Holy Week is upon us, and I’d love to share a few treasures that I pray can be encouraging to you as we lead up to commemorating the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
First, here is a brief timeline of the events of Holy Weekalong with some of the Scripture passages telling about each day. It helps me to more fully take in what Jesus experienced and endured when I have a guide that brings together all the gospel accounts.
I also appreciated reading this Palm Sunday prayer from Jennifer Dukes Lee, reminding me to worship Jesus for who He truly is and encouraging me to invite Him in even more.
And every year it seems I always want to look up this blog post from Max Lucado on The Silence of Saturday. In seasons of waiting or not being able to see what God is doing, the reminder of Silent Saturday brings hope and encouragement to my heart.
Speaking of hope and encouragement (with a little added joy and enthusiasm), I’d also love to share a brief story from Bob Goff. I was blessed to be able to hear him speak in Evansville Monday night, and truly I was blown away afresh not only by his unique gift for storytelling but also by the way he inspires me to love and live like Jesus more deeply and authentically. (I wrote more about the first time I heard him speak a few years ago in this post: From the Living Room with Bob.)
One story that was especially touching Monday night was when Bob told about the time before his daughter Lindsey was born. In thinking of all that could happen in the years to come, Bob said he wrote a note saying something like, “Lindsey, I forgive you for wrecking my car.” Then he dated the piece of paper, put it in a capsule of some sort, and buried it in the yard.
One day when Lindsey was 18 years old, sure enough, she wrecked his car. In the midst of his frustration but also relief that everyone was ok, he handed her a shovel and a set of latitude and longitude coordinates. She followed the instructions, dug up the capsule, and sighed, “You forgave me before I was even born.”
What a beautiful picture of a father’s love. And what a beautiful picture to give just a tiny glimpse of the message of Easter. Before we were even born, God’s poured out His love in the sacrifice of His Son, and the price was paid for our forgiveness. I am so grateful.
I appreciate how this song brings home the message of His awesome sacrifice as well:
O the Blood by Kari Jobe/Gateway Worship
Truly I am thankful for the precious blood of Jesus and His amazing love. And my prayer for you this week echoes that of Paul in Ephesians 3:
“… And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”(vs. 17b-19, NIV84)
I’d always love to hear from you as well! Feel free to share any treasures you’ve been finding lately or any favorite Easter stories or songs. You can leave a comment or send me a message anytime!
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