Digging Deeper: Weep No More – The Tomb is Empty
Mary was standing outside the tomb Crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in.
John 20:11 (NLT)
WEEP NO MORE: THE TOMB IS EMPTY
We all have those seasons when the hits just keep coming. Wave after wave, it’s all you can do to tread water and keep breathing. Whether it’s health, finances, or relationships there are limitless things in this world that threaten to steal our joy. When I answered the call into full time vocational ministry eight years ago, I distinctly remember a conversation with my new supervisor, who told me to “hold on because the attacks from the enemy were about to get bigger.” I was fully aware of the very real impact of spiritual warfare but didn’t see how I was now somehow more susceptible to it. It didn’t take long to realize he wasn’t kidding, and the arrows flew at my family and I at a seemingly never-ending pace. From little things like my car refusing to crank for no reason, to bigger things like scary diagnoses and funding hardships, the attacks were coming non-stop.
It wasn’t that my job or title as a missionary made me more of a threat to the enemy, but the fact that I was now 24/7 locked in on doing what we call here at NorthStar Church – “living sent.” I was being intentional about having Gospel conversations with coaches and athletes and discipling others to do the same, just like you are doing in all the places you do your daily life!
It can be easy in these seasons to do exactly what Mary did- stand outside the tomb and weep. Weep for the difficulty, for the loss, for the sheer exhaustion of it all. But don’t stop there! If we simply stand outside the proverbial tomb of our circumstances and weep, we miss out on the hope. Yes, Mary had a very real response to the tangible circumstances, but she didn’t stop where her feelings left her. She stooped down to look inside and found an empty tomb. She didn’t know what she was seeing at first, but soon her weeping turned into rejoicing.
No matter your season of life, know and trust that Jesus wastes NOTHING. I tell my coaches and athletes all the time in the face of hardships that never has God said, “Well, I didn’t see that coming! Now what?” We serve a God who orders your steps and prepared good works for you in advance! Not only did He know what was coming but he knows the way through it and exactly how it will be worked for your good and His glory! The tomb is empty friends. Remember in the weeping to stop and look for Jesus.
PRAY
Jesus thank you for the empty tomb! Thank you for the reminder that it’s ok to weep and to feel all the feelings that come with the hard seasons – but we can’t stop there. Thank you that all our days have been ordered according to your plan and purpose for our lives, and that even in the moments we can hardly keep our head above water, you are there with us in the deep, making a way through to the other side. We love you Father and we ask you to help us to feel your nearness like never before! In Jesus’ name- Amen!
Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.