SUE O'DONNELL. 26.04.21
Month by month time passes by,
Expected Easter now celebrated, and ever remembered.
We know to sit faithfully, pray and wait,
Undoubtedly the Almighty has set a date.
An unique feast moving year by year,
But ever our Saviour the Lord God is near.
Many complex, carefully the churches are working,
God’s Son His duty never shirking.
The exemplary holy life Lord Jesus did live,
Is the pure gift of love the Lord God does give,
To free mankind as Christ Jesus died
It is our sins that are crucified.
Our anticipation mounting, mounting,
Throughout Lent we have been counting.
What is happening is most mysterious, miraculous,
Love’s truth revealed in a way, mercifully most marvellous.
Just as nature awaits the spring,
A message of forgiveness Christ does bring.
The same now as of centuries old
To fulfil God’s promise the prophets foretold.
Flowers everywhere, a celebratory bloom,
Christ Jesus arises from death’s tomb.
Marvel and majesty meet with beauty,
By love’s supremely powerful mercy, all holy.
Easter Day did dawn not now too far away,
God’s gift of steadfast love is to all who pray.
Christ Jesus to live once more in us,
Offer all thanks and praise for the †.
What love is this, a love most precious.
“In each waking flower and each singing bird, the promise of Easter is witnessed and heard.”
(Helen Steiner Rice)
“Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all the people will see it together. The LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 40 v 5 NLT)
Yes, dearest Father of loving kindness and mercy, it is. The victorious beauty in nature in spring is a timely reminder and apt symbol of the new life You offer us in Christ Jesus.
Thank You for allowing Your beloved Son to live and die for us. Christ Jesus accepted the punishment due to us, that He could set us free from sin’s condemnation.
We are an Easter people and the joy of knowing we have a Saviour is the highest, profoundest, most precious blessing known to mankind.
Truly with rejoicing, I praise and thank You Father God, for all the mercies of Your steadfast loving kindness towards us.
“In this is love, not that we loved You, but You loved us and sent Your Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (based on 1 John 4 v 10)
What love is this? There is but one answer. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (v 11)
Dearest Father, please direct our hearts towards You, to love, honour and obey You as we acclaim the love and mercy You show to us in Your Son’s life, death and resurrection.
It strikes a real blow upon my heart when I read “ ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen, even if someone rises from the dead’.” (Luke 16 v 31 NLT) For this is happening now in
our increasingly secular world.
A failure to recognise the love You give to us through the divine healing the Lord Jesus offers us, is a most serious setback. Please send Your Spirit of faith to stir us up.
He will encourage us to look beyond the confines of this world to beyond. But this is not easy with all the worldly distractions and attractions.
All too easily we lose our grip on reality, which is the life of love You offer us in Your Son, by Your Spirit, that we learn to pray and look beyond this life.
To seek You, find You in the friendship of the Lord Jesus, making Him the source of our worship, our adoration and admiration for Your mercy, as the Holy Spirit influences us, this is the purpose of life.
Without the knowledge and experience of this we are empty, a shell only, living without the experience of holy love which gifts us such hope, peace and joy. I like to read what Saint Paul writes about this.
“Even if I speak in many languages, naturally or spiritually, I am only a noisy gong or a clashing cymbal, unless I speak in love.” (1 Corinthians 13 v 1 The Truth) What love is this? It is Your gift of love, Father.
“If God has given me a prophetic gift, so that I am able to understand what are mysteries to others, and even though I have deep spiritual knowledge, I am nothing if the gift is used without love.” ( v 2)
What love is this? Again the thought is about holy love in all its incredible power. “The same would be true if I used the gift of faith without love; yes, even faith that can move mountains is worthless without love.” (v 2 cont)
“If I give everything I have to the poor and even sacrifice my body for the sake of the gospel, I gain nothing if I am not motivated by love.” (v 3) Good gracious!
In studying the sacred Word of Scripture, we begin to grasp the importance, the significance of holy love.
What love is this? It is the redeeming love Christ Jesus offers us on the †, a message of forgiveness.
I ask that in this most glorious month of April when new life surges all around us, many more will find their faith awakened when they hear of our Easter celebration ongoing.
May they seek to find life’s purpose. May they open heart and mind to the Holy Spirit, asking to receive faith
from You, dearest Father. For then it will happen.
Oh for the world to know what difference the love of the Holy Trinity makes to our quality of life now and our hopes for the future, that blessed hope of heaven.
The life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the promise which will sustain our faith and trust in You, Eternal Father, for the supreme blessing of salvation has been gifted us.
Please ever sustain, strengthen, deepen and embolden our faith in Your love. What love is this? It is the true love by which, even if bowed down by a guilty conscience, we can be uplifted by mercy. Thank You for the gift of faith in Christ Jesus, Your life saving, life enhancing gift. To You be the glory. Amen.
Images by Artist Christine Garwood
http://www.christinegarwoodartist.co.uk/
Season
EASTER
Key Themes
LOVE
LENT
