Aligned with God’s Plan

“The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” Luke 23:55-56 NIV

These women were literal followers of Jesus. From Galilee all the way to the tomb, they were there. They had helped to support Jesus and His twelve disciples “out of their own means” (Luke 8:1-3). Clearly, He had meant a lot to them and they were devoted to Him.
     When Jesus’ body had been placed in the tomb, they probably wanted to tend to it immediately, especially after the way they’d just witnessed Him die. The spices and perfumes they worked to prepare were meant to be applied to His corpse.
     The Sabbath delayed the dressing of the corpse, yet the women still obeyed the command to rest. Yes, it was an inconvenience, but just think of what they would have missed if they hadn’t.
     Because these women had obeyed the command, their actions were in sync with God’s timing and plan. Because they waited, they were blessed with being the first to learn about Jesus’ resurrection. In Matthew 28:8-10, they are the first to encounter the risen Jesus.
     When we obey God’s commands and seek to do His will, we align ourselves with Him and His blessings. As He did for the women, God will bless us (if we remain obedient) in ways we have a difficult time imagining in the midst of our pain and trials.