But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
John 20:11-15
Lord, this morning I was reminded of the dark, soul stirring times between disappointment and blessing. How my soul typically aches when heart break comes, when things take a turn for the worse, when loss creeps into my life, or when my life is shattered by the ravages of a sinful existence. How my soul can plummet into a pit of despair, losing all hope and forgetting Your promises, instead my emotions and beliefs quickly being shaped by my circumstances and experiences interpreted through the present reality I find myself in. In times like those I quickly forget what You have said, how You have even told me that I would feel this way, and how You encouraged me to keep looking up because my deliverance is near. Yet, consumed with me and my sense of loss, I slowly descend into a deeper, darker space, so much so that I miss that not only are You in it, but my hope and deliverance is right before my eyes. Today Lord my soul rushes into Your presence and clings to Your promises. Continue to remind me that You have not only promised me that I would have times like these, but that even as You have overcome them, so shall I. Continue to bring to the front of my mind that even amidst what appears to be the most insurmountable obstacle, that You have promised me that I can do all things through the strength that You give. As I am being torn down by those around me and forces that I often cannot see, remind me that greater are You, who is within me, than those that are coming against me. But most importantly, Lord, dry my tear laden eyes and restore my hope in the storm, that I might be able to go through with hope, knowing that You are right there in it with me, never leaving my side, not matter how bad things may be. You are there. I just have to open my eyes. Thank You, Master. Amen.