude something or someone when God is still writing the story.
God always has the final say.
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