Holy Week

'On the first day you shall have a holy assembly, and another holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except what must be eaten by every person, that alone may be prepared by you. Exodus 12:16 NASB

There is a great deal packed into the little word "holy".  While pages could be spent considering the various implications of this one small word the core meaning of the word is: "to be set apart, separated, or other".  When we are told that our God is Holy it is not just a statement that He is unique in His righteousness (though He is set apart by His perfect righteousness), it is truly a statement that God exists totally independently of this created world.  For Israel God also set apart (declared "holy") several days in their calendar.  From Sabbaths, to the feasts (such as The Day of Atonement and The Feast of Tabernacles), to entire years (such as the Sabbath year and the Year of Jubilee).  For the Church God declared no such holy days, and thus our "Holy Week" is a week set apart by believers down through church history who longed to place the remembrance of Jesus' last week of earthly life into the calendar.  While God certainly is not keeping score of our Holy Week observations, He is certainly pleased whenever we set our gaze and our minds on the Savior.  May we do that precise thing this "Holy Week" and continue to do so until He returns.

Process

The earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:2

I love watching flowers grow each spring. Seeds turn into sprouts, which turn into stalks, which bring forth buds, which bloom into beautiful and fragrant flowers.  The flowers are beautiful, and they come through a process that is beautiful. I needn't even compare that with the beauty of seeing a loving couple, then a pregnant woman, then that couple holding their child and watching that child grow to maturity...it is too beautiful.  Genesis 1:2 shows that God, the inventor of time, meant for it to be used. Even before the entrance of sin into the world process was part of God's plan. He took time to create the world, carefully and lovingly shaping its every feature and aspect. He took time to redeem the world after man's sin brought destruction, decay and death. Leading up slowly, year by year, generation by generation up to the full revelation of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. When God put on flesh He did not bypass the process of growth the physical maturity. God, who seems always to create by process, would then not be out of order in re-creating by process. This is what we see. Every Christian is in a marathon journey towards conformity with the character and life of Jesus Christ. It can be painful, frustrating, even unnerving. However, it is a beautiful process. It is beautiful because of the One who is doing the work.

The Creator

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth." Genesis 1:1

Henry Morris once said that anyone who believes this verse will have no trouble believing the rest of the Bible. In this verse there is so much to be found. God created everything from nothing. It shows His limitless power. God created a world so beautiful. It shows His artistry and love. God created time, space and matter before any of those things existed. God's innovation is beyond comprehension to us. God didn't succomb to order and structure, reason and logic...He created and what He created dictated all of those necessaries as a mere result of what God had done.  When we discover how atoms hold together or how planets revolve and fly through space without colliding we are only observing what God designed. This is the God who loves us. This is the God who sent His Son to die for us. This is the God who promises salvation to all who believe in His Son and His payment for our sin.

All Things

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

We can't seem to help it.  The worst happens and we begin to pull our hair, wring our hands and cry out in despair, "God, why are you doing this to me?"  I have heard this cry on the lips of mature believers who have walked with the Lord for years, baby believers who just met the Lord, unbelievers and myself.  When we go through the trial, experience the loss, and feel the sting of pain we can hardly help but wonder what the Lord is all about in letting us go through something so difficult.  It takes a step of faith.  While we may not get to see what is going on, and may never understand in this lifetime what "good" this trial will be used for it will draw those who love God closer to Him.  The challenge to trust in those times seems the greatest, but the reward of trust at those times is also the greatest.