I don't know about you but there seems to be a letdown after a big holiday. After all the activities of the last week, you may be asking, "what now?". Imagine what the followers of Jesus felt.
From Palm Sunday, followed by Passover and ending on Easter Sunday, it was a busy week! It must have been a roller coaster of emotions for those who lived it. We, of course, have the advantage of knowing how it all turned out. But those who followed Jesus either forgot what He had told them or never really believed it.
Some of His followers gave up and are on their way home. Others are huddled up in fear hiding in a room in Jerusalem. They were all asking the same question, what do we do now?
Then Jesus appeared to them.
40 Days
Jesus made many appearances during the 40 days He walked the earth before His assentation. As He revealed Himself, the ones who had given up turned around. The ones hiding in fear returned to work and went fishing. But the question of "what now?" still lingered.
During the next 40 days, Jesus answered that question.
The number 40 in the bible signifies a period of testing, trial, or probation. It is a product of 5 and 8, meaning grace (5) ending in a new beginning (8). Those 40 days after His resurrection was a test of who would believe and accept Him as their Messiah. They lived in a time of grace to process all they had witnessed before stepping into a new beginning and new commissioning from the Lord.
It's About to Get Personal
My husband and his brothers have a thing about a commercial running now. It's become similar to the 999 thing they had going a few years ago. I don't know what it advertises, but there is a lady in her kitchen. Two men appear and start dancing in her kitchen, singing, "scoop there it is". She joins in as two other people wander into the room. One person observes what is going on, then turns and walks out of the room. The other one watches a bit then he joins in too. In the end, one of the guys throws up his arms and shouts -"Sprinkles!"
During Holy week our focus has been on what Jesus went through. (scoop, there it is) It is the main chorus that runs through our Christian life, drawing others in with the pure joy we find in Jesus and what He did to redeem us.
Our testimony is the "Sprinkles!".
Your testimony adds uniqueness to the redemption story, just as sprinkles add unique flavor, color, and texture to the scoop. Jesus is getting ready to throw on the sprinkles. Your testimony will be full of experiences, signs and wonders, miracles, and revelation knowledge that attract others to join the dance.
The Next 40 Days
I believe the next 40 days may be the most significant time in your life so far. Watch for these four things to happen.
- Jesus will appear and reveal Himself to you in new and exciting ways. Expect miracles, signs, and wonders that will show new dimensions of His love for you. Will you believe it's really Him, or will you doubt?
- He is extending a time of grace for you to process the last season and adjust to a new beginning. Now is the time to let go of the past, good and bad. He wants to correct habits and thinking that won't work in your new assignment. It is spring cleaning time, spiritually and physically.
- He is creating new pathways so you can complete the next step into your destiny. Isaiah 43:19 is happening. Expect new opportunities and new streams of income.
- .There is commissioning at the end of this time. For some, it will be a recommissioning of what you are already walking in. Others will discover their commission has expanded into new areas. And for some, it will be something entirely new.
What Now?
Change is not always easy for us, but it is necessary to get us to the next place God has for us. Embrace the advice of Proverbs 3. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
We are on this journey together, and I'm praying for you. I look forward to hearing what God does in your life during the next 40 days
What are you expecting in the next 40 days? Use this free printable to journal your experiences. Then drop me a note in the comments!
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3 comments
Thank you for this, Jodee. It’s just what I needed to read today. I’m writing this down now.
He is creating new pathways so you can complete the next step into your destiny!
That commercial always makes me laugh.
But on to more serious things. I think that many do not understand the importance of the 40 days following Easter. You did a nice job of laying it all out there!
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