By Donald Tittle, Sr., Lead Pastor, Flower Mound First Baptist Church
Has anyone ever told you, “Take heart”? What are they saying? What does that really mean?
When Jesus says it, his words mean a great deal. He said it to a paralyzed man, “Take heart. Your sins are forgiven.” To a woman with a chronic problem, “Take heart. Your faith has made you well.” No one else had been able to help her. He said it to his friends when they faced a storm of mega proportions, “Take heart. I’m here.” What does take heart really mean?
We can take heart this Easter because Jesus is alive. What does that mean for us?
He can fill us with living hope. Genesis ends with Joseph’s death. Deuteronomy ends with Moses’s death. Joshua ends with Joshua’s death. The Gospels end with Jesus’s resurrection. And that changes everything. His story did not end there. His grave became a place of new beginnings.
He can also do what no one else really can; he truly changes us. The Lord is an artistic creator. First Corinthians 15 gives us a glimpse of those changes. The perishable becomes imperishable. The broken can be made glorious. What once was weak can be made strong. Tony Evans reminds us, “Jesus didn’t say, ‘I’m finished.’ He said, ‘It is finished.’ He was just getting started.” He can make something beautiful out of your life too.
I regularly use my iPhone’s Reminder app. It reminds of appointments, bills to pay and calls to make. Last year, I encouraged my friends at church to add a daily reminder to their phones. Every day the app reminds us, “Jesus is alive. And that changes everything about today.” There have been numerous days that statement has reframed what I am facing. No problem is beyond his hope. Whether you use an app, a sticky note or something else. Remember. You can take heart this Easter.
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