DAILY READING
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REFLECTION
The Stone is Still Rolled Away
by Judy Webb
"I will return to my place until they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me." (Hosea 5:15 NIV)
This selection of text from our reading on Easter Sunday has stuck with me. "He (John) saw and believed," (John 20:8b). Verse 9 goes on to say that though they "saw," and "believed," they still did not understand. I love this! We can be encouraged and take heart from these words -- we can believe before we understand!
The door is always open, the stone is always rolled away and we to can take a peek into the tomb and admit it is all to much to understand at first glance, but we can believe because we see it for ourselves. I imagine many of us have to take things we see with our own eyes, as truth, before we even begin to understand. How often do we read a scripture passage and are perplexed, but we continue to read knowing the Holy Spirit will reveal the meaning when our hearts are ready to understand?
Jeremiah 29:13 reads: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all our heart."
The book of Hosea addresses the goodness and faithfulness of God. God who wants us to turn back to Him, to earnestly, with deep and sincere feeling, seek Him. When our lives fall apart, when our sinful nature takes over our lives, we are called to seek Him. He is waiting for us and the door is wide open.
I am so thankful that God never gave up on me, even when I was most unlovable - He still loved me. He sent his only Son, that I could be saved, that I could begin to live a life worthy of salvation. His love is endless and His grace abounds.
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Praise and Thanksgiving to you Father. Holy Spirit, you opened my heart and convicted my Spirit to confess and follow the light. Keep me ever focused on you and draw me in. Show me how to share my story with those who don't yet know it. Amen
Good morning, Judy. You made me think about the sequence of "believing and understanding". I haven't given this much thought until your blog this morning. Your example of looking in the tomb and believing but not understanding anchors the thought for me. Thank you dear.
Robin Lorms