It’s Friday but Sunday’s on the way!
As I sat in prayer this morning, thinking of the weight of this day – Good Friday – my thoughts turned to how difficult it must have been for God. He had to watch His only son brutally beaten, flogged, ridiculed, bleed, and then nailed to a cross. God knew that in 3 days Jesus would rise – but how difficult must those 3 days have been!! How agonizing. We know Jesus agonized over it by His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane where he prayed, “Abba, Father. . . everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mk 14:36) Indeed, God could have taken that burden from Jesus, instead, Jesus endured the torture and execution on Friday and then for 3 days there were tears, mourning, sadness, disbelief, and an entire range of emotions from those who followed Jesus. But then came Sunday!
Sometimes we endure “Fridays” in our lives that bring about immense pain. It may not be from a beating, flogging, or torture like Jesus endured, but it may feel as such when you are in the midst of your pain. Hang on! Everyone has a “Friday”, but God has also promised us a “Sunday”. When your Sunday comes, you, like Jesus, will rise from the darkness, life will be restored to you and you can truly live.
One of God’s promises is found in Isaiah 61:7, “Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion [you] shall rejoice in [your] portion. Therefore in [your] land [you] shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be [yours].”I’ve prayed that so many times and reminded God of that promise over and over. Likewise, in Joel 2:25 it is written, “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.” It has been over 13 years since my “Friday” and I’ve experienced my “Sunday”, but people insist on weaponizing that trauma against me. Just because I’ve had my Sunday doesn’t mean the pain doesn’t reappear or there aren’t struggles, it just means I’m free from the shackles of the pain and trauma. It no longer consumes my life to the point I want to give up on life. Thankfully, 13 years ago I held on from my Friday to Sunday.
Had I given up and not held on, I would have lost out of God’s promise of giving me “double honor” for all I had lost. In the 13+ years since my Friday, God has used me in so many incredible ways to help those who are oppressed, poor, orphaned, widowed, abused, exploited in addition to being an encourager to others. It’s not me – but God through me. I’ve been humbled by the way God has worked through my life to help others through my legal career, volunteer work, and through my personal life. I’m not perfect – I’ve continued to fail Him, I’ve had more than my share of pity-parties full of self hate and negative thoughts about myself, but He’s continued to love me and use me regardless. And He will bring you through your 3 days and give you double honor as well. You just have to hang on. You, too, can do great things if you just hang on.
The love Jesus had for me and you this day over 2000 years ago is unfathomable. The amount of torture He endured on that day, the injustice, the sham of a trial, the shame, ridicule, taunts, belittling, all of it done for you and for me. It was 3 days of hell, literally. Whatever hell you are walking through, know and understand Jesus has been there and He’s with you now. There are better days and better things on the other side. You may, as I did, come through a little singed – but don’t get burned by the fire. There is hope. There is a future. There is a Sunday!
“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt…” (Jeremiah 31:3-4)