Saturday

Psalm 118:22-29

I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
O LORD, save us;
O LORD, grant us success.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
From the house of the LORD we bless you.
The LORD is God,
and he has made his light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I will give you thanks;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

During their 400 years of slavery in Egypt, God's chosen people were held together by their belief in God -- the capstone of their lives. God heard the cries of the faithful and rescued those who put the blood of the lamb on their door posts, as He had commanded. The angel of death passed over, and Jews continue to celebrate that rescue at Passover every year.

This Lenten season is a time to reflect on what Jesus has done for all mankind.

Jesus, who came from God to show us all the way back to God, was THE CHRIST, MESSIAH and SAVIOR. He was the Lamb that was sacrificed so that death would pass over all who believed in Him.

On Palm Sunday, masses hailed Him as King. One week later, He was rejected and crucified. The capstone, the one who holds all things together, was rejected -- but by His death we are free. He is the cornerstone, the foundation, on which we build our lives.

Easter provokes much thought; it relates sadness but ultimately JOY. Let us remember that this was the day the Lord made and "...let us rejoice and be glad in it."

YR

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

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

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.