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.