The saying “after the Lord Mayor’s Show”, according to Wiktionary1, means “a phrase of a disappointing or mundane event occurring straight after an exciting, magnificent, or triumphal event”.
We as followers of Jesus have had a triumphal event – an exciting Easter week looking at the last week of Jesus’ life, ending up with a magnificent event. I am talking about the resurrection.
On Sunday afternoon I had the privilege of baptising two ladies who were proclaiming they too believed in that resurrection and were now followers of Jesus. It was indeed an exciting event to end our Easter celebrations.
There is also another saying “after the mountain top experiences”. Once again a warning about having had a wonderful time to make sure we do not get down in our spirits while awaiting the next event.
The apostle Paul writes to Timothy, who had become his close associate on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:1–3). Paul gives some great advice to Timothy:
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
2 Timothy 3:16
If you are feeling an anti-climax after Easter, do as Paul suggests and encourage yourself in God’s word today. It will lift you up and give you that tonic you need to face another week of lockdown.
You see the Bible has been given to us to experience all that life will throw at us.
Here is a section from Thomas Nelson, Inc., King James Version Study Bible [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1988 by Liberty University.
The Navigators, a group of men banded together just before World War II to encourage Bible study among Christian servicemen, developed a splendid plan for a personal, devotional study of the Bible.
After prayer, first read the Bible passage slowly and silently; then read it again aloud.
In a large notebook divide the paper into columns and head each column as follows: Chapter title, Key verse, Significant truth, Cross-references, Difficulties in this passage (personal or possible), Application to me, and Summary or outline of the passage. In each of these columns, write the information desired.
Do not try to adopt all of these methods at once, but start out slowly, selecting those methods and suggestions which appeal to you.
You will find, as millions of others have before you, that the more you read and study the Word of God, the more you’ll want to read it.
You see we cannot rely on Christmas, Easter and other Christian events to keep us going. Sure these things do lift our spirits and so they should but they are not meant to sustain us long term. The Bible has been given for that purpose.
Why not start this week and do a study on the life of Joseph? Look at the times of trouble that came his way and the boasting he did as a young lad. There were let downs he had to endure; someone forgot all about him, the false accusation that ended up in a prison sentence wrongly accused, the rising up to become second only to Pharaoh and the marriage and becoming a father. The re-uniting of his father and brothers after so many years apart. Yes, it is all there for you to study and learn from.
Take time to thank God for the experience of Easter and then thank Him for giving us the Bible to keep us going.
Stay safe and Blessed.
1 Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License