And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Matthew 28:9
People rejoice and get excited over many different things that occur in their life. Yet, often the problems of this world overshadow their rejoicing. Death, sickness, violence, crime and more are so prevalent that many do not find a reason to rejoice or anything to be excited about. Anxiety and depression appear to rule the hearts of most, while joy is fleeting and elusive.
Matthew records that after Jesus had risen from the dead and some women saw He was no longer in the tomb, He appeared to them and told them to rejoice. They then worshipped Him.
When disaster strikes, very few find a reason to rejoice. It is often difficult to see anything past the trauma of the disaster, especially when a life is taken, even more so an innocent life. Depression often sets in bringing a person down, removing all joy. The world can offer no real hope.
While disasters will strike every person, both believer and non-believer, the believer has a hope that can give one the reason to rejoice. Jesus did not stay dead in the grave, as did every other religious leader. He rose from the dead to be able to offer forgiveness and eternal life.
Knowing that Jesus rose from the dead can give a person reason to rejoice with extreme happiness and joy. It means that there is life available beyond the current troubles of this fallen and sinful world. One can bow down and worship Jesus, not being afraid of what the world threatens. Once one bows and down and worships Jesus, one can then go out and tell others about Him with great rejoicing.
Your life may be filled with troubles. Disaster may have just struck your life, trying to pull you down. Hope appears to be elusive and unattainable. Do not give you to that fear or depression. Jesus has risen from the dead to give you forgiveness and eternal life.
Rejoice in the fact that God is no longer against you but is for you and is willing to build you up and give you a new life. Do not hold back, but rejoice and be extremely glad in what God has done, is doing and will do in your life.
Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know Jesus as the risen Savior; that you will be able to rejoice in knowing Jesus rose from the dead to give you a new life; and that you will worship Jesus at His feet each day.
Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash
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