God never fails!

By Dean Collins

Wrap it up. Close the deal. Ink the contract. Make it airtight. Do everything you can.
How many times have you urged another or pushed yourself to get through the process and finally get your situation resolved? You worked hard. You went through every step of research and planning. And now you want it over and, to the extent you can, locked down once and for all and move on. Problem solved.

It appears that’s exactly what the chief priests and Pharisees attempted to do when they went to Pilate after the body of Jesus had been taken from the cross and placed in a tomb. They had worked so hard to be done with Jesus. They hoped his death would allow them to get back in control of their religion, secure their place of prominence in the community, and hopefully restore as much peace with Roman leadership as possible.

The priests and Pharisees went to Pilate with one more request. They told Pilate that this imposter, Jesus, had been known to say more than once that he would rise in three days. They certainly didn’t want to concede to any concerns that it was possible, though I suspect they remembered Lazarus and may have had that in their heads as well. What they really wanted to suggest was that someone, maybe the disciples, might try and steal the body from the tomb so that it would appear that Jesus had risen from the dead. After listening to their request, Pilate said that they had a guard of soldiers and that they should, “Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and secured the tomb with a stone and set a guard to make sure no one could steal the body.

I suppose whether you are working out something that is good or you are up to no good, you want to make sure that when you are finished you really are finished. You want the plan to be guaranteed to work and resolve the situation. And in many ways that is good business and good planning. Every “I” dotted and every “T” crossed. Details matter. Except for one thing: Resurrection power.

We know well that Jesus prayed that his Father’s will would be done. We also know that he understood God’s plan and surrendered to it throughout his life on earth, even to the point of death. We know that Jesus spoke on behalf of his Father and came to establish his kingdom here. We know that God’s promises are firm and fully reliable. So in regard to Jesus’ promise to rise in three days, there actually was nothing the priests, the Pharisees, Pilate, nor a whole army could prevent. Jesus rose from the dead just as he promised.

As you and I face both the good that we have planned and are doing and deal with extreme situations the best we can, the one thing we must remember is that God did not leave us abandoned when doing his will. He did the exact opposite. He gave us his Spirit to guide us, to protect us, to empower us, and to make it possible that even in our weakness, he can and will fulfill his purposes in every situation. He will never forsake the work of his hands. God will fulfill his purpose in our lives for his glory as we stay surrendered to him.

The enemy may attempt to interrupt and will often interfere with setbacks. But the power of the resurrection guarantees that the enemy will never be successful in defeating the will and the purposes of God in our lives and in our situations. Because of Jesus, we can have perfect peace that he will accomplish what is best forevermore. We might not be able to see it now or understand his unsearchable understanding. But God never fails.

Father, thank you for the resurrection of Jesus that proves to the world that you are victorious over death and sin. Increase our faith that we might stand firm in your promises, no matter what we face today or in our lives. We surrender our will to you and ask that you accomplish exactly what you want in and through us. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Your Time with God’s Word
Matthew 27:62-66 ESV

Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/human-standing-beside-crucifix-statue-on-mountain-415571/
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