February 27 Devotion

SOME THINGS I REMEMBER ABOUT EASTER

Since the forty days of Lent are a time of preparation for the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord, my thoughts go back to last year's Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. What a glorious Easter season that was. What are the things that make it so memorable?

Psalm 45 “From palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad”. Music makes me think of what always makes our worship of God on Sunday morning so meaningful, but especially on Easter. Psalm 47 starts with “Clap your hands, all you nations. Shout to God with cries of joy.” We should always be filled with joy, but most of all in this season.

Psalm 45 ends with “I will perpetuate your memory through all generations, therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.” Sometimes I think how can I really praise God, except by thanking him for all he does for me, and thanking him for those he has sent into my life. Yet many of the Psalms do just that and when I am at a loss for words, reading a Psalm helps me. Daily use of a 3x5 card, which contains two, verses (1 & 2) from Psalm 145; “I will exalt you, my God, the King. I will praise your name forever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name forever and ever”, helps me to praise instead of just thanking him.

In our memories we remember that “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise (Psalm 48:1a)

In the past I remember fasting during the forty days of Lent, but medication limits us in a lot of ways. However, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary meaning 1. To abstain from food 2. To eat sparingly or abstain from some foods. Some people fast one day a week only drinking liquids, others fast by giving up an item during the 40 days of Lent. That is something I can do, such as giving up candy. Not only will I be honoring God, but also I just might lose some weight and that would be an extra blessing. Moses fasted for 40 days and forty nights. He “ate no food and drank no water” and I am sure that included Sundays. Then he “received the two tablets, the tablets of the covenant. Meanwhile the Israelites are making the Golden Calf, with Aaron’s help (Deuteronomy 9:4-12).

Hebrews 3:1-11 contains the message that: “Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses (verse 3a). Verse seven says “So as the Holy Spirit says: "Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” This is still a message for us.

When we think of Easter we think of palms that lined the street as Jesus was entering Jerusalem, we remember Jesus dying on the cross for us, and remember that he was resurrection on the third day. We thank God for THAT wonderful gift

Gloria Peek-Rosenblum