I think about this day a lot. This day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. This day that little to nothing is written about. This Sabbath day of silence and stillness and grief.
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I imagine the grief of the women on this day. The woman who knew he was coming first, carried the Savior in her womb, and raised him from infancy. The women who followed Jesus throughout His ministry, were acknowledged and not overlooked by him, and were taught by and believed in Him. The women who stood on that hill and watched him die. The women who cleaned his body as best they could and walked him to his tomb. The women who went home and quickly prepared spices for his body before the mandatory rest of Sabbath began.
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I imagine them waking up to silence and stillness and grief. The Sabbath meant no work for them or anyone else, so there were no noises of land being farmed, meals being cooked, homes being cleaned or people going to market. Even movement was kept to a minimum, doing only what is necessary so that no one appeared to be working. In that silence, in that stillness, how loud and big must their grief have been.
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If you have ever grieved you know how activity serves to distract you, give you momentary escape from your heartache. They had no such distractions. Just the silence and stillness and grief to remind them painfully of his absence.
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Scripture says, “But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” Luke 23:56
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In that time of darkness, loss, heartache and pain, on that day of silence and stillness and grief these women were obedient. They hurt, but they obeyed God. They grieved, but they obeyed God. They felt hopeless, but they obeyed God. They felt lost, but they obeyed God. They didn’t know what was coming next, but they obeyed God.
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What we do in the silence and stillness and grief matters. It may not be seen by many or any but God, but it matters. It may not be written about or talked about much later, but it matters. In the silence and stillness and grief, when we are most aware of our own frailness and powerlessness, we must continue to obey God. God is in the silence, whispering to our hearts. God is in the stillness, moving and working to do His will. God is in the grief, drawing us closer to Him. Don’t ignore this day. Don’t overlook it. We will all have days like this Sabbath in our lives. We will all have to walk through the silence and stillness and grief to get to the Hope.
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