Devotional 3-24-12
Psalms 51:1-12
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” Psalms 5:1
Celebration of the Holy season of Lent, the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter, is an ancient custom, particularly in the Catholic Church. As Methodists, we enter into this observance, a time of repentance, fasting and preparation of our hearts for the coming of Easter. From the time of His baptism, Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. (Matthew 4:17) Jesus fasted during the 40 days in the wilderness of preparation of his heart and mind for the ministry that God had assigned to him. What do these examples mean to us during this Lenten season?
How can we prepare our hearts for the work that God has given us to do? For what do we need to repent? I do not know about you, but I have sins of both omission and commission. I am sure that I am not alone in needing to spend more time in prayer, Bible study and ministry to others. Our reading from Psalms gives us a good example of how we should repent.
I did not grow up in a church where people observed lent. The idea of “giving up” something for Lent and fasting was not familiar to me until adulthood. Humbly sacrificing our own desires in favor of pleasing God brings us closer to Him. However, I believe that when we give up something, God will bless us in ways we cannot imagine.
Let me tell you about the niece of a friend, whom I will call Linda, who has had to give up her eyesight. This was not something she chose, of course, but she has found a deeper faith and a desire to help others find a similar faith. Linda had a lot of time this past year and a half to reflect on her faith. Linda needed surgery following an accident and, unfortunately, a medication she had been taking caused her to suffer strokes in both eyes, resulting in blindness.
Following her blindness Linda, who had a deep faith, became “confused, hurt, and angry with God for allowing this to happen to me.”1During the long months of recovery from surgery and becoming accustomed to being blind, Linda had plenty of time to think and commune with God, who has richly blessed her. Today Linda says, “It has taken time, and I’m not “there” yet, but I am learning to rejoice in the Lord no matter what circumstances arise. Because of the sacrifice made at Calvary, I have hope beyond tomorrow.”2Linda is coming out on the other side of tragedy with a renewed faith and with a feeling of urgency to tell people about Christ and His Coming. She has prepared a CD on which she sings songs of faith and hope and is distributing it free to as many people as she can.
Most of us do not suffer as Linda has, but we too need time and inclination to examine our relationship with God and to prepare our hearts for his coming. In this time of Lent, can we sacrifice some of the busyness in our lives to give us time to examine ourselves, repent of our sins, and find ways to spread the Gospel of Jesus the Christ to those with whom we associate? I hope so.
1,2 From the introduction Linda wrote for her CD titled “Living on the other side of Despair”.
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” Psalms 5:1
Celebration of the Holy season of Lent, the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter, is an ancient custom, particularly in the Catholic Church. As Methodists, we enter into this observance, a time of repentance, fasting and preparation of our hearts for the coming of Easter. From the time of His baptism, Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. (Matthew 4:17) Jesus fasted during the 40 days in the wilderness of preparation of his heart and mind for the ministry that God had assigned to him. What do these examples mean to us during this Lenten season?
How can we prepare our hearts for the work that God has given us to do? For what do we need to repent? I do not know about you, but I have sins of both omission and commission. I am sure that I am not alone in needing to spend more time in prayer, Bible study and ministry to others. Our reading from Psalms gives us a good example of how we should repent.
I did not grow up in a church where people observed lent. The idea of “giving up” something for Lent and fasting was not familiar to me until adulthood. Humbly sacrificing our own desires in favor of pleasing God brings us closer to Him. However, I believe that when we give up something, God will bless us in ways we cannot imagine.
Let me tell you about the niece of a friend, whom I will call Linda, who has had to give up her eyesight. This was not something she chose, of course, but she has found a deeper faith and a desire to help others find a similar faith. Linda had a lot of time this past year and a half to reflect on her faith. Linda needed surgery following an accident and, unfortunately, a medication she had been taking caused her to suffer strokes in both eyes, resulting in blindness.
Following her blindness Linda, who had a deep faith, became “confused, hurt, and angry with God for allowing this to happen to me.”1During the long months of recovery from surgery and becoming accustomed to being blind, Linda had plenty of time to think and commune with God, who has richly blessed her. Today Linda says, “It has taken time, and I’m not “there” yet, but I am learning to rejoice in the Lord no matter what circumstances arise. Because of the sacrifice made at Calvary, I have hope beyond tomorrow.”2Linda is coming out on the other side of tragedy with a renewed faith and with a feeling of urgency to tell people about Christ and His Coming. She has prepared a CD on which she sings songs of faith and hope and is distributing it free to as many people as she can.
Most of us do not suffer as Linda has, but we too need time and inclination to examine our relationship with God and to prepare our hearts for his coming. In this time of Lent, can we sacrifice some of the busyness in our lives to give us time to examine ourselves, repent of our sins, and find ways to spread the Gospel of Jesus the Christ to those with whom we associate? I hope so.
1,2 From the introduction Linda wrote for her CD titled “Living on the other side of Despair”.
Maudie Karickhoff
Labels: Karickhoff M
posted by Kim @ 2:00 AM
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