Day 47 - Resurrection Recount

'I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord' - Psalm 118:17 (NRSV)

How many Easter eggs have you received?

How many calories have you consumed?

How many 'Alleluias' will you sing today?

Human beings are good at counting things - it is just that we often count the wrong things.

I hope today is glorious for you. I hope you delight in the signs of new life (cute lambs and daffodils and all that) and you absolutely sing your socks off. I hope you know deep in your bones that you can rise with Jesus again and again and you will rise with him on the last day - all through his redeeming power and overwhelming love.

But ...... what about the next time you go to doctors or go for treatment? What about when you head back into the stress of work or the latest family crisis? What about when you are walking through a painful break-up? Can you hear the alleluias then?

Psalm 118 is called 'a song of victory' and honestly how often do we feel victorious over any trouble in our lives? It begins with 'Give thanks to the Lord, for God is good and God's steadfast love endures forever'. Later it continues with 'I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord'.

On our death-days before our death ... you know the ones I mean ... the days that are total rubbish … can we recount the deeds of the Lord? Can you recall not only the Easter story of the Bible but what the Holy Spirit has raised in you? What new life has Jesus brought to you? Maybe then you can declare the first part of Psalm 118:17 with confidence rather than hesitation - 'I shall not die, but I shall live'.

If fasting and prayer are the traditional disciplines of Lent, how about making a 'resurrection recount' a discipline for Easter? Maybe then we can truly trust the Easter promise that we rightly celebrate with joy today.

Suzanne Nockels