On this Treasure Hunt Tuesday, my heart is still turned toward Easter, which seems perfectly fitting and necessary. I don’t want to rush past the blessings, and truly every day is an opportunity to celebrate the hope we have because of Jesus Christ. Here are a few treasures that have been touching to me this past week, with prayers there will be something meaningful for you among them as well:
** Ann Voskamp’s blog post on Maundy Thursday challenged my heart on unity in the Body of Christ. Jesus prayed that we would be one (see John 17), yet we sadly see or even perpetuate much pision, hindering our witness to the world. Ann’s heartfelt words convict and inspire me to stand firm in truth but reach out in love.
** On Good Friday, Jennifer Dukes Lee shared encouragement about the finished work of Christ for us in her post on Facebook and Instagram, excerpted from her book, “It’s All Under Control.”
** And although I’d really love to share pretty much everything else Ann Voskamp shared on social media over the past week or two, I’ll stick with just one more post of hers, from Saturday, with the hope that “Sunday morning is coming.” (Click to read the full post on Facebook or Instagram.)
** Saturday also provided a beautiful evening for a walk after the first of our church’s Easter services. (Just don’t ask me how sore I was after helping to chaperone the junior high lock-in!)
** And Easter Sunday brought many blessings as well. I appreciated how our minister walked us through the pain, grief, and confusion of Friday and Saturday, knowing we can relate often in our own lives, too. But then he reminded us, “When you are going through the worst days of your life, the answer is Easter.”
I’m so grateful for the hope we have because of the resurrection of Jesus. And I’m grateful for how His resurrection power works in us, too. As Bob Goff has said, “The beautiful message of Jesus is His invitation to everyone that they can trade in who they used to be for who God sees them becoming.”
And I love how we sang of this truth on Sunday, “The resurrected King is resurrecting me.” (Listen to the powerful song by Elevation Worship here.)
May this prayer from Ephesians 1 encourage your heart with continued reminders that the same resurrection power God used to raise Jesus from the dead is graciously working in us who believe as well:
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”
~Ephesians 1:17-21 (NIV84)
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| Easter evening sunset |
Feel free to share any Easter treasures of your own in the comments as well. I’d love to hear from you!
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