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Psalm 103 (New International Version)
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
Two days ago we celebrated Ash Wednesday when we reflected on our humanity. The ashes are a symbol of the fact that “we are dust”. In this life, as human beings we experience weakness and frailty (“we are dust”). However, there will come a time when we are no longer here. Psalm 103 encourages us that our human frailty is not a problem to God. Reflect on these questions for a few moments:
• What are some ways in which you feel weak?
• How does that weakness make you feel about yourself and why?
• How do you think God feels about your weakness?
During this season of Lent, we want to address areas of our lives that we would like to change. These might be areas where we consider ourselves weak. True change begins with love. It’s God’s compassion for us and acceptance of us that sets us free on the pathway of transformation. We don’t change out of a sense of fear but rather because God wants the very best for God’s children. Lent is not about placating an angry God but about submitting to the love and discipline of a compassionate Father. In this kind of change there is deep joy.
Please add an entry to this blog to share any thoughts or reflections about today’s Lenten devotion.
Friday, February 27, 2009
3rd Day of Lent
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Lord God, thank you that you love us with an everlasting love, even though our lives in this world are temporary. You didn't have to create us to be able to experience and share in eternity with you, or to experience your love - but you did. And that is sometimes what keeps me going - knowing that your love is with those who love (fear) you - giving me hope for the future, especially at times when the world seems so dark.
my son is teething. which means at night, when i'd rather be sleeping, i'm often woken up by his crying. in my worst moments, i think angrily, 'why can't you just lay back down and go to sleep?!' or 'it's just a tooth! why can't you just deal with your pain?!' i'm not proud of those moments.
however, in the better moments, in the moments i pray for, i think, 'it's ok. you're just a baby. you don't know how to fall back asleep on your own when you're frightened. and you don't know that this pain is necessary and just temporary. come to me. lie in my arms. let me help you.'
i wonder if that's how God views our areas of weakness.
thank You, God, for having compassion on us; for being so perfect as you love us.
On the 1st day of Lent we had a Psalm that said "He redeems my life from the pit." It caused me to reflect on how we fall into pits from time to time along our life's journey. For me these have included the pit of unemployment, the pit of a broken heart, the pit of our daughter's depression, the pit of my own depression, the pit of a marriage in turmoil, the pit of my wife's cancer. For me "redeems" not only means that Jesus pulled me and loved ones out of these pits (and He did), but there was something redemptive in the process - my life has been and is being transformed.
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