Lent Devotional: Day Three

Ever have one of those days that seems to go on forever?  Usually these are the days when you are working or doing some task that might not be your favorite.  Today has been like this for me.  I was bitten by the flu-bug last night which translated to a very low-key day today.  I can't remember the last time I have been this still, resting, watching daytime television, letting Chunk outside and back in.  The sunshine streaming through the windows makes me want to get out there and enjoy it!  It felt like a heat wave today, though I know it was only near 40 degrees.  (Anybody get their shorts out yet?)  

Silence and stillness have never been very welcomed parts in my faith journey.  I have been teased and challenged by many who encourage me to develop that part of my life, but I'd much rather put on some music or get together with a group of people.  This is one of the things that challenges me about seasons like Advent and Lent, the waiting and call to be still before the Lord.  

Psalm 46 says:

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come and see what the Lord has done,
    the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields[d] with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

While watching the news today I learned of the death of a young hockey player with a bright future.  He died in his sleep.  It is easy in times like this to wonder why or to question God.  This Psalm speaks to our desire to know the answers, while affirming the powerful presence of God.  Even in the midst of loss, grief, and pain we can trust in the strength of the Almighty!  

When is the last time you were still before God? Are there places in your life that seem to be in turmoil?  Are there deep questions to which you long for answers?  How is God speaking to you?  Won't it be a wonderful day when God is exalted among the nations and earth and we know what it means to live in true peace.  


Prayer:  God, today I give you thanks for the beauty of creation.  I thank you for your continued faithfulness to me and those I love.  I pray for peace this day in the many places where there is war, strife, and persecution.  In the midst of my busy days help me to be still and hear your voice in my life. Amen.  

Lent Devotional: Day 2

"Hear my prayer, Lord;

    let my cry for help come to you.

2 

Do not hide your face from me

    when I am in distress.

Turn your ear to me;

    when I call, answer me quickly."

This, the opening stanza to Psalm 102 speaks of one crying out for help.  The Psalmist asks that God be quickly present in the midst of distress.  Today I have been reflecting on prayer.  Prayer certainly takes a lot of faith and trust, doesn't it?  We believe in the power of prayer because we have read of it in Scripture, we believe because we have witnessed the movement of the Spirit in our lives and the lives of others.    How have you powerfully witnessed the presence and power of God through faithful prayer?

Another passage that stood out to me today comes from Psalm 37:

Trust in the Lord and do good;

    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4 

Take delight in the Lord,

    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 

Commit your way to the Lord;

    trust in him and he will do this:

6 

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,

    your vindication like the noonday sun.

7 

Be still before the Lord

    and wait patiently for him;

While our previous verses spoke of one crying out, yearning for God; this passage speaks about "delighting in the Lord."  What do you think it means to delight in the Lord?  While these two Scripture passages may seem very different, I think they have much in common.  So often we fail to cry out to God until we have exhausted all other possibilities.  It isn't until we run out of ideas, or hit a stumbling block that we recognize our need for God's powerful presence in our lives.   Part of a living faith relationship with God is the challenge to "commit our way to the Lord," to "delight" and "be still" in order that we give to God our whole selves.  

How do you delight in the Lord?  What does that mean for you?  Are you in a place where love enters only through crying out?  No matter where we find ourselves this Lent, we are given an opportunity to both cry and be filled with delight.  Take some time today to reflect on your faith journey.  Which parts are most joy-filled, which parts have been most difficult?  How has your faith helped you in those times of crying out?  What would you need in order to truly delight in the Lord?  

Prayer:  God, sometimes I feel so far away.  Help me to learn to delight in You.  Help me to see you, to feel you, and to be open to the Spirit's movement in my life.  Help me to cry out with child-like confidence, and to be filled with delight and patience like the many faithful saints that have gone before me.  May I too be a witness for you this day and always.  Amen.  

Day One: Ash Wednesday

Today we begin the season of Lent, a time of inward reflection and discernment. We mark the 40-day journey of Jesus into the wilderness, taking time to pause and think about the wilderness in which we often find ourselves.  Throughout this season it is my goal to write and offer a daily devotion.  My prayer is that this will challenge you as it also challenges me to spend daily time in Scripture.  Thank you for joining me on this journey!

I never really thought Lent was a big deal until I ended up with a devout Christian roommate in college.  She was involved with one of the more conservative chapel groups on campus and started talking about "giving something up for Lent."  At that time in my life I was not focused on anything religious and would joke about "becoming a pastor" just to tease her.  (Oh how life throws you curve balls sometimes!)  She was serious about her faith and Lent was a part of growing and challenging the "comfort zones" and "boxes" in which she lived it out.  So I decided that I would join in and would stop eating chocolate until Easter.  

A few evenings later I was up until the wee hours of the morning writing some sort of paper.  On my desk sat some Hershey Kisses.  The temptation was calling out to me, and my first thought was, "No one will ever know."  I don't remember if I ate them or not, but I probably did.  The absurdity of thinking that I was "hiding-out" now makes me chuckle.  That is what Ash Wednesday is all about:  recognizing that before God nothing is hidden.  Today we mark our foreheads with ashes made from the Palms waved last Palm Sunday. We remember that it is from dust we came, and to dust we will return.  We are confronted by our mortality, and begin to think about God's love for us, our need for forgiveness, and what it means to be "living sacrifices." (Romans 12:1) 

Aside from giving something up, or adding something in to your life, what possibilities does Lent 2014 hold for you?  What disciplines will lead you to experience the joy of new life and resurrection on Easter?  What meaningful soul-stretching might you embark upon today?

The Scripture reading for today is Psalm 51.  I encourage you to read it in your own Bible and mark it up, reflect on what it says to you.  Below you will find this Scripture from The Message version, one of my favorites.   

Psalm 51

1-3 Generous in love—God, give grace!

    Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.

Scrub away my guilt,

    soak out my sins in your laundry.

I know how bad I’ve been;

    my sins are staring me down.

4-6 

You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen

    it all, seen the full extent of my evil.

You have all the facts before you;

    whatever you decide about me is fair.

I’ve been out of step with you for a long time,

    in the wrong since before I was born.

What you’re after is truth from the inside out.

    Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.

7-15 

Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean,

    scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.

Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,

    set these once-broken bones to dancing.

Don’t look too close for blemishes,

    give me a clean bill of health.

God, make a fresh start in me,

    shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.

Don’t throw me out with the trash,

    or fail to breathe holiness in me.

Bring me back from gray exile,

    put a fresh wind in my sails!

Give me a job teaching rebels your ways

    so the lost can find their way home.

Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,

    and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.

Unbutton my lips, dear God;

    I’ll let loose with your praise.

16-17 

Going through the motions doesn’t please you,

    a flawless performance is nothing to you.

I learned God-worship

    when my pride was shattered.

Heart-shattered lives ready for love

    don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.

Prayer for Today:  Gracious God today I come before you as an open book.  You know my heart and mind.  Create in me a clean heart, help me to receive the gift of forgiveness.  Draw near to me as I draw near to you.  Amen.