Tag: devotional

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Lenten Devotional, Day 31: Rejoicing with One Another

“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. (Ps. 5:11)

Every time heaven breaks through our daily life, it is a reason to rejoice. It breaks through with tremendous regularity in big events, like the birth of a child, the provision of our financial needs, recovering through severe pain, or whatever it may be, we see heaven given to us regularly.

But heaven also breaks through in many little things, like the response of a child to the wisdom of God, the beauty of a sunny day, the note or word of encouragement. Are we responding to that joy when heaven breaks through?

It is common for people to talk to one another to report the sad details of other people’s lives; it is not so common to rejoice in the details of other people’s lives. We need more of that. We need to be genuinely joyful over the joy of others. As Augustine observed: “The good that we desire for ourselves we desire for our neighbor also.” Instead of lamenting the joy of others, let us rejoice in their well-being. Our lack of joy may stem from our lack of joy for other people’s joy.

Prayer: O, Lord, be gracious to us and show us the joy of rejoicing with others. Take away our anger and jealousy and make us happy to see the godly prosperity of our neighbor through Christ our Lord, Amen.

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Lenten Devotional, Day 27: Invitation to Bethlehem

The Book of Ruth is saturated with symbols. Bethlehem is a picture of the Church and Moab is a picture of the world. When Elimelech leaves Bethlehem–the house of bread–and goes to Moab, he is leaving the Lord God and the covenant promises.

“So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.”

Bethlehem is the land where God’s name dwells. No matter how difficult it may be, there is no refuge apart from God’s presence. In the Old Covenant, God chose to dwell in particular places. To leave such places, no matter how dire the problems, is to leave God himself.

God is never divorced from the people he redeems and the house he saves. In fact, he invites us to stay in Bethlehem (the house of bread) where goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life.

Prayer: O great God, we too often seek the houses of sin instead of the house of bread. We threaten to leave your presence at the first sign of discomfort. Do not let us run to false houses in times of trial, but to sit at your right hand forevermore, through Christ our Lord, Amen.

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Lenten Devotional, Day 20: Love Rescued Me

Death is painful, but you know what is more painful–going through death trusting a false god. Jonah’s theology comes through in this prayer of repentance inside the belly of the creature (Jonah 2). He knows that the Ninevites pay regard to vain idols. He knows that without Yahweh their death experience will be filled with misery. He knows that their death will have no resurrection to life. And by living in such a way, the Ninevites have abandoned any hope. But Jonah is hopeful, and Yahweh remembers Jonah in his affliction. And Jonah remembers God.

“Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.”

Lent ought to bind our lives to the steadfast love of God. Idols cannot bind us to true love. Any earthly possession can be lost, but the love of God is treasured in God himself who is love. Jonah sought out an unwavering love in his deep distress and love rescued him.

Prayer: O God of love, too often I do not seek you in my affliction. Too often I seek refuge in vain idols to cheer me up or to reward me. But I know I am never content apart from your steadfast love. Do not leave me, O God, but in my affliction, I will pray to you and seek your favor through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

Hymn of the Day: Amazing Grace

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Lenten Devotional, Day 6: The Spirit’s Work

It was the Spirit who led Jesus into the wilderness. The Devil didn’t draw Jesus out to battle. Our Lord was led by the Third-Person of the Godhead revealing once more the Triune unity.

The Spirit plays a fundamental role in this season. The role of the Spirit, according to St. John, is to convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment (Jn. 16:8).

While Lent focuses on the Jesus-story and the reality of the cross, Lent is also a season to magnify the Spirit’s work in convicting us of our sins. The Church season of Lent is only beneficial when the Spirit works within us to produce fruits and virtues; faith and vigor in our walk. And since the Spirit is conforming us to the image of the Son through these virtues, thus we have a calling to fight in harmony with the Spirit. In short, Lent is the harmony of the Spirit’s work with Spirit-empowered saints.

Just as the Lenten journey was a road of struggle, prayer, and communion for our Lord, so too, our walk to bear and reflect such fruits will demand struggle, prayer, and communion with our Lord. Our entire lives can be summed up in warfare. Lent is a reminder to take our sin-struggle as the Christian’s constant battleground. These next thirty-five days stress our need to repent of those things which easily entangle us in a web of deceit. Only the Spirit can lead us well to fight our evil foe. Only the Spirit can lead us to see the victorious Lord who defeated evil for us at Calvary’s cross.

Lent is Spirit-centered. None of us can ever expect to gain from fasting and building godly habits apart from the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: O blessed Spirit, you abide in us and hover overall like a mighty rushing wind granting shalom wherever you go. Bless us on this Lenten Season to see your blessings as you convict us of our sins and lead us to righteousness, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Hymn of the Day: Spirit of God Descend Upon My Heart

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Lenten Devotional, Day 20

Death is painful, but you know what is more painful–going through death trusting a false god. Jonah’s theology comes through in this prayer of repentance inside the belly of the creature (Jonah 2). He knows that the Ninevites pay regard to vain idols. He knows that without Yahweh their death experience will be filled with misery. He knows that their death will have no resurrection to life. And by living in such a way, the Ninevites have abandoned any hope. But Jonah is hopeful, and Yahweh remembers Jonah in his affliction. And Jonah remembers God.

“Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.”

Lent ought to bind our lives to the steadfast love of God. Idols cannot bind us to true love. Any earthly possession can be lost, but the love of God is treasured in God himself who is love. Jonah sought out an unwavering love in his deep distress and love rescued him.

Prayer: O God of love, too often I do not seek you in my affliction. Too often I seek refuge in vain idols to cheer me up or to reward me. But I know I am never content apart from your steadfast love. Do not leave me, O God, but in my affliction, I will pray to you and seek your favor through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

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Exhortation: Remembering the Works of Yahweh

In Isaiah 43, Yahweh, the Covenant Lord, says that He is making something new. He is re-creating the world. He proves that by making a way in the wilderness and making rivers run through the desert. Why would God perform such works? “That the people He formed might declare His praise.”

The Lenten Season is a season to remember the works of God. As Christians, we meditate with gladness not only on His present work for us, but also His past work on our behalf. This is why Lent is a season where we practice the art of remembering our Lord’s death. Jesus, fulfilling Isaiah, became a drink to His chosen people; Jesus gave His life that we might live and declare His praises. And this is what we do as we enter into worship. God is re-creating us and causing us to see that His works for us in the past are the guarantee that He will do it again for us in the present and in the future.

Let us pray:

Almighty God, you feed us with by Your Spirit; You make a way for us when we believe there is no way possible. All these things You do so that we might declare your praise. Enlarge our hearts with gratitude, strengthen our faith with hope, and build us up in praise that we might ever remember your works for us, Father, Son, and Spirit. Amen.