Matthew 27:62–66 (NLT)
As I sit with this portion of Scripture, I find myself deeply struck by the persistence of the Pharisees. It is almost unsettling. They had already accomplished what they set out to doJesus had been crucified. And yet, even in what should have been their moment of victory, they were not at rest.
Instead, they strategized further. They remembered His words. They anticipated His promise. And in fear of what God might still do, they asked for the tomb to be sealed and guarded.
This is what amazes me their awareness of His power, yet their resistance to His truth. And as I reflect, I realize something sobering: the strategies of the enemy are not new. They are repetitive, calculated, and persistent. It is not enough for the enemy to strike once he often seeks to reinforce the blow, to surround the situation, to “guard the tomb,” as if to ensure that nothing rises again.
I see this pattern in my own life.
There are moments when I feel like I’ve already endured one battle, and yet another arises. When one area is under pressure, another follows. It feels layered like the enemy is not satisfied with a single point of attack but attempts to overwhelm, to secure defeat from every angle.
This week has felt like that. Fighting to stand firm at work, and then suddenly my body weakens. Pressing through one challenge, and then another appears.
It feels like guards have been placed around every area health, peace, strength almost as if to say, “Let nothing rise from here.” But today, this Scripture reminds me of a greater truth.
Even with the stone.
Even with the seal.
Even with the guards.
Jesus still rose.
No human effort, no strategic opposition, no enforced limitation could stop what God had already ordained.
And that is where my hope rests. What God has spoken cannot be cancelled. What God has declared cannot be overturned. What God has written over my life will come to pass. No amount of guarding can stop the will of God.
So even as I sit here and feel the discomfort in my body, I choose to stand on His Word. Even as I acknowledge the reality of what I feel, I anchor myself in what He has said.
By His stripes, I am healed. By His Word, I will rise. By His purpose, I will fulfill all that He has assigned to my life in my health, in my career, in my family, and in this generation.
The tomb may be guarded, but resurrection is inevitable where God has spoken. And so today, my spirit is strengthened.
Still… I rise.
Wells of Wonder 