Arise

Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord? Arise! Do not cast us off forever. Why do You hide Your face, And forget our affliction and our oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust; Our body clings to the ground. Arise for our help, And redeem us for Your mercies' sake. - Psalm 44v23-26

What a great Easter verse! How the disciples and followers could have identified with the psalmist while Jesus was in the grave. Their Lord was dead. All of their hopes were shattered. They felt dejected and that despite all the great promises He was gone.

So their plea would have been as simple as the psalmist's – 'Arise! You came and offered so much hope, but now you are gone. You have forgotten all about us. Why did You let this happen. We are defeated. Please, arise and help us. Redeem us.'

The wonderful truth is that He did awake from the sleep of death. 'Low in the grave He lay, Jesus our Saviour. Waiting the coming day, Jesus our Lord,' was not the end. 'Up from the grave He arose, with a mighty triumph o'er His foes.'

He did arise to help and redeem. He did awake. He did and does deliver. 'He arose a victor from the dark domain and He lives forever with His saints to reign. He arose! He arose! Hallelujah Christ arose.'

We don't have to cry 'Awake, rise up and help us,' for those marvellous of words were spoken so long ago – 'He is risen!'