Tuesday

Psalm 22:11-21

Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.
But you, O LORD, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
Deliver my life from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

Some of the words in this passage describe exactly what happened to Jesus on the cross. As a result, He cried out asking why God had forsaken Him. Of course, He knew the answer. God did it for us. Jesus was forsaken in that moment so that we would never be. So that we could "come nigh to God"; could be called "children of God"; could know with utter certainty that He will "never leave" us.

When I ask why it seems like God lets me get into terrible fixes or doesn't rescue me when things go badly, I don't have one comprehensive answer, but a few partial ideas. Some things are ill effects from my own actions, lessons I can only learn the hard way. Some are a way to change and grow me, teach me empathy to others' plights, teach me to "trust God when there is no apparent evidence of Him -- as Job did. Trusting in His ultimate goodness."*

Someday there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Then all will be perfect, and by God's grace I will understand that His will was perfect all along.

JSC

*Disappointment with God, Philip Yancey, page 224

Monday

Psalm 22:1-10
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel.
In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
"He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him, since he delights in him."
Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.
From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God.

These waves pound me, force me into the dark ocean depths. My legs and feet are tiring. All I can see on the horizon is my own hopelessness. Only You can save me, Lord. But where are You?

Have you forgotten me? Abandoned me? Why, when I need you most, can I not find you? In my desperation, I make promises to you, but Your promises are what come to mind, "...it is by grace you have been saved, through faith... and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."

God, I need that gift. I know your powers. You can still the waters, clear the skies. I become quiet. In the stillness, I relax -- let go.

Dreamlike, I see a boat on the horizon. My Savior is using someone whose heart is open to be a part of my miracle! In the middle of the ocean, swallowing water with each wave, I'm smiling.

You have drawn me close to you, and I give you praise. My hope has been resurrected.

Deuteronomy 31:8 says, "The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

SH

Saturday

Isaiah 53:7-12
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah foretells the coming of God's chosen one, who will save His people from their sins. Because of His love for His Father and for us, Jesus was willing to undergo incredible suffering.

Scripture tells us that the wages of sin is death -- but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. He took our sins upon Himself and died our death. Isaiah states this truth throughout this short passage:

"...For the transgression of My people He was stricken..."

"The Lord makes His life a guilt offering..."

"He will bear our iniquities..."

"...He poured out His life unto death...He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."

Through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, we can live our lives free and forgiven. Our relationship with God is restored, and we experience His love and presence in our lives. We can never repay Jesus for what He has done...it is impossible. But we can thank Him. We can thank Him and live our lives in a way that brings honor and glory to Him. We can give ourselves to the One who gave Himself for us.

BJ-I

Friday

Isaiah 53:1-6

Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

Lent is different from Advent. Preparing to remember the death of God -- even when we know the Resurrection follows -- is not like preparing to remember God coming to live with us.

We sang, "O come let us adore Him" at Christmas, remember?

But who wants to look at, let alone adore, a man who's been beaten until he's bloody and bruised with nails driven into his hands and feet?

We, just like Jesus' followers and family, look away from Him in horror.

But all He suffered, all the ugliness that makes me hide from the crucifixion, is for me, for you. His punishment...the punishment we deserve for our many turnings away from God ... is for our sakes. Its purpose is to bring peace and healing to us. From the foggy dark of Ash Wednesday to the sunshine and flowers of Easter, the season of Lent helps us recognize our sin, His suffering and the redemption His suffering has won for us.

MLA

Thursday

Isaiah 52:11-15
Depart, depart, go out from there!
Touch no unclean thing!
Come out from it and be pure,
you who carry the vessels of the LORD.
But you will not leave in haste
or go in flight;
for the LORD will go before you,
the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

See, my servant will act wisely;
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
Just as there were many who were appalled at him—
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man
and his form marred beyond human likeness—
so will he sprinkle many nations,
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand.

So does God go before us or does He stand behind us? And the answer that Isaiah gives to that question is "Yes."

Using the imagery of battle, God is the scout who spies out the territory ahead of us and takes the brunt of the first shots of battle, and He is the reargard who protects us from unexpected attacks from behind.

The Servant as Warrior then bears all the scars of battle. "Marred more than any man." Veterans of wars between nations have, through the centuries, returned to their homes marked with amputations, burns and all kinds of hideous injuries and blemishes. This Servant, though, suffered more than any -- perhaps because He was less deserving than any to receive harm.

Yet this Servant will cause Kings to "shut their mouths." He will prosper and be exalted.

This is a passage of paradox. How can the Servant be victim and victor? (How can God be before us and behind us?) How can we possibly understand such things? I really don't know. But Isaiah assures us that we will understand.

Wednesday

Isaiah 52:1-10

Awake, awake, O Zion,
clothe yourself with strength.
Put on your garments of splendor,
O Jerusalem, the holy city.
The uncircumcised and defiled
will not enter you again.
Shake off your dust;
rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem.
Free yourself from the chains on your neck,
O captive Daughter of Zion.
For this is what the LORD says:
"You were sold for nothing,
and without money you will be redeemed."
For this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
"At first my people went down to Egypt to live;
lately, Assyria has oppressed them.
"And now what do I have here?" declares the LORD.
"For my people have been taken away for nothing,
and those who rule them mock, "
declares the LORD.
"And all day long
my name is constantly blasphemed.
Therefore my people will know my name;
therefore in that day they will know
that it is I who foretold it.
Yes, it is I."

How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion, "
Your God reigns!"
Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;
together they shout for joy.
When the LORD returns to Zion,
they will see it with their own eyes.
Burst into songs of joy together,
you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the LORD has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The LORD will lay bare his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God.

Have you ever done something so wrong that the stress of that event resulted in unbearable stress? I have. Last year I had a nervous breakdown. I had violated a company policy, resulting in falsification of company records.

In verses 4 through 6, Isaiah talks about when the Israelites lived in Egypt and their exiles in Assyria and other foreign lands. We all, at times, are living in exile. I was exiled in a land called stress, caused by sin.

Verse 6 ends with God's words: "Here I am."

God sends His messengers to proclaim the Good News!

This is what Isaiah tells us in verse 7:

How beautiful on the mountains

are the feet of the messenger bringing good news,

Breaking the news that all's well,

proclaiming good times, announcing salvation,

telling Zion, "Your God reigns!"

(The Message)

The good news is that our God reigns, and He has sent His Son to us and to die for us, so we can have Good News and be free of our sins -- and return from our exile to our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord.

ML

Tuesday

Isaiah 50: 4 - 9

The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue,
to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning,
wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.
The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears;
I have not been rebellious,
I have not turned away.
I offered my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.
Because the Sovereign LORD helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
and I know I will not be put to shame.
He who vindicates me is near.
Who then will bring charges against me?
Let us face each other!
Who are my accusers?
Let them confront me!
It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me.
Who will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
the moths will eat them up.


I'd like this passage to be true about me -- but as I read it, I have to admit I don't usually know the word to sustain the weary. I do hide my face from mocking and spitting. I have been rebellious, and I know I've turned away.

Then I read verses 8 and 9: "He who vindicates me is near" and "It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me."

Jesus suffered scorn and death. He was spit upon and despised. His ears were open to His Father's words, and He spoke the words that sustain the weary. and because of this, I am no longer accused. God Himself helps me, and I will not be disgraced.

Wow.

Monday

Isaiah 42:1-13

"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 teaching the islands will put their hope."
This is what God the LORD says—
he who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth with all that springs from it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
"I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of 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 eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
"I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not yield my glory to another
or my praise to idols.
See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you."
Sing to the LORD a new song,
his praise from the ends of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,
you islands, and all who live in them.
Let the wilderness and its towns raise their voices;
let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice.
Let the people of Sela sing for joy;
let them shout from the mountaintops.
Let them give glory to the LORD
and proclaim his praise in the islands.
The LORD will march out like a champion,
like a warrior he will stir up his zeal;
with a shout he will raise the battle cry

and will triumph over his enemies.



Many years ago, I was watching the 60 Minutes letters section when Harry Reasoner read a letter from a man complaining that words of Isaiah were used in a news story to describe Jesus Christ. The letter writer argued that Isaiah could not have been talking about Jesus because he lived hundreds of years before Jesus. Reasoner answered simply, “Isaiah was a prophet.”

Jesus Himself agreed with Reasoner. In Luke chapter 4, Jesus read from the book of Isaiah and said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

In the centuries before Jesus came to earth, there was much debate among Jewish scholars as to who this “Suffering Servant” described by Isaiah could be. The best answer anyone could come up with was the nation of Israel. Jesus believed He Himself was the answer to that puzzle.

Pastor Ray Stedman wrote two commentaries on the book of Mark, The Servant Who Rules and The Ruler Who Serves. Those two titles quite aptly describe both the descriptions of this servant in Isaiah and Jesus as described in the Gospel of Mark.

What an extraordinary thing, that God sent Jesus, our Lord, to be our Servant.

DA

Saturday

Luke 18: 9-14

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

This passage challenges me to look at myself. How often have I come to church as the Pharisees did -- out of habit or duty? When that happens I’m unhappy with the music or wonder why the pastor has to talk so long, or I think of all of the things on my to-do list. And I wonder why I leave church feeling unfulfilled, unstimulated or critical.

But then there are days when I go to church with a heart filled with so much gratitude to God. I have a sense of his majesty and am in awe of him. I realize my need of him. And in that attitude, I am teachable. I praise God through the music and I soak up his Word, and I think the minister really spoke straight from the Word that day.

It all boils down to attitude. When I am so wrapped up in myself, I’m holding on to my ideas, my concerns, my expectations, and my agenda. But when I’m willing to let go of me and look to God, my hands will be open to be filled afresh with his love and his teaching.


MJC

Friday

Luke 16: 19 – 31


"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

Luke 16, the story of Lazarus and the rich man, contains a difficult message. To many, the story’s karmic implications are especially disturbing: the rich man lived for pleasure, and he suffers in death. Lazarus lived in torment, and is given rest in Heaven. However, this simple interpretation is deceptive.

What truly damned the rich man was his flawed heart and his dismissal of God. The rich man ignored God in life, but wanted his help in death. When he saw Lazarus during their lives, he hadn’t raised a finger to help him. Then, when he sees Lazarus in Heaven, he asks Lazarus to descend to Hell to help him. The rich man’s wealth gave him an attitude of entitlement that he carried to the afterlife.

Even when the rich man asks Abraham to help his brothers, he still doesn’t seem to understand. He thinks if Lazarus comes back to life, his brothers will believe whatever Lazarus said. Unfortunately, a living dead man isn’t enough to make some people believe, whether it’s a beggar or the resurrected Jesus. Some are more comfortable not believing than letting Christ change them.

PA

Thursday

Luke 15: 11 – 32

Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.

"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father.

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'

"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'

" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

Who is closest to God's heart? The Prodigal Son? The Faithful Son?

Are we afflicted with the self-righteousness of the older son because we have so long been Christians? Read our Bibles and pray every day? So resentful that we cannot rejoice at the "coming home" of a wayward brother? A brother who has enjoyed the pleasures of the world, indulged in all the forbidden fun? In a last moment of despair at his world's going awry, he returned to the fold. He returned to the Father who never stopped loving him even as he was wandering far away in sinful places.

God is love. Despite our wanderings, our rejections, our flirtings with the forbidden, God loves us still. He loves us as deeply and as longingly as ever. He is always watching the road, anticipating our return. And he loves us despite our self-righteousness and resentments. He comes to us to invite us to come into the fullness of his love and celebration. He loves us.

We are all closest to the heart of God.

Wednesday

Luke 15: 8 – 10

Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Can you imagine a Heavenly celebration? Can our minds reach that far? Each and every time a lost soul comes to the Lord in repentance, the messengers of God -- the angels -- throw a party; they celebrate knowing that the very person that came earnestly to the Lord will be joining them some day in Heaven. It's like a second birthday party for us, except that we weren't yet there to participate.

Oh, how important and cherished we all are to the Lord!

J S

Tuesday

Matthew 13: 44 – 45

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.

How can we understand the kingdom of heaven, with our earthly minds and bodies incapable of knowing the mind of God? We understand the kingdom of heaven cannot be bought with money or earthly goods, but how, then, is it obtained?

Jesus makes a picture for us by describing the response when the kingdom of heaven is found.
When we find it, we respond with joy, recognizing its incomparable value and seeking it with our all. No hesitating, no price negotiations, no holding back. Joyfully, we seek it with our whole heart.

If this is not our response, we have to ask ourselves why not? Have I not yet found it, or do I value something else more?

Jesus wants us to understand that the kingdom of heaven is worth more than anything else; actually it is worth more than everything else we could possibly have or desire. And, he tells us that when we give our all for it, it will be ours. No matter how little we have to give, when we want the kingdom of heaven more than anything, and seek it with our whole heart, the kingdom of heaven will be ours. Jesus made it so.

CK

Monday

Matthew 5:6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

We often “swallow” life to keep things the way we want them to be. Whenever we’re anxious or nervous, without even thinking, our hands reach out to put something in our mouths. Food and drink, coffee and toast. We hunger and thirst, and we don’t realize we’re not hungry for a bowl of ice cream or a glass of wine.

We are reaching for inner peace. We aren’t underfed, but we are spiritually undernourished.

During the season of Lent, you and I should have a time of fasting and a time of reflection, of looking inside ourselves. Forty days and nights we do not need, just a short time to think about the days ahead, days full of things that have never been. The answers we need shall be given as we live our lives for Christ.

Leaning on worship, study and prayer – see you in church!

BH

Saturday

Psalm 51: 10 – 19

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.
Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.
May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.


Have you ever had to buy a gift for a wealthy person (for Christmas, a birthday, whatever)? You know you can’t get anything the person really needs. Your hope is to get something that will touch the heart - that will show love and appreciation for the person that comes from the heart.

In the same way, the idea of offering a sacrifice to God seems absurd. The Old Testament gives instruction on offering a variety of agricultural products to God, from cattle and sheep to fruit and grain. Like God needs a steak or a guava melon. But He never needed the material item. He desired to see the willing, sacrificial heart that motivated the gift.

This Psalm makes it clear. What God desires is a broken spirit and a broken heart. This doesn’t mean that God desires our pain. It just means He wants us to recognize what is true. We are people who have done hurtful things. We have harmed others and ourselves. What God wants us to do is realize this and be honest about our brokenness before Him. That is the first step to allow God to make us whole.

Friday

Psalm 51: 1 – 9
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts ;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins

and blot out all my iniquity.


I am imperfect by nature, and I do what is wrong on purpose. Sometimes even I cannot bear the bad things I do – which, although I might do them to others, I really do against God. I cannot change my imperfection or undo my wrong-doings.

But I can call on God when I truly regret the bad that I do, when I honestly suffer under my impurity. And God will give me the gift of deep wisdom (which is the opposite of a sinful nature). Not only that, God will restore me to a clean, pure state that I could never reach by myself. With these great gifts comes unspeakable joy.

A joyful life requires constant connection with God's loving forgiveness.



AL

Thursday

Malachi 1: 6 – 17
"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.

"But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'

"You place defiled food on my altar.

"But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?'

"By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible. When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.

"Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"-says the LORD Almighty.
Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty.

"But you profane it by saying of the Lord's table, 'It is defiled,' and of its food, 'It is contemptible.' And you say, 'What a burden!' and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty.

"When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD. "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.

In the streets of Monrovia, Liberia, young men push brightly painted carts with the words “COW MEAT” crudely lettered on the side. For a few cents, you can buy a bite of cooked meat on a toothpick to eat. In a poor African country, without the luxury of USDA food and sanitation inspectors, your bite of “cow meat” might easily be a morsel of dog, monkey, snake, or rat. Buyer, beware!

The prophet Malachi saw the way that priests and worshippers tried to cheat God. Instead of blemish-free, perfect animals, they were trying to pass off lame and sick animals as acceptable sacrifices. Their shoddy offerings were an insult to God and to the One Who would be the perfect sacrifice for sin.

How often have we tried to substitute lazy, “it will do” attitudes in worship for the real “cow meat” of true devotion and respect to a Holy God? This “lame, diseased” offering is an insult to the “great King, the Lord of Hosts.” He takes “no pleasure” in it.

Dear God, please forgive us, for Jesus’ sake. His sacrifice was pure, unblemished, and entirely sufficient. Thank you, Lord Jesus, the perfect Lamb.

DB

Wednesday

Leviticus 1: 1 – 9

The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting. He said, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When any of you brings an offering to the LORD, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.

" 'If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it will be acceptable to the LORD. He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. He is to slaughter the young bull before the LORD, and then Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. The sons of Aaron the priest are to put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. Then Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat, on the burning wood that is on the altar. He is to wash the inner parts and the legs with water, and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.

Our God is a God of order. He desires that His people know how to worship, and Leviticus is His instruction manual for worship.

The Israelites understood the difference between holy and common, and they were to learn there was a danger of interacting with the Holy when they were impure. The important lesson for them, as well as us today, was that the blood of the sacrifice played a critical role in cleansing impurity before the sacrifice is offered to a holy God.

Chapter 1 of Leviticus tells us about the burnt offering. First the worshiper was to present himself and his offering before the Lord. Following the slaughter, the blood was thrown on the altar to purify it. Then the animal was burned as a sacrifice, as prescribed by God.

Lent is a time set aside for us to prepare ourselves as an offering to a holy God. We are blemished by sin and only blood can cleanse our impurity. Christ made the ultimate sacrifice and offered His Blood that we might be purified as an acceptable offering before God.

EB

Tuesday

March 10, 2009

Genesis 22: 1 – 14

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!"

"Here I am," he replied.

Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you."

Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"

"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.

"The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"

"Here I am," he replied.

"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

Do you ever wonder where the money will come from to pay the next mortgage payment or make the next rent check? Maybe you are staring at the tax forms and wondering, baffled how it came up red … and you have no idea how to turn red to black.

Perhaps you’ve considered doing something, not illegal, but just…um…questionable to make ends meet. (Okay, maybe you have considered something illegal when looking at those bills.)

Abraham was asked to do an awful thing to meet a need. Sin requires a blood sacrifice, and God told him to sacrifice his son. But ultimately, killing Isaac was the wrong thing to do and God, I’m sure, knew it.

But He asked Abraham to come to that place so that Abraham would know that it would never be necessary to do the wrong thing to meet a need because God will always provide. God will provide for you as well.

Monday

Genesis 8: 20 – 9:7

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

"As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease."

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

"But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man.

"Whoever sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed;
for in the image of God
has God made man.

"As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it."

Noah hadn’t just brought two of each animal onto the ark. He’d also brought seven – or maybe seven pairs – of every kind of animal suitable for sacrifice. All Noah’s doing in the beginning of this passage is offering God some of the animals he’d brought on the ark for that purpose. The sacrifice was little more than an RSVP.

For that, God promises that He’ll never flood the earth again. Then He goes further: He gives Noah and his family everything that lives for their use. All God requires is that they remember that He holds all life: the blood is His.

How does this relate to me? I am – whether figuratively or literally descended from Noah -- to be a good manager of all life under my care. But more importantly, I must remember that all life belongs to God, including mine.

When Noah sacrificed a few animals that God had told him to bring for that very purpose, God blessed him and his family. Lent reminds us that God Himself has always provided the sacrifice – from grain or an animal on the altar to His Son – that brings us life and abundance.

Saturday

Matthew 5: 43 – 48

You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matt Bonner of the San Antonio Spurs is a pretty decent basketball player, the current leader in 3 point shooting (a percentage of .497, making half of his outside the perimeter shots). That’s the best NBA has to offer?

In professional football, Dave Dickenson of the Calgary Stampeders had a 74 percent passing completion record (hitting his man three our of four times).

A baseball player is a sensation if he hits four out of ten times at the plate.
We have high expectations of professional athletes who are paid big money to play their respective games. If they are successful more than half of the time, they’re usually considered to be excellent.

What does Jesus say God expects of us? Nothing less than perfection. A win every time. To always be kind to every family member, fellow worker and stranger on the street.

So how are you doing? If there was a team of Moral Athletes, would you be drafted? I know I wouldn’t. But that is what this season of Lent is about. A time to remember that we don’t measure up to the standards of moral excellence. That’s why we look forward to Good Friday and Easter.

anonymous

Friday

Matthew 5: 38 – 42

You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

How many times do we seek revenge against those who wrong us? Perhaps we don’t call it revenge, but somewhere in the back in the back of our minds we definitely think “I’m going to have to get him back for that.”

In this passage, Jesus is extremely clear. We are NOT to seek revenge. We are to treat everyone as our brother or sister in Christ, no matter how severe their actions against us.

In 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot four times while blessing people in St. Peters’ Square in Rome. Following the shooting, the Pope asked the people to "pray for my brother (Ağca, his shooter), whom I have sincerely forgiven." John Paul was exemplifying the meaning of this passage. Someone tried to kill him, so he answered by praying for him, and visiting him in jail soon after.

No matter how tempted we are to fight fire with fire, we are called to love our neighbor, no matter what his actions. We are all God’s children, and all equally needy and deserving of his salvation, no matter how often we attend church, how hard we pray, or how long we fast.

AM

Thursday

Matthew 5: 33 – 37

Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

This passage is from the Sermon on the Mount, the title given to Jesus’ moral and ethical teaching (Matthew, chapters 5-7).

Jesus’ popularity was growing (Matthew 4:25). In the beginning of his ministry, people came because of his healing of sick persons. When Jesus began to teach, the people stayed to hear what he said. He also taught with authority and this impressed the people. Although many people heard the Sermon on the Mount, it was primarily directed to Jesus’ followers (or disciples).

In Matthew 5:33-37 Jesus teaches that we should not swear at all. He says, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” An early example of an oath is found in Genesis 24:1-5, between Abraham and his chief servant regarding the selection of a wife for Isaac.

Today, in how many of the situations that we face do we say “maybe” or we lie?

WK

Wednesday

Matthew 5: 27 – 32
You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

Only God

What is more important than Jesus
if you are a Jesus man or woman?
Would you rather have one hand
and walk with Jesus,
or two hands grubbing for rot?
Would you rather have one eye
looking at Jesus,
or two eyes looking at filth?
Jesus is the fairest of the fair,
the purest of the pure,

If you give up groping for darkness,
what have you gained?

You have gained Life and beauty
and my best friend.

EE

Tuesday

Matthew 5: 21 – 26

You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day taught that the sixth commandment only forbade actual murder. Buddhism calls anger one of the five hindrances. Psychologists often view anger as a primal emotion that should not be suppressed lest it find another outlet. The internet has sites where users can express anger for Republicans, Democrats, husbands, wives, fat people, skinny people, employers… you get the picture. There were funny posts, outrageous posts and incredibly profane posts, but most were a sad expression of bloggers allowing their own anger to ruin their lives.

At first glance, it seems that the sixth commandment is centered on protecting others. In this passage, Jesus instructs us, not to suppress our anger, but to resolve our disputes. Unrelenting anger may cost us money, time or worse. When our exasperation becomes anger, love turns to apathy. We blame others for our problems, and our anger becomes depression.

Here Jesus provides both the practical and the deeper answer. He challenges us to make the first move, to act with responsibility and dignity toward others. Our behavior, in turn, alters our negative feelings towards our enemies. We can repair broken friendships, business partnerships and family relations. The sixth commandment protects us.

KVG

Monday

Matthew 5: 17 – 20

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus’ coming is the completion of The Old Testament’s prophecy. Jesus is not God’s new and improved brand of religion.

The Law has not changed one iota since its inception. The purpose of the Law is to help people love God with all their hearts and minds. The Apostle Paul wrote that God’s Law shows us our inadequacy to achieve salvation by our own merit.

God’s Law is unique compared to other laws of Moses’ time. It is applied equally regardless of position and or power. All crimes are crimes against God as all people are created in God’s image. It’s not hidden - everyone can know the Law. It is universal; applying to all people. Lastly, it is constructive. It shows people how to love God with all their minds and hearts. None of this changed when Jesus came.

The Pharisees had certificates of learning and became authorities on proper behavior. The portion of their lives they displayed was always spotless, while other parts secreted sins. They knew the law but didn’t have God in their hearts. If God’s goodness is in our hearts it will show in our motives, actions, and continuing thoughts. Jesus’ perfection allows God’s grace to cover our shortcomings.

AJ