“When a person dies, will he come back to life? If so, I would wait all the days of my struggle until my relief comes.” Job 14:14 (CSB)

Editor’s Note: Today’s devotion is part of a special series for Holy Week! From March 24 (Palm Sunday) to March 31 (Easter Sunday), each devotion will focus on the events leading up to Jesus’ resurrection. We pray these words will prepare your heart and mind for the celebration of our risen Savior.

You may be faced with something so difficult at this very moment that it seems hopeless. It may seem like a closed door or a flat-out rejection.

In the midst of this, you’re wondering if the silence of God is evidence of His absence. Even worse, you may be wrestling with the truth of His goodness.

This is probably how the disciples felt as they watched Jesus die. This must have been the heavy burden of their hearts as they buried Him. These feelings must have been their only companion on the day after Jesus died … the day before He rose again from the grave … a day we’ve come to know as “Silent Saturday.”

All they knew was what they had seen: the death of the One they believed was the Messiah. The sudden end of any hope of Israel’s liberation from Rome. Every minute of silence was a reminder of their hopelessness.

But things are not always what they seem. There’s always an earthly and cosmic reality to everything.

And, friend, the disciples of Jesus were not the first to feel hopeless in the waiting. Long before they walked the earth, there was a faithful servant of God named Job. And he struggled just as we do. Job lost everything. He sat in silent agony, wondering why.

This is the tension Job faced: He knew that death was a reality for everyone. And when a person died, he thought, they would never rise again (Job 14:12).

“When a person dies, will he come back to life? If so, I would wait all the days of my struggle until my relief comes” (Job 14:14).

What Job questioned, only Jesus could answer.

Jesus did come back to life after He was laid in the grave.
Jesus defeated death through death.
Jesus is victorious.

Even when He seems not to be working, He’s always working for our good!

If you find yourself today in a place of silence … wondering if God is working … dealing with doubts about His activity in what seems to be an echo of divine dormancy … remember that what we see in an earthly context is but a shadow of the cosmic context. For two days, Jesus’ disciples mourned the death of their Messiah. But in a cosmic context, this time was preparation, developing patient endurance, for when they would celebrate His victory on the third day.

The victory of Christ gives us full assurance and confidence that the pain, heartache, suffering and torment of this sinful world are not the full story. Jesus is always working in our waiting. In the meantime, we pray that our eyes will be opened to the cosmic reality of Christ’s victory that we live in today.

Jesus, thank You that we can share with You in Your victory over sin and death! Please open our eyes to what that means for us now and for eternity. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Jesus is victorious over everything in our world … and because of that, we can sleep in peace. In the new devotional Clear Mind, Peaceful Heart: 50 Devotions for Sleeping Well in a World Full of Worry, you’ll find encouraging devotions, Scripture verses, and guided prayers written by women like you. This devotional will be the best addition to your nightly routine — purchase your copy here!

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Sometimes we get so impatient with the silence that we try to find the answers we long for on our own terms. This often leads us to exhaustion and coming face to face with our weaknesses. God has something better for us than the pace we’ve been running at. If you need help believing this is possible, get Joel’s free, three-day devotional sent straight to your inbox, and start exchanging exhaustion for rest.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Psalm 49:15, “But God will redeem me from the power of Sheol, for he will take me. Selah” (CSB).

How does it give you comfort to know that Jesus was victorious over sin and death on the cross?

In what ways does Jesus’ resurrection help you to recognize the cosmic reality of our world and God’s reign as King over all of it? Share your thoughts in the comments!

© 2024 by Dr. Joel Muddamalle. All rights reserved.