Today is our last day of this challenge!  We wrap up with Day 40 and consider all the Lord has done in you during this time. 

(You can catch up on Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 15, Day 17, Day 18, Day 19, Day 20, Day 21, Day 22, Day 23, Day 24, Day 25, Day 26, Day 27 Day 28, Day 29, Day 30, Day 33, Day 34, Day 35, Day 36 if you missed them)

The day before the miracle.

 Saturday was a day of confusion and grief for the disciples. Imagine the highs of Palm Sunday, where they got a glimpse of what they’ve been waiting, hoping, and praying for. This is it! Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah who has come to save us (from Rome). They went from the highest heights of His triumphant entry to the lowest depths of the cross. All their hopes were dashed. Everything was going along just as it should, and then, BANG, everything was falling apart.

We have the advantage of looking at it from this side of the cross. We know Resurrection morning is coming! We know the dark will soon be drastically overshadowed by the light. There’s no need to focus on the terrible days before it. We know the Resurrection is coming. But we lose what the Lord has for us if we rush too soon away from the comfort He has for our souls.

I bet we all know what it feels like to have things going just how they should, until … BANG, it falls apart. Whether it was a scary diagnosis, a betrayal, or any number of devastating losses—there are thousands of ways our lives can change in an instant. 

We tend to pass over the grief and loss of Saturday because we know tomorrow is coming. We’ve come up with numerous platitudes to “comfort” ourselves and others when things fall apart because we have the advantage of knowing that, ultimately, it all will work out somehow. But if we allow ourselves to walk through what the first disciples experienced we may find grace for the things we are going through that haven’t worked out as we hoped. We miss out on the blessings that come from the God of all comfort if we skip past what needs comforting in us, and rush to the celebration of Sunday morning.

You’ve done an amazing job these 40 days! We made it! It’s been a wild ride filled with many ups and downs. We’ve all had (and are still having!) interference meant to discourage us. But together, we press on with even more boldness.

I will continue to pray for you and the seeds you’ve planted to bear much fruit in your life.

I’m so proud of you! No matter when you started, caught up, or ended. Everything counts. God doesn’t waste one thing you give to Him of yourself or to the Kingdom. We covered eight of the practices we see in the life of Jesus and His disciples. Each is designed to help us grow closer to the One who loves us most. Each one helps us follow Him, bringing His love, His provision, and His Kingdom into our lives and the lives of those around us. 

Let me close our time here by praying for you:

May the God of all comfort, the God who sees you, who knows you fully and loves you completely, bless you beyond anything you can hope for or imagine. May you receive the gifts He has for you in following Him and His Ways. In the name of Jesus, we pray together. Amen.

♥ Samantha