ESOCS Devotional 16 August 2021
TEXT: JOHN 20:1-10
MEMORY VERSE: “So they ran both together: and the other disciple did out run Peter, and came first to the sepulchre” (John 20:4).
Mary Magdalene told Peter and John the divine, the disciple that Jesus loved, that “… They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him” (John 20:2 NKJV). They ran to the tomb to see things for themselves. They went home later but Mary Magdalene remained. Her patience and eagerness came with reward. She saw the risen Lord Jesus whom she craved; and so, she fulfilled her destiny, as the first person to preach the gospel of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter and John had gone home (v 10).
In the Christian race, patience has its rewards. Perseverance leads to greater attainments. If Mary Magdalene had walked away like the other two, she would have missed seeing the Lord at that time. Those who would see the Lord work in their life are those who would cultivate the attitude of waiting patiently for the Lord. David said, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry …” (Ps. 40:1-3 NKJV).
When we wait on the Lord, we make it possible for Him to manifest Himself to us; He would show Himself strong in our situation; He would glorify His name in our circumstances. He would establish us and give us a new life. We would step on the path to our destiny. We would rise above our fellows, and become foremost among our peers.
Peter and John were eager to see the risen Lord. How eager are you to see the Lord at His Second Coming? How well are you searching the scriptures to find out deep truths about Him and about the things that would happen at that time? Have the world and its pleasures been more important and taken your attention away? Paul counted all those as loss, and concentrated on acquiring the “excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus [his] Lord” (Phil. 3:8-11). These are the ideal purposes we should pursue in the kingdom race.
- What goals have you set for yourself in the kingdom race? How eager are you to see the Lord? How patient are you in waiting for the Lord in your unfavourable circumstances?
Father, grant me the grace to seek your face above all thing else, always
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
FURTHER READING: Deuteronomy 10:11-22; Ezekiel 37:15-28; Hebrews 7:1-10
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ESOCS Devotional 16 August 2021
