Take a moment to think about what Easter means to you?

Dear Lord,
You loved the world so much that you gave your one and only Son that we might be called your children too. Help us to live in the gladness and grace of Easter Sunday, everyday. Let us have hearts of thankfulness for your sacrifice. Let us have eyes that look upon your grace and rejoice in your salvation. Help us walk in that grace and good news.
Amen.

Take a moment to think about ways that you can stay connected with people at the moment. Lockdown means that we can’t see anyone, but this doesn’t mean that we can’t still stay connected. This week think of ways that you can connect with people that you haven’t been able to see. Could you arrange a zoom meeting with some friends or call your grandparents every few days?

It’s also important to stay connected to God. 1 John 5:14 says “This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” This week think of things that you could pray about, and then pray about them. This could be a prayer of thanks of something that has happened in your day, or of asking for help from God. Whatever is on your heart, he will hear it.

The story of Esther has always been one of my books in the Bible. The verse “for such as time as this” has always stuck out to me. Esther didn’t know why she was in the position she was in until she found out that her people where in danger and there was a way that she could save them. She had been made queen “for such a time as this.”

Maybe there is a time that you were in a position in life and you didn’t know why you where there until later, or maybe you’re still there trying to figure it out. The Bible says that God has a plan for all our lives, and that we’re all here for a reason.

Psalm 139:14 says: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made”

The word ‘wonderfully’, when translated from Hebrew, means to be set apart and unique. To be set apart means to be selected for a specific purpose. God all has a plan for us and a path for us to walk down. If you ever wonder if God has got anything planned for you or if you are part of any plan, know you are part of his plan and he is with you. To be unique mean to be different. The Bible says that we are all unique and that there is no one else like us in the world. We all have different interests, likes and hobbies that make us unique to other people.

If you are able to, this week think about things that make you unique. This could be interests, hobbies, likes or anything else that you can think of. You could thank God for these things that make you unique and special.

I don’t know what you’re going through at the moment but just know that you’re not alone.

From experience, I know that there are times that we feel completely alone in the world and like there is no one with us when we need it. Staying 2 metres apart from everyone that we love, having to distance ourselves from our friends and changing our normal everyday lives has affected everyone. During this time, I have felt alone and missing friends that I hadn’t seen in months. Every week I’d watch a Church service or attend a youth chat on Zoom and be told “God’s with you even when you don’t feel it” or “He’s helping us through this lockdown”. Some weeks I’d think “Yes I know he’s been here this week” but other times I’d be thinking “Where was he this week when I needed him”. Looking back now, I can see the times that God was with me and helped me.
I don’t know what you’re going through at the moment but what I do know is that God always has your back and will be there to help you through whatever you’re going through.