PASTORS' DAILY DEVOTIONAL
May
11

Wonder Twins

Craig Peterson

Scripture
Matthew 28:8 8So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. 
Observation
Jesus had risen. Mary and Mary had visited the tomb. They experienced a great earthquake when the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled back the stone at the entrance to the tomb. They were terrified, but the angel eased their fear, told them what had happened and that they should go and tell the disciples that Jesus is alive and they would see Him in Galilee. So they went quickly with “fear and great joy”. 
Application
I remember watching Saturday morning cartoons as a kid. I would get up early, grab some cereal, snuggle up in front of the TV with a blanked and watch with the volume down low so I wouldn’t wake up my parents. I loved cartoons. They were fun. They were funny. They were full of adventure. And, the characters could do amazing things that I couldn’t do. I remember one cartoon called, “Wonder Twins”. The Wonder Twins would get themselves into terrible situations that were to great for them to fight their way out of alone. But, when they put their Wonder Twin rings together and exclaimed, “Wonder Twin power…the form of…”, they would take on another form that was perfect to win the battle they found themselves in. Mary and Mary experienced something similar the day they visited Jesus’ tomb. The difference was that it wasn’t two rings that gave them super powers that they experienced. They experienced the “wonder twin powers” of fear (of the Lord) and great joy. I don’t know if it was the presence of the angel of the Lord; experiencing the great earthquake as the angel descended and rolled away the stone at the tomb; or being a first-hand observer of the empty tomb; or maybe it was the combination of all three. Whatever it was, Mary and Mary ran from the tomb with the fear of the Lord to accompany their great joy. For me, I seem to seek the great joy of the Lord. What I can struggle with is walking with the intense reality of the might, power and ultimate wrath of God…the fear of the Lord. I think this is why we find it so easy to sin over and over again. We don’t really grasp the “wonder twin power” of the fear and the joy of the Lord. 
Prayer
Dear Jesus, forgive me for the way I take your greatness and your power and your righteousness for granted. I do want the experience your joy, but help me to grasp the power of experiencing a healthy fear of your awesome power and righteousness. Lord, balance my view of you. Help me to run with great excitement as I understand both fear and great joy! 

Devotions for May 11

2 Samuel 19,20
Psalms 55
Matthew 28

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