July 10, 2012 Hope's Here

Hope’s Here Mark 16:1-4 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. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. HOW much energy do you waste on fear? How often has fear kept you from reaching your goals or fulfilling your God-given potential? Since Jesus’ death and burial, the women had waited for this morning, so they could devotedly care for Jesus’ body in the tomb. It appears, though, they had to deal with a particular fear, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” The women were committed to caring for Jesus’ body; yet, they were afraid they couldn’t complete their task. They were afraid he stone was too big. They were afraid no one would help them. But notice, they didn’t let their fear keep them from their task. Devoted to their cause, the women looked past their fear and focused on their hope that someone to roll away the stone. Have you ever noticed how fear diminishes when you focus on hope? The women’s hope was sufficient to lead them to their task. The Lord was sufficient to make their hope a reality and roll away the stone. Step forward in hope, and you will see God’s power in your life. Put your hope in the Lord, and seemingly immovable fears will roll away. Pause and consider fears go when hope In Jesus grows.