John 20:1 – Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. (NIV)

Isaiah 26:3 – You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. (NIV)

Sometimes our situation seems impossible. I have gone through many such times. I have lost family. Jobs have been terminated. Finances have gone by the wayside. Such situations boggle the mind. They are simply unmanageable without help.

In musing upon such things, I remembered and related to those followers of Jesus who contemplated the impossible, mind-boggling situation that their Lord had been crucified. Now, He lay in a tomb with a huge boulder — a gigantic rock — blocking the doorway. The women who intended to anoint Jesus' body with spices had no way of moving the rock that sealed His body within the tomb.

Rolling the boulder away was not, however, their task. This impossible situation belonged to God. Moving the rock was nothing for Him.

When Mary of Magdala and the others went back to the tomb early on the Sunday morning, the job was already done. The stone had been rolled away, and the tomb was filled with light. Jesus was risen! Only grave clothes remained as a testimony of an impossible situation.

Likewise, within our own lives, God is able to roll away the rock which seals us within impossible situations. In His time, morning breaks and intolerable circumstances are changed. Unbearable burdens are lifted. The impossible becomes possible with God. Such situations reinforce our faith. They gladden our hearts and leave us with testimony of new life. The grave clothes of memory can be folded and filed away for future reference and encouragement to pass on to others when they find themselves feeling sealed within similar tombs.

This Easter, you may feel that you, too, are sealed in a tomb of impossible circumstances. If so, rejoice! God is with you! He will never leave us nor forsake us. In His time, the stone which seals us in will be rolled away. The morning light will lead us out, leaving only the empty grave clothes of memory behind. And until such time comes, we need to choose to continue to trust Him, for in trusting Him, His perfect peace shall keep our hearts at rest amidst the impossible.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, how wonderful it is to know that nothing is impossible for You! Encourage our hearts this day as we contemplate this truth and look forward to the impossible becoming the possible, because You are trustworthy and completely able. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Lynne Phipps <lynnephippsatlin@gmail.com>
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada
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