DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-09-13
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 16:1-5
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹ Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. ² Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. ³ On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” ⁴ But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside. ⁵ When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side….

APPLICATION: I felt a strong sense of God speaking to me about the excuses we make for not visiting with Him more often, both personally and corporately. Look with me at a few things mentioned in this Scripture:
-*- Vs 1 – ‘…The women went out to purchase burial spices….‘ – This tells me that they had determined in their minds that they were going to visit the gravesite of their Lord and spend some time there. In buying the spices, I believe this showed that nothing, nor anyone would stop their planned visit. What if every Saturday night we were just as determined to be with Jesus and His people the next day, and that nothing, nor anyone would stop that visit?
-*- Vs 2 – ‘very early on Sunday morning….‘ – No distractions that might come their way would hinder their trip to the tomb. Top priority items are first and foremost for these ladies. Notice there were no excuses like we hear today – ‘but that’s my only day to sleep in’, or ‘That’s the only day I have to take my family to the beach (if you live near the beach)’, or ‘I’m not a morning person, so unless the church service starts after 10:30am will you expect to see me there’, and on and on.
-*- Vs 3 – ‘On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?‘ – Notice that this huge stone was not a consideration or hindrance in preparing for the trip or leaving home on the trip. It may have been a huge stone, but these ladies seemed to have considered this to be a small problem considering who they were going to worship and make burial preparation for. I believe I am very diligent in attending worship services, but this point hit me hard, for time and time again we let so many little things become ‘huge stones’ that stand as an impassable obstacle for us to worship with fellow believers.
-*- Vs 4 – ‘…the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside…‘ Can’t you see the glee on the faces of the women as they rejoiced over the way that even in the death of His Son, yet God moved ‘mountains’ so they could attend to His precious Son? This reminded me that when I surrender whatever obstacles may be in the way of me attending corporate worship, it is with such joy, and so praiseworthy, to later look back and see how God took care of the obstacles or ‘mountains’ because I was determined to not let them hinder me!
-*- Vs 5 – ‘When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man…‘ Later in the story this young man was referred to as an angel. I felt like God had even thought to provide a welcoming party for these ladies to feel at ease and comfortable while visiting with their deceased Master. I really don’t want to miss the angel that God has waiting for me at our worship service next Sunday, do you?
Some will read this passage of Scripture and become satisfied that they have read their Scripture for today. Praise God, He used this to open up some real-life challenges and experiences that we face today, and He showed me that if these three women had the tenacity to meet their challenges head-on, then I could also. I pray that God spoke to you in a very special way today, and that this will always be a reminder to you anytime Satan tries to help you find excuses to stay at a distance to your Lord and/or His people.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Be as determined as these three women were in going to the grave of Jesus, and be ready to rejoice every step along the way as I see God at work, for my good and for His glory!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I am thankful that because You died; was buried; and rose again; I can be assured that my sin has been forgiven and buried because of Your forgiveness. Praise God, I can stand boldly in righteousness before your throne. Thank You Lord for opening my heart and my eyes as I read this familiar story today. To be reminded of the commitment by these dear women, helps me to stand firm in my faith and be committed to stand for Christ in every circumstance of life. It is way too easy to find excuses. You have provided the way for us to live eternally with You, and I thank You for that. Lord Jesus. Please remind us daily to walk in the way You have set before us and to always be determined to fulfill all that we set out to do for Your kingdom’s sake. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!