Daily Devotional: Wednesday in the Octave of Easter

Date: April 8, 2026
Lectionary Cycle: Year A — Easter Season (First Week of Eastertide)

Scripture Readings

• Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 — "The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone."
• Joshua 3:1-17 — The account of the priests stepping into the Jordan River before the waters part.
• Matthew 28:1-10 — The women visit the tomb at dawn and encounter the risen Christ.

Reflection: They Went Anyway

It is the Wednesday after Easter, and the ordinary rhythm of life has resumed—the commute, the inbox, the physical aches, and the mounting to-do list. In this quiet space, today’s readings offer a profound insight into the nature of faith.

In Joshua 3, there is a subtle but vital detail: God instructs the priests that the waters of the Jordan will stop the moment their feet touch the river. The miracle does not precede the action. The priests must step into the water while it is still flowing; the parting happens only after the first step is taken.

A similar quiet courage is found in Matthew 28. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary set out for the tomb as the day is dawning. Matthew does not mention spices for anointing; they are simply going "to see the tomb." They are walking toward a place of grief, guarded by soldiers and sealed by a heavy stone. There is no indication they expected the resurrection. They went anyway.

Both the priests and the women moved toward difficult and uncertain places before any assurance had arrived.

This pattern mirrors our everyday lives. It is the parent who initiates a difficult conversation with an estranged child, not knowing the outcome. It is the person who returns to a support group after a setback or the friend who reaches out to reconcile after a falling out. These are "Jordan River" moments—thresholds where we are called to move toward the hard thing before the way is cleared.

Psalm 118 reminds us that the "day the Lord has made" is not necessarily a perfect, trouble-free day. The Psalmist wrote these words while hard-pressed and surrounded by difficulty. The promise is not a guarantee of a specific outcome, but the assurance of companionship: "The Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation."

What looked like a dead end—a rejected stone or a sealed tomb—becomes the cornerstone and the gateway to new life. God often meets us precisely at the threshold, not before we step in, but in the very act of moving forward.

Questions for Reflection

1. The Step of Faith: In the Joshua account, the water didn't part until the priests' feet touched it. Is there a "Jordan River" in your life right now where you are waiting for certainty before you move? What would it look like to step in first?
2. The Unexpected Meeting: Reflect on a time you went somewhere difficult—a place of loss or a hard conversation—and found an unexpected grace waiting for you. What arrived that you weren't expecting?
3. The Rejected Stone: What area of your life currently feels discarded or "rejected"? How might God be shaping that very thing into a foundational cornerstone?
4. The Present Day: If today—with all its ordinary tasks and challenges—is "the day the Lord has made," how can you receive it as a gift exactly as it is?

Closing Prayer

Lord of the Jordan and the empty tomb,
You are the God who meets us in the crossing—not before we step in, and not only after we have safely reached the other side, but in the very act of moving toward what we cannot see.

We confess that we often wait for certainty before we act. We wait for the waters to part before we are willing to get our feet wet. Grant us the courage of the priests and the faithfulness of the women at the tomb.

Wherever we stand at a threshold today—be it a difficult conversation, a new beginning, or a lingering grief—meet us there. Be the strength that sustains us when our feet touch the water. Be the voice that says "Do not be afraid" before the stone is even rolled away.

May Your steadfast love endure through this ordinary Wednesday.
Amen.

Associated Art

Title: As it Began to Dawn
Artist: Frank Wesley (1923–2002)
Source: Art in the Christian Tradition, Vanderbilt Divinity Library