Hope When Nothing Makes Sense - Encouragement for Today - April 4, 2026

Encouragement for Today

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Crosswalk.com

Ashley Morgan Jackson

April 4, 2026

Hope When Nothing Makes Sense
ASHLEY MORGAN JACKSON

“So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.” Mark 15:46 (NIV)

Editor’s Note: Today’s devotion is part of our Holy Week series! Journey with us as we experience the power of Jesus’ love, remember His sacrifice, and walk in the victory of His resurrection. We pray this series prepares your heart for the joy of Easter. Subscribe now.

Have you ever walked through a season where everything feels still, heavy, and unresolved? You know God is faithful, but the next step is hidden, and the waiting feels unbearable.

I am living in this space. Right now, I’m between my dad's passing away from dementia and his memorial service. I am holding my grief in one hand while grasping hope with the other, both real, both weighty. I don’t yet know what my life will look like without him. But I do know Jesus has promised to be with me every moment.

This is the same space we enter during Holy Week’s Silent Saturday, the day after Jesus' death on the cross but before His resurrection.

Jesus’ followers had watched everything fall apart. They knew His promises, but all they could hear was the rolling of the stone into place:

“So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb” (Mark 15:46).

On Silent Saturday, surely that stone felt so final. It probably didn’t feel holy. It must have felt lonely.

When I pause and imagine that day, I think about their confusion, grief, and disorientation. The people who loved Jesus were likely asking, “What now? How can He be our Savior if He's buried?” And the silence must have felt crushing.

But, friend, here’s the quiet truth about Silent Saturday: Even when it looked like nothing was happening, heaven was already at work. Resurrection was on its way. They didn’t know it, but God had a good plan — they just hadn’t experienced it yet.

The same is true for you and me. God has good plans for us, and heaven is at work on our behalf, even if we can’t see the outcome yet (Romans 8:28).

Even as I began writing this, my mom texted me to tell me she went on a walk with Dad’s hospice nurse, who admitted she wasn’t sure she believed in Jesus. My mom gently shared how to trust Him and where to begin in Scripture. In the midst of loss, God is already quietly bringing new life. What a surprising glimpse of hope and joy, though directly connected to our deep pain.

I still don’t know what comes next, and I know it won’t be easy. But I am so thankful we “will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13, CSB).

Friend, even in the unknown, God is moving. We don’t have to know how it will all work out to know that He does. Dare to trust Him in your seasons of silence.

Lord, show me Your nearness in the silence. Exchange my ashes for Your beauty, and teach my heart to trust You when I cannot see what You are doing. I choose to believe Your promises more than my feelings. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

There are certain weeks on the calendar that invite us to pay closer attention. Holy Week is one of them. It reminds us that our faith isn’t built on good intentions or strong feelings but on a Savior who finished the work we never could. Each day of this series is an opportunity to return to that foundation and let it steady whatever feels uncertain in your life. If you haven’t already, subscribe to receive our Encouragement for Today Devotions so you can walk with us through every reflection this week — and continue growing in God’s Word long after Easter Sunday. And as these devotions shape your heart, we’d love to hear how. Is God renewing your trust? Speaking into a specific need? When you’re ready, share how this Holy Week series has impacted your faith. Your testimony could help another woman stand firm in what still stands.

ENGAGE

You can find more encouragement from Ashley Morgan Jackson on her Instagram, where she shares daily reminders about who you are and whose you are!

If you feel stuck in this season, Ashley has a FREE series for you called “What if You’re Not Stuck? 3 Days to Uncover What God Might Be Doing When You Feel Like You Can’t Move On.”

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (NIV).

Lamentations 3:31-33, “For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone” (NIV).

In what ways have you seen God’s compassion and unfailing love recently? In what ways have you already seen God use what you’re going through for His glory or your good? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org