Day 3: Undeterred
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” (Mark 16:1-3).
Sovereign God of might and majesty, Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep… (Psalm 36:5-6 – NKJV).
Lord, Your wisdom is so great that You "astound [all people] with wonder upon wonder such that the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish" (Isaiah 29:14). Nothing You have ever done are according to the ways or the expectations of man, for in perfect faithfulness You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago (Isaiah 25:1).
You unfolded the details of Your Messianic covenant according to Your plan, Your purpose, Your will, and Your timing. And it pleased You to choose and ordain the details, the events, and the circumstances with a flawless care and precision that would perfectly reveal the matchless might and wisdom of God.
Just as importantly, it pleased You to involve in Your plan the people You chose, not according to the wisdom or the expectations of the world, but according to the richness of Your counsel. Thus it was that Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome made their way to the tomb of Jesus, for they had bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body (Mark 16:1),
These women knew beforehand that the tomb had been sealed, because earlier, when Joseph… rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where He was laid (Mark 15:46-47). Yet, they made their way to perform their act of love without knowing “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” (Mark 16:3).
Lord, You teach us so much from the example of these women—so motivated by love and purpose that they were undeterred by the barriers before them— the emotional difficulty of their mission, the looming uncertainty, and the insurmountable obstacles they expected to confront.
O God, fill our hearts with such love and fortitude. Teach us to step out in steadfast faith, reverent submission, holy purpose. Help us to know that You will meet us with wonder upon wonder— not only with removed boulders and unhindered access, but with the wonder and the majesty of our God Himself.
Help us our Father not to shrink back from what You have placed in our hearts to do, but to trust You to come to us with more than all we ask or imagine, according to Your power that is at work within us. For Your honor and for Your glory we pray.
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