Found Empty

There are times when God finds us empty – hearts swollen with pain and our conscious conflated with guilt – and it is there His grace meets us as a glimmer of hope.

“Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.” Luke 24:1-3

There were women who rose early in the morning to journey the tomb with the intention to anoint and worship the body of Christ as it lay there lifelessly. But upon arrival, the tomb was found empty.

Perplexity rose just as fear did and they wondered, where their Savior’s body had gone. Can you imagine how deep into their souls their hearts sunk? I’ve walked the windy terrain of cemeteries before. Each step closer to the site of my loved one felt physically painful, and when I arrived, despite my deepest longings, I knew they were still there.

Mary and the other women didn’t have this moment of sureity, relief entangled with grief. They walked to the tomb site, saw the rock rolled back, and were terrified. Empty tomb. Empty heart.

“But God who is rich in mercy ” (Ephesians 2:4 NKJV) sent angels to affirm women who sought to worship His Son a real reason to praise. Not out of pain, but out of redemption!

““Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, ⁷ saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”” Luke 24:5-6 (NKJV)

This is our God. One who will allow a few hours of emptiness only to overflow our hearts with love and joy. Wasn’t it Jesus who said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.” (John 16:20 NKJV)

There, at dawn, the sun bursting with light and the angels outshining its glow, the Lord lifted the heavy hearts of women who had come empty and were encouraged to leave full, filled with truth that the one called Jesus had risen!

What glory! What joy! The good news of His resurrection was brought first to the women who sought Him. A reminder to us, in this modern-day, that when God says, “and you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, says the Lord…” (Jeremiah 29:13-14 NKJV) it is still true.

Let’s be found seeking, not for empty tombs to worship the dead, but found seeking the living Savior who has risen and reigns forever and ever amen.