Sunday is Coming!!

I mean this both literally and figuratively…let me explain.  I was having my oil changed today and was reading my “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World” book and the Lord spoke to me about Sunday!  :)  The chapter I am reading on is “Lessons from Lazarus” which is what I actually blogged on a few weeks ago here, not from this book but from a sermon.  And here the book is talking about the same passage in scripture (John 11:17-44), so here I go learning from Lazarus again!  :)  So the book talks about how our lives are all part of God’s story unfolding in front of our eyes.  God has a lot He wants to teach us as the story unfolds.  “For tucked among the twists and turns of the everyday plot are valuable lessons about who God is and how He works and how we fit into the tale.”  The author identifies five life lessons that we can learn from the story of Lazarus.  They are similar to my pastor’s points yet different…

1) God’s will does not always proceed in a straight line. “The plot line of our individual stories weave together to form His master plan.  Nothing is wasted.  Nothing is left out…every story line is given His greatest attention, His diligent care.  Your story matters to Jesus…but He always has the big picture in mind as He handles the stories of our lives…Don’t get upset when point A doesn’t automatically lead to point B.  There are no detours in God’s story line.”  God ALWAYS knows what He is doing even when human logic can’t figure it out.  He has a plan for not only ME but for ALL of humanity.  While my personal plot line might be taking some of those twists and turns, God is turning those around for the greater good!

2) God’s love sometimes tarries for our own good and His glory.  I looked up the definition for tarry and this is what I found “to linger in expectation”.  God is waiting in expectation to show His glory to us!  We can always rest assured that God’s love is always at work.  His plan might not be revealed in my time but He loves us, He knows best and in His time He will bring about His plan for my ultimate good.

3) God’s ways are not our ways, but His character is still dependable.  This point makes me think of the song “Trust His Heart”.  God is faithful!  TRUST HIM! 

4) God’s plan is released when we believe and obey. “Our choices play a part in the unfolding of the plot."  Heavy stuff.  :)

5) The end is never the end; it is only the beginning.  “The truth of Lazarus and the secret of the resurrection is this: If Jesus Christ can turn death into life, sorrow into gladness, suffering into triumph – then nothing truly bad can ever touch our lives again.  Not really.  Unfortunate things may happen.  Difficulties may come.  But it all becomes fodder for a greater work, a more glorious glory.”  Bringing me to the coolest thing I learned today…Philip Yancey says, “The three day pattern – tragedy, darkness, triumph – became for the New Testament writers a template that can be applied to all our times of testing.”  You can see this pattern throughout the entire Bible, through all of God’s story.   TRAGEDY will come in our lives.  So will the DARKNESS that follows.  But TRIUMPH is waiting just around the corner!  “That’s the lesson that Lazarus’s resurrection hinted at – that’s the truth of Jesus’ resurrection would triumphantly prove.  It may be Friday…But Sunday’s comin’!”

WOW!  We may be going through our Friday but Sunday is coming!  Jesus’ resurrection taught us this!!!  What an awesome lesson to learn on Good Friday with the literal Sunday coming around the corner!  And God is working on my figurative Sunday too!!  Sunday is Coming!!

I have heard the below song a million times, but tend to hear songs and even sing along with songs without really listening to the words.  Bad habit.  I had always thought they were talking about the literal Sunday…I love going to church, we get refreshed and renewed at church, so I thought the song was singing about the literal Sunday is coming.  Until today when I learned about the other kind of Sunday.  :)  Here are the lyrics to the song that goes along perfectly with today’s truth!!

“Sunday” by Tree63

Nothing’s sacred, the days are cheap
Truth is thin on the ground
Still our prophets are crucified
Nobody believes we’re stumbling
It’s Friday, but Sunday is coming

Someone’s saying a prayer tonight
For hungry mouths to be filled
Someone kneels in the dark somewhere
And darkness is already crumbling
It’s Friday, but Sunday comes

Sunday – Hallelujah – it’s not so far, it’s not so far away
Sunday – Hallelujah – it’s not so far, it’s not so far away

Broken promises, weary hearts
But one promise remains:
Crucified, he will come again
It’s Friday, but Sunday is coming
It’s Friday, but Sunday is coming
Sunday…

YAY FOR SUNDAY!!!!