Lent - Day 37: Wednesday of Holy Week

 

The Scriptures do not mention this day.

-NIV Bible notes, pp. 1525

We know that Jesus and His disciples went to Bethany on Tuesday evening after their long day in the Temple.  We have no specific knowledge of what Jesus did on Wednesday, although we know that He was in Bethany.  Some scholars believe that Simon’s dinner in Bethany, where Mary anointed Jesus' feet, happened on Wednesday [Matthew 26:6-13].  Considering what He was facing the next day, it would not be beyond probability that he spent the day in reflection and prayer.  Perhaps the following portion of Isaiah was part of His meditation:

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my Chosen One in whom I delight.  I will put my Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations.  He will not shout or cry out, or raise His voice in the streets.  A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out.  In faithfulness He will bring forth justice, He will not falter or be discouraged till He establishes justice on earth.  In His law, the islands will put their hope.”

This is what the Lord God says – He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth, and all that comes out of it.  Who gives breath to its people and life to those who walk in it: 

“I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness. I will hold Your hand.  I will keep You and will make You to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open the eyes of the blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”

-Isaiah 42:1-7

 

Lent - Day 36: Tuesday of Holy Week

All the people came early in the morning to hear Him in the temple.

Luke 21:38 

Tuesday morning of Holy Week, Jesus and His disciples again left Bethany and entered the temple.  Jesus’ morning was occupied dealing with the religious leaders who were desperate to trap Him.  They challenged Him on what/whose authority gave Him the right to teach, paying of taxes to Caesar, the topic of marriage in heaven, and which commandment was the greatest. 

Interspersed with the interrogation by the priests were parables and lessons for the people:  the parable of the two sons, the parable of the tenants, the parable of the wedding banquet, and a lengthy discussion on End Times.

Luke makes this observation:  Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening He went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives.  The home of Lazarus and his sisters was in Bethany on the eastern slope of the Mount.

Tuesday of Holy Week

Matthew 21:23 – 24:51

Mark 11:27 – 13:37

Luke 20:1 – 21:36

Show me your ways, O Lord,

   teach me your paths;

Guide me in your truth and teach me,

   for you are God my Savior,

   and my hope is in you all day long.

Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love,

   for they are from of old.

Remember not the sins of my youth

   and my rebellious ways;

According to your love remember me,

   for you are good, O Lord.

- Psalm 25:6-10

 

Lent - Day 35: Monday of Holy Week

 

This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.

Matthew 21:11

After Jesus rode into the city, He went directly to the Temple area, where he found a market of buying and selling, just as He had at the beginning of His ministry.  He overturned the tables of the money changers, and chased away those who were selling doves.  He proclaimed to those watching:  "It is written, My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers."

After clearing the market, Jesus sat down to teach and heal.  The blind and the lame felt His healing touch.  The children shouted, Hosanna to the Son of David!  Matthew states that the "chief priests and the teachers of the law“ were indignant.  Mark says they continued to look for ways to kill Him. Jesus knew all of this, but remained in the temple for the entire day, bring His message to those who were willing to listen.  At the end of the day, He retired to Lazarus’ home in Bethany.

Monday of Holy Week

Matthew 21:10-17

Mark 11:15-18

Luke 19:45-48

 

 

Lent - Day 34 Palm Sunday

 

After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead,

Going up to Jerusalem… He sent two of His disciples,

Saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you,

And as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there,

Which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.

If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’

Tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt,

And put Jesus on it.  As he went along,

People spread their cloaks on the road.

Luke 19:29-30, 33-36 

Jesus arrived in Bethany the Friday before Palm Sunday, to spend time with Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  The next day was the Sabbath, which Jesus would have spent in traditional fashion with His friends.  On Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey colt, fulling the ancient prophecy: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion.  See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.  Zechariah 9:9

The milling crowds welcomed Him with Hosanna! and with the words of Psalm 118:26: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” thus acknowledging Him as the Messiah, the coming King of Israel.

 Lift Up Your Heads

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

The Palm Sunday Story: 

Matthew 21:1-11

Mark 11:1-11

Luke 19:28-44

John 12:12-19

Lent - Day 33: He Will Quiet You

The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One,

will save.  He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

There is a part of me that is shy and quiet – an introvert.  The other part of me is a Type A Personality – driven, perfectionist, and a huge worrier.  The first two A-traits served me well in my musical career.  But now I’m retired and find that my well-honed A-brain is a master at making a mountain out of the smallest molehill.

I love this verse, especially for the promise, He will quiet you with His love.  Last night I lay in bed, unable to sleep, worried about the side effects my oldest daughter might be experiencing from her second Covid vaccination.  What did I think I could do about the matter?  I haven’t the foggiest, but He who has promised is faithful.  Even before I turned it over to Him, He quieted me with His love.

 

Lent - Day 32: I Have Prayed for You

Simon, Simon

Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;

but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail.

Luke 22:31-32

Over the years, I have had numerous people tell me that they are praying for me.  It always lifts my heart to know that someone is remembering me to God.  But imagine what it would have been like to have Jesus say, “I am praying for you!”

The darker side of this, however, is how many times have I said, “I will pray for you,” and then totally let it slip away, like water through my fingers.  More times than I care to admit.  I try to keep a prayer notebook by my Bible, and that does help.  I've also asked God to put a bulletin board in my heart, with post-it notes of those for whom I have promised to pray.

My notes for this week include a family whose husband/father committed suicide last week, and the family of a senior in high school who died from an overdose.  Is there someone you want/need to pray for today?    Let’s lift our prayers to the Lord, knowing that He hears, and answers, and prays for and with us.

 

Lent - Day 31: Before We Call

Before they call, I will answer.

While they are still speaking, I will hear.

Isaiah 65:24

I am having a faith crisis.  It’s not much fun admitting that, but it is the truth.  The problem?  I need and want a Covid vaccination, but of the three vaccines available, I can only take one of them, because of allergies and previous anaphylaxis.  But the system for vaccines does not work like that.  You can not “choose” which vaccine you want.  They schedule an appointment and give you the vaccine they have available. 

It has been clear for weeks that this is a situation over which I have no control.  So I hand it over to God, right?  Well, yes – sort of.  I have handed it to him a hundred times, and then turned around and grabbed it right back, to worry and stress over.  When I realize what I’ve done, I hand it back with many apologies, then down the road I grab hold again.  

At some point, I hope I will grow stronger and leave the problem right where it belongs – in the hands of the One who has the power to handle it.

We must wait, wait on the Lord.

We must wait, wait on the Lord.

We must learn our lessons well,

In His timing, He will tell us

What to do, what to say, where to go.

Lent - Day 30: God Works All Things

And we know that all things work together for good

to those who love God, to those who are called

according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

One of my favorite characters in the Bible is Joseph – he of the many-colored coat.  He grew up as a privileged young man, the favorite among 12 sons.  He was a thorn in the flesh of his ten older brothers until they had finally had enough. The very ones whom he should have been able to trust for care and protection sold him into slavery without a backward glance.  Joseph had years to think about what they did to him, and where his father’s God figured into all of this.

After 20 years, when he and his brothers were again brought face to face, circumstances had changed drastically.  Joseph now held the upper hand in every way that mattered.  When Joseph finally reveals himself to these men, they must have been terrified.  In their minds, their fate was in their younger brother’s hands.  But Joseph knew better.  Through those long years of slavery, he had come to the same knowledge that Paul imparted to the church of Rome.  “But as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”

Joseph chose to see his experiences through the lens of faith

 in the God who works all things for our good.

 

Lent - Day 29: Breathe

"Breathe"

Alarm clock screaming, bare feet hit the floor
It’s off to the races - everybody out the door.
I’m feeling like I’m falling behind, it’s a crazy life
Ninety miles an hour going fast as I can
Trying to push a little harder trying to get the upper hand
So much to do in so little time, it’s a crazy life
It’s ready, set, go it’s another wild day
When the stress is on the rise in my heart I feel You say, just

Breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at My feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need
Is to just breathe

Third cup of joe just to get me through the day
Want to make the most of time, but I feel it slip away
I wonder if there’s something more to this crazy life
I’m busy, busy, busy, and it’s no surprise to see
That I only have time for me, me, me
There’s gotta be something more to this crazy life
I’m hanging on tight to another wild day
When it starts to fall apart in my heart I hear You say, just

Breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at My feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need

Is to take it in fill your lungs
The peace of God that overcomes
Just breathe
So let your weary spirit rest
Lay down what’s good and find what’s best
Just breathe

Just breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at My feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need
Is to just breathe
Just breathe.

-Jonny Diaz

Lent - Day 28: Worthy is the Lamb

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power,

And riches and wisdom and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.

And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth,

And under the earth, and such as are in the sea,

And all that are in them, I heard saying:

Blessings and honor and glory and power

Be unto Him that sits on the throne,

And unto the Lamb forever and ever.

Revelation 5:12-13

Librettist Charles Jennens, who was a close friend and collaborator with Handel, used biblical prophecies and stories of Jesus for the Messiah's text.  Jennens described his work as a "meditation of our Lord as Messiah in Christian thought and belief."

Handel wrote the original version of the Messiah in three to four weeks.  Most historic accounts estimate the composer spent only 24 days writing the completely orchestrated,  259-page oratorio.  Our music today is the closing chorus of this magnificent work - a gift of God to humanity.

 

Worthy is the Lamb that was Slain

Handel’s Messiah, Part 3, Chorus 53

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

 

Lent - Day 27: All We Like Sheep

All we like sheep have gone astray,

We have turned every one to his own way,

And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:6 

When my husband Josh was in seminary, he spent a quarter studying in Israel.  The day the group arrived in Jerusalem, the country was celebrating Purim – when Queen Esther saved the Jews from the wicked Haman.  There were adults and children everywhere – all the little girls dressed as Queen Esther and the boys, for whatever reason, like Ninja Turtles.  There was a huge platform set up that everyone was gravitating toward.

Priests appeared at the four corners of the platform, dressed in robes such as those worn in the ancient sanctuary.  While processing this, Josh suddenly noticed that one priests in each group carried a large knife, and another was holding a lamb.  A third priest in each group prayed over the gathered masses, then placed his hand on the lamb’s head to transfer the sins of the people. The knife was used to quickly sacrifice the animals.

Josh was stunned.  Glancing around, his study group seemed to be the only ones who were shocked and awed by the ceremony.  For the Jews, it was apparently a common enough event.  For the students and teachers from America, it was a life-changing event.  For the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

 

All We Like Sheep

Handel’s Messiah, Part 2, Chorus 26

Gramophone Chorus

Lent - Day 26: His Yoke is Easy

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,

for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus called together His twelve disciples and  spent time alone with them, giving the men some much-needed instructions (Matthew 10).  After this period of relative quiet, Jesus took them to  “their cities” to teach and preach. (Matthew 11).  John the Baptist sent two disciples with a question:  “Are you the One?”  Rather than answer straight away, Jesus invited John's followers to go out with Him to minister to the people.  It turned out to be a long and emotional day.  After sending the two visitors back to John, Jesus said these beautiful words to His exhausted disciples:

Come – I will give you rest.

His Yoke is Easy

Handel’s Messiah, Part 1, Chorus 21

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

 

Lent - Day 25: Surely He Has Born Our Griefs

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows,

Yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities,

The chastisement of our peace was upon Him,

And with His stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:4-5

Isaiah 53 is one of the most beautiful chapters in Scripture.  Isaiah prophesies the suffering and rejection that Christ would experience in the weeks leading up to the crucifixion.  I invite you this week to read this chapter – in several different translations if you have them.  The pictures drawn through vivid imagery are almost too difficult to see - until you reach verse 11.  Even when weighed down by the sins of the entire world, the prophet says with assurance:

He shall see the travail of His soul

And shall be satisfied.

 

Surely He Has Borne our Griefs

Handel’s Messiah, Part 2, Chorus 24

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Lent - Day 24: And the Glory of the Lord

 

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness,

Prepare ye the way of the Lord,

Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be exalted,

And every mountain and hill made low,

And the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,

And all flesh shall see it together,

for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Isaiah 40:3-5

The prophet Isaiah shows us John the Baptist crying in the wilderness, preparing the way for the Lamb of God.  Can you imagine what it would have been like to be among the crowd when John baptized Jesus, and the Spirit came down like a dove, anointing Him for His ministry.  Isaiah prophesied that God’s glory would be revealed to everyone there, as God opened up the heavens, sent the dove, and proclaimed “This is my beloved Son.” 

 

And the Glory of the Lord

Handel’s Messiah, Part 1, Chorus 4

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

 

Lent - Day 23: Behold the Lamb of God

 

The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward Him and said,

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

This is the One I meant when I said,

A man who comes after me has surpassed me

because He was before me.

I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came

baptizing by water was that He might be revealed in Israel’

John 1:29-30 

This week, I want to share with you some highlights from one of God’s greatest musical gifts to the world:  Handel’s Messiah.  If you are someone who considers this music a bit too classical for your personal taste, please bear with me, and concentrate on the words of the biblical text.  What a fascinating thing for John to say:  He has surpassed me because He was before me.  John was human, a man of "three score and ten."  Jesus was God and man. and came from eternity.

The Messiah is divided into three parts:  Part 1 - the Birth; Part 2 - the Passion; and Part 3 - the Resurrection.  We will look at songs from each section.  Today, it is from Part 2 and is based on the exclamation of John the Baptist:  Behold the Lamb of God.

 

Handel’s Messiah, Part 2, Chorus 22

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Lent - Day 22: God's Waiting Room

Wait patiently for the Lord.  Be brave and courageous.

Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

Back in 2006, I was diagnosed with cancer, and had two surgeries virtually back to back.  The second surgery was by my newly acquired oncologist whom I was referred to by Surgeon #1. Dr. Boardman is one of the greatest blessings I have had in my life.  She is, quite simply, the best - a doctor’s doctor.

I learned early on that when I arrived at her office for an appointment, I had better be prepared to wait.  Waiting more than an hour was not uncommon.  It did not bother me, because I knew that when my turn finally came, she would turn her entire attention and skill on me until she was sure everything about me was well cared for.  I have never had a better doctor.

It has been my experience that God rarely answers quickly with a yes or a no.  Instead, He invites me to take a seat in His waiting room until He answers my needs at just the right time.

In Your time, in Your time

You make all things beautiful in Your time.

Lord, my life to you I bring,

May the song I have to sing

Be to You a lovely thing, in Your time.

 

Lent - Day 21: Time and Chance

The race is not to the swift,

Or the battle to the strong,

Nor does food come to the wise,

Or wealth to the brilliant,

Or favor to the learned;

But time and chance happen to them all.

Ecclesiastes 9:11

“Life lived long enough will prove that life isn’t always fair.  Hard work doesn’t always lead to success, honesty is not always rewarded and position is not always based on merit.  Since time and chance happens to everyone, it’s our job to be content in His mercy and ambitious for His glory.”  -Emanuel Baek, Words of Life

Ever wonder why your life isn’t different?  Why you don’t have more money and less bills?  Why some things turn out well and others just don’t?  When I first read this passage in Ecclesiastes, I thought, “Sure, time and chance happen to those who don’t believe in God.”  But that is not what Solomon says.  Time and chance happen to us all.

The Rolling Stones sang, “You can't always get what you want.  But if you try sometimes, well, you might find you get what you need.”   Our wants spring from an imperfect heart.  What we need flows to us from the heart of our Creator.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,

And all these things shall be given to you as well.”

Matthew 6:33

 

Lent - Day 20: East to West

 

He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

nor punished us according to our iniquities,

As far as the east is from the west,

so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Psalm 103:10, 12

I love learning new things – new ideas, new concepts – especially involving the scriptures.  I was reading my devotional book, Words of Life, when I came across this scripture and this thought: 

God always gives us what we need, not what we deserve.  Instead of giving us the punishment we deserve, Jesus Christ has paid for all our sins and all our wrongs.  I love what the Bible says about East and West, because there is no end to East or West. There is a North Pole and a South Pole, but there is no end from East to West.  - H.J. Fordham III

Micah 7:19 has long been a favorite of mine – that God will “tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”  My sins being at the very bottom of the ocean has always comforted me.  Now I also know that when God casts my sins to the East or to the West, they are forever, irretrievably gone.

Lent - Day 19: Blessed are Those Who are Persecuted

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

For theirs in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10

Let’s start with the basics:  We know that we have no righteousness of our own.  The prophet Isaiah says:  All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. So whose righteousness does Jesus see us being hated for?  His righteousness.

When we go on this Beatitude journey of becoming like Christ, there are going to be those who will not be fans of the changes that happen in our lives.  We will sometimes be lied about, backstabbed, majorly misunderstood, made fun of, rejected – all because we are trying to live like Jesus. But the end result will be an eternity with Jesus in His kingdom.

More Like You

 Scott Wesley Brown

Lent - Day 18: Blessed are the Peacemakers

 

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called sons (daughters) of God.

Matthew 5:9 

Have you noticed that the Beatitudes so far seem to be about those who are becoming like Christ?  Peacemakers should come as no surprise then, because the prophet Isaiah called Jesus the Prince of Peace long before He was born. At His birth, the angel voices proclaimed, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. (Luke 2:14) 

A peacemaker is someone who endeavors to reconcile humanity with God or with one another.  In John 14, Jesus proclaims that He is leaving His peace with us – a peace that is completely different from what the world calls peace.  In John 16, Jesus assures us that we will find our peace in Him.  It is this heaven-given peace that we are to pass on to those around us, as we make every effort to live in peace with all people. (Hebrews 12:14)

 

Let There be Peace on Earth 

Gaither Vocal Band

 

Lent - Day 17: Blessed are the Pure in Heart

Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they will see God.

Matthew 5:8

"in the Hebrew culture, the heart referred to everything. The heart was the very center of personality. It was the center of the emotions as well as the mind, and it included the thinking process. Proverbs 23:7 says, 'As [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he.' " – Greg Laurie

Having a pure heart can not mean being flawless, because we all have sinned and come short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23).  Gaining a pure heart is the Holy Spirit’s work,  transforming us into God’s likeness and character.  What is our part in the process?  I think Paul says it best: 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,

 whatever is just, whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable,

if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise,

think about these things.

-Philippians 4:8

 

 

Open My Eyes

 Hayes Barton Baptist Church

Lent - Day 16: Blessed are the Merciful, Part 2

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

James 5:11b

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite songs from Phillips, Craig and Dean.  It begins with echoes of the sanctuary and Calvary, then Mercy personified. I am in tears by the time the song ends.  I am including the words, but not necessarily for you to sing along.  Read the words - then listen.  Have a wonderful  weekend.

Once there was a holy place, evidence of God's embrace

 And I can almost see mercy's face pressed against the veil.

Looking down with longing eyes, Mercy must have realized

That once His blood was sacrificed, freedom would prevail.

And as the sky grew dark and the earth began to shake

With justice no longer in the way 

Mercy came running like a prisoner set free

Past all my failures to the point of my need.

When the sin that I carried was all I could see,

And when I could not reach mercy

Mercy came running to me

 

Once there was a broken heart, way to human from the start

And all the years left it torn apart - hopeless and afraid.

Walls I never meant to build left this prisoner unfulfilled.

Freedom called but even still, it seemed so far away

I was bound by the chains from the wages of my sin

And just when I felt like giving in,

Mercy came running like a prisoner set free

Past all my failures to the point of my need.

When the sin that I carried was all I could see,

And when I could not reach mercy

Mercy came running to me

 

Sometimes I still feel so far -

So far from where I really should be

He gently calls to my heart

Just to remind me – 

Mercy came running like a prisoner set free

Past all my failures to the point of my need.

When the sin that I carried was all I could see,

And when I could not reach mercy

Mercy came running to me

Mercy Came Running

Phillips, Craig & Dean

 

Lent - Day 15: Blessed are the Merciful

 

Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall be shown mercy.

Matthew 5:7

Whenever I think of this Beatitude, I remember the parable that Jesus told about a servant who owed a HUGE amount of money to the king.  We’re talking 200,000 year’s worth of wages.  One wonders how he got that far in debt, but that’s a discussion for another day.  The king declared that the servant (we’ll call him Fred), was to be sold, along with his wife, his children, his house, and all that he possessed.  Fred fell to his knees and begged for more time to repay the money.  Knowing that doing so was humanly impossible, the king reached out in mercy and forgave Fred’s entire debt.

So, what did Fred do after this unbelievable gift?  Go home and have a celebration with the family?  Order pizza and ice cream?   No!  Fred went to Gary, who owed him 100 denarii (basically 100 days’ worth of wages).  When Gary could not immediately cough up the coin, Fred threw him in debtor’s prison.  The king found out and called Fred back into his presence.  The king said, “Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant even as I had mercy on you?”  The king sentenced Fred to prison until his massive debt was fully paid [Matthew 18:21-35].

I have a couple of skeletons in my closet that are a reminder that I have received the mercy of God’s forgiveness when I did not in any way deserve it.  In turn, I am called to offer mercy to all people who cross my path.

 

There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy

Scott Wesley Slider

 

Lent - Day 14: Blessed are Those Who Hunger and Thirst

 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they will be filled.

Matthew 5:6

Hunger and thirst are powerful forces in the human body, reminding us of physical needs necessary for our very existence.  Bread and water are two of the first needs we take care of when we wake each morning.  We do so almost without conscious thought.  Do we approach our spiritual lives with the same urgency?

Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  Opening up our hearts for the work of the Holy Spirit is essential to our daily Christian walk.  We have no righteousness of our own.  We must be transformed into the character of Christ, so that the world sees His righteousness and His alone.

Fill My Cup, Lord

CRC worship

 

Lent - Day 13: Blessed are the Meek

Blessed are the meek,

for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5

Meek is such an interesting word.  Webster’s Dictionary defines meek as, kind, patient, mild, too submissive, easily imposed on, spineless, spiritless.  Our society defines a meek person as timid, fearful, a doormat to wipe your feet on.  But Jesus described Himself as “meek and lowly of heart,” and I do not see Him as anyone’s doormat.

I believe the word meek describes a person who is loving, gentle, patient, and most of all, kind - someone who is willing to serve rather than be served.  There are those who equate kindness with weakness.  I believe that adopting the character of Jesus is what gives us strength. Being of service to others blesses them, and blesses us.  Is there someone you can uplift today?

Brother, Sister, Let Me Serve You 

Northumbrian Community Music

 

Lent - Day 12: Blessed are Those Who Mourn

 

Blessed are those who mourn,

for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

Many commentaries believe that Jesus here is referring solely to the Christian mourning for his/her sins.  Certainly our having sorrow for our sin is part of this mourning, but I believe there is so much more to the story.  I think this is the next step in the theme of realizing our need for God.

Human beings go through a vast array of mourning for the losses in our lives that can be overwhelming:  the loss of a spouse, child, or other family member; the loss of our job, the loss of our health, the loss of our mobility.  The list goes on and on.  And when we are faced with a loss in our lives, where should we turn to?  To this precious promise that when we mourn, we will be comforted. 

This pandemic has brought about loss:  our independence, our  face-to-face relationships with friends and family, our peace – to name just a few.  I don’t know what I would have done this last year without God to talk to.  He has uplifted me in my sorrow and given me comfort.