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March Daily Readings |
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Sunday Schedule
8:30 a.m. Contemporary Worship
9:45 a.m. Christian Education for all ages
11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship |
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First Presbyterian Church of Mount Vernon Ohio |
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106 North Gay Street Mount Vernon OH 43050 740-393-1326 Office Hours: 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. M-F |
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Tuesday, March 1 Psalm 5 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. (v.11) Knowing that you are protected by God Almighty is comforting. But actually knowing (through experiencing) is amazing. Several years ago I was mugged. But, thanks be to God, I was not seriously harmed. And because of God, I was able to move on quickly after recovering from the minor wound incurred. I know that God was with me through it all—by having my cell phone fall from my purse so I could call for help; by placing another couple nearby to stay with me until the police and ambulance arrived; by keeping my mouth shut and not saying something that could have caused more harm; and by ducking my head to avoid more serious injuries. For all that happened that evening—and so many other reasons—I give thanks and praise to Him, and I rejoice! Deuteronomy 4:15-24; Psalm 6; 2 Corinthians 11:1-21a; Matthew 6:16-23 Wednesday, March 2 Matthew 6:24-34 Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear...But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (vv.25, 33) Worrying used to be a major part of me. In hindsight, for me, it was something that was learned from my earthly father. Worry came in the form of planning and controlling my life. If I planned it right then there couldn’t be anything to worry about. Little did I know then that I was not in control. In time, thanks to my heavenly Father, I have put worry aside (for the most part) and I have learned to trust His ways and timing. If I forget, He gently reminds me. Thank you. Deuteronomy 4:25-31; Psalm 119:1-24; 2 Corinthians 11:21b-33 Thursday, March 3 Matthew 7:1-12 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?” (vv.7, 9) I love being a mother! One of the greatest gifts of this role is learning more about God and my relationship with Him. For instance, when my daughter was three, I was mad at her for something. I was trying to “control” the situation by yelling at her and said something like, “How many times do I have to tell you...” As I turned around to leave her room in anger, I heard God’s voice say to me, “And how many times have I told you?” Wow! That was life altering for me: for my relationship with my daughter and for my relationship with God. I am frequently reminded that God wants only the best for me and for you. Deuteronomy 4:32-40; Psalm 18:1-20; 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Friday, March 4 Matthew 7:13-21 “Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” (vv.17-18) When I read today’s readings there seemed to be a common thread—follow the commandments, bear good fruit, ask for forgiveness, rejoice and take refuge in the Lord. When broken down, it seems simple. Who wouldn’t want to be productive in the eyes of God, or for Him? Who doesn’t want to rejoice and bear good fruit? I do, but I’m human and therefore make mistakes. Lord, forgive me in my times of weakness. You are my All in All. Amen. Deuteronomy 5:1-22; Psalms 16, 17; 2 Corinthians 12:11-21 Saturday, March 5 Psalm 20 May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. (v.4) What a wonderful blessing to receive your heart’s desire and success in the plans to have that desire. But we are reminded in another verse for today, in the Matthew reading, to build our house on the rock, and not sand. So many times I’ve wanted something, but not for the right reasons. One of two things happens when we want something: we either don’t get it or we do. When I haven’t received that something I have realized that it wasn’t the right timing, or it wasn’t God’s desire for me. But when we do get that something, and we see it blossom, what a joy we feel inside because we know that it was God’s hand and guidance that has developed it. Thank you, Lord, for knowing what is best for us. Deuteronomy 5:22-23; Psalm 21; 2 Corinthians 13:1-14; Matthew 7:22-29 Sunday, March 6 Deuteronomy 6:1-9 And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (vv.6-7 RSV) This verse serves as a good reminder of how we are to teach our children and how to love our Lord with all of our heart and with all of our soul. As I watch our grandchildren and see how much they learn from our stories and teachings, I wish we had started earlier with our Bible readings to our children. We are commanded not only to love the Lord with all of our might but we are commanded to teach it to our children as well. Psalms 148, 149, 150; Hebrews 12:18-29; John 12:24-32 Monday, March 7 Psalm 25 Make me to know thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truths and teach me, for thou art the God of my salvation; for thee I wait all the day long. (vv.4-5) I often think about my prayers, and they seem to be asking the Lord to bless the thing that I am doing or ask for His wisdom in how to go about this work or that situation. Here it strikes me as being so clear that the real answers lie in seeking God where He is—not where we want Him to be. As I have been practicing this view about seeking Him and where He wants me to be, the issues about which I have been praying have either been answered or have gone away. Try seeking Him and His paths. Deuteronomy 6:10-15; Hebrews 1:1-14: John 1:1-18 Tuesday, March 8 John 1:19-28 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, he did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” (vv.19-20) John was very clear about who he was and what he was doing. He used this opportunity to talk about his work and to witness for the One who sent him. How do we use the opportunities to do the same? I usually want to lower my head and keep walking. I am not anxious to engage in the conversation. Thus I know that I miss some opportunities to witness for the Lord. We need to be as bold as John when given the situation to declare who we are and in what we have faith. Let us confess, not deny, and to be bold. Deuteronomy 6:16-25; Psalms 26, 28; Hebrews 2:1-10 Wednesday, March 9 Hebrews 12:1-14 “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by him. For the Lord disciplines him who he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.” (vv.5b-6) One day as a young man I came home from school and complained to my father and mother that the football coach had been really hard on me that day and was punishing me for some of my work. What I expected was a lot of sympathy…what I got was, “Well what would you rather have? The punishment or no interest in what you did?” This verse reminds me of that story. The Lord disciplines those He loves and does so in order to build us into stronger believers. We are in the race and must have endurance, discipline, and deep faith. Take his discipline as an act of love and interest. The other alternative is not as attractive. Jonah 3:1—4:11; Psalms 95, 32, 143; Luke 18:9-14 Thursday, March 10 Titus 1:1-16 For a bishop, as God’s steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain. (v.7) In a broader sense these verses are talking about the qualifications for elders and the problems with false teachings. These verses challenge us to be diligent in choosing our leaders, elders, and teachers. I think that we so often lower our standards by reflecting on some past problems of our own. Thus we don’t want to condemn in someone else what we have done. But the intent here is very clear. We need to be bold in holding them to this higher standard. And if you are in the midst of some situation or problem that would place you in a bad light, then you should not accept a position to be an elder or a teacher. Many of our world problems, and our church problems, are initiated by not choosing the right elders, bishops, teachers, and leaders. Deuteronomy 7:6-11; Psalm 37:1-18; John 1:29-34 Friday, March 11 John 1:35-42 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus (v.37) What strikes me here is the simplicity of the action…they followed him. I make things so complicated; I look for the obvious signs, want the contract to be perfect, etc., etc. “They followed him.” It was simple, not complex, and didn’t need an attorney or a contract. There were no guarantees. They just simply followed him. We tend to make things too difficult. Faith is simple. It is for those who seek—who are mild and meek. Better is the way of the tax collector than the Pharisee. Keep it simple. Deuteronomy 7:12-16; Psalm 31; Titus 2:1-15 Saturday, March 12 Titus 3:1-15 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for any honest work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all men. (vv.1-2) This one has been a tough one for me. I am quick to criticize others and to not be so gentle in the process. This verse is such a good reminder to be gentle and to show the right courtesies. Jesus wasn’t one to condemn or to be quick in his judgments. He showed patience, kindness, and mercy. We can end up being better witnesses by following this teaching. I will have to work on my quick criticisms. Deuteronomy 7:17-26; Psalms 30, 32; John 1:43-51 Sunday, March 13 Psalm 63 O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you... (v.1 NIV) Psalm 63 is my very favorite in the entire Book of Psalms because the imagery captures the essence of a broken and thirsty spirit. From beginning to end it expresses the yearning of a suffering soul to be with God. We suffer for countless reasons: broken relationships, health problems, worry and anxiety over family members, finances, and the future. I remember being tortured by a broken relationship. I prayed this psalm with all my shattered and despondent heart. God quenched my thirst with His healing presence. As I drew closer to God through prayer, He began to reveal His wisdom. And in that wisdom, He exposed a prideful place in my heart that needed to be uncovered, confessed, and released. Soon I was able, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to call this person to apologize and ask for forgiveness. And God did a remarkable thing; He strengthened our friendship through this crisis, and it is stronger now than it was before. This is the first Sunday of Lent. I will be praying this psalm and I will ask Jesus to reveal anything in me that needs to be uncovered, confess my wrongdoings, and ask his forgiveness and the forgiveness of others as he shapes my life to be his disciple. Deuteronomy 8:1-10; Psalm 98; 1 Corinthians 1:17-31; Mark 2:18-22 Monday, March 14 Hebrews 2:11-18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (v.18) When I read the Hebrews passage, the word “suffered” seems to flash like a neon sign. It is through his sufferings that Jesus really identifies with us. Jesus was fully human even as he was fully divine. He identifies with us because he is one of us, “having shared in humanity” (v.14). Jesus knows all about suffering. Don’t we want to identify and have counsel with someone on the basis of shared experience? When we were looking at colleges for our daughters, we would seek out friends who had recently been through the stressful admissions process. When I was despondent over the death of my mother, I went to talk to people who have shared this particular grief. The fact is Jesus can identify with all our sorrows. There is no dis-ease with which he is unfamiliar. It isn’t just those who have cancer or depression who suffer; it is anytime we are weak in body, mind, or spirit. At the healing service at my church we invite all who suffer to raise their hands if they would like prayer. Jesus, our brother, is intimately familiar with us. Because he sympathizes he is able to help. I want to turn over even the least of my sufferings to Jesus, so I may receive his counsel and healing—that he may turn my weeping into joy. Deuteronomy 8:11-20; Psalm 41, 52; John 2:1-12 Tuesday, March 15 Psalm 45 They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the king. (v.15) This psalm is a poem to the king (possibly Solomon) on the occasion of his marriage ceremony. Who doesn’t love a beautiful, fancy wedding? There comes the moment when the guests are seated and the attendants have moved to their places. The music changes. We all turn to watch. Suddenly the door opens wide and the bride, in all her splendor and glory, appears and then begins processing to greet her groom. That bride is us! And Jesus is the groom. Scripture is filled with references of Jesus as the groom and us, his Church, as his lovely bride. There is such joy and celebration at a wedding. During this season of Lent, I am humbled by this image of a beautiful wedding between Christ and his Church as I contrast that picture with the beatings, humiliation, pain, separation, and agony Jesus goes through for us. He crowns us with glory as he himself goes to death. My heart skips a beat when I think of how much Jesus loves me. How he loves us. O, how he loves us! Deuteronomy 9:4-12; Hebrews 3:1-11; John 2:13-22 Wednesday, March 16 John 2:23—3:15 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.” (v.2) I was on a road trip recently and found myself in the passenger seat aimlessly staring out the window while motoring along the highway. I took in all the sights: the rolling hills, the billowing clouds, and the trucks and cars in their ever-changing patterns. I also noticed and read the signs and billboards. They all had a message to declare, whether it was how to locate the next gas station ahead or where to find fresh peaches to bring home. Signs are pointers or signals, and their purpose is to direct us towards something. The miracles Jesus performs are not merely deeds of power; they were signs. These signs tell us about the person of Jesus. Jesus is “The radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Hebrews 1:3). And he points us to the nature and character of God. As I move forward into Lent, I notice the signs Jesus gives us about who he is; one who has the power to mend a broken body, an unhinged mind, a bruised heart. He offers us peace and grace, and is willing to die in my place. Jesus is the sign who demonstrates the love of God for man. Deuteronomy 9:13-21; Psalm 119:49-72; Hebrews 3:12-19 Thursday, March 17 John 3:16-21 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (v.16) You have seen this Scripture written on 30-foot banners displayed behind the goalpost at football games and painted across the foreheads of those holding it. I have spotted it carved into tree trunks. I once saw it tattooed across a man’s bicep. Why? What makes this one of the most well-known and cherished passages of all time? It is the Gospel, the good news, in one sentence. It says God so loved the world—not just this nation, not just good people, not just the people who love him. He loves the unlovable and the unlovely. He loves the person who loves him and the person who never thinks of him. All are included in this vast, inclusive love. St. Augustine said, “God loves each of us as if there was only one of us to love.” I pray that by His example I may grow in love: for Him, and for each and every person I come in contact with. We love because He first loved us. Deuteronomy 9:23—10:5; Psalm 50; Hebrews 4:1-10 Friday, March 18 John 3:22-36 The friend who attends the bride-groom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. (v.29b) Interestingly, once again we have Scripture referring to a marriage as we journey onward into our first week of Lent. I remember my wedding. The planning! My mother helped me pick out the invitations, make up the guest list, go over the menu, choose the location for the reception, order the flowers, arrange for the photographer, and on and on. She and my twin sister were right beside me throughout the preparations. Their help was very important to me. John the Baptist refers to himself as The Friend who attends the bridegroom. Back in those days a friend arranged the wedding, as my mother and sister had done. The custom provided that at the end of all the preparations, when the wedding day finally came, the friend would stand near the door and wait. Once he heard the bridegroom’s voice, he would, with joy, open the door, and the bridegroom would stride into the quarters to take his bride. The friend’s task would be complete and the celebrating would begin! I pray that I may be the friend who opens the door to bring a person and Jesus together. Mazeltov! Deuteronomy 10:12-22; Psalms 40, 54; Hebrews 4:11-16 Saturday, March 19 John 4:1-26 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” (v.10) I used to play tennis in the Florida heat. My teammates and I would arrive on the court with an assortment of racquets, balls, sweat bands, and towels along with a collection of drinks; everything from lemonade to Gatorade to iced tea. And there was a drinking fountain beside the net. While it was a bonus to have the different drinks, after a long set we were all lined up in front of the water fountain. Nothing satisfied our thirst like fresh, cool water. In the same way, nothing satisfies our soul and spirit like God. No amount of money, cars, family members, jobs, or diplomas can fill the place meant for God alone. St. Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” “If you knew who it is that asks you for a drink!” He who had asked the woman for a drink had filled with water every lake, river, and ocean. Jesus is the gift from God! He is Lord! I pray during this time of Lent that Jesus would help me examine my heart, confess my sin, and will fill me with living water; the only water that will satisfy my deepest thirst. Deuteronomy 11:18-28; Psalm 55; Hebrews 5:1-10 Sunday, March 20 1 Corinthians 3:11-23 Every man’s work will be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. (v.13 KJV) There was a time in my life when the threat of burning in the fire caused me to fear life after death. As I have come to know God better and see that His judgment is loving instead of punitive, I have come to approach the fire with promise rather than fear. It is comforting to know that the fire is hot enough to consume the sin that I want to get rid of and so I look forward to letting Abba wash away my sin in the fire of His love and leave the goodness that the fire cannot consume. It sounds to me like taking a bath and cleaning up for eternal life. “Come let us reason together. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be whiter than snow” (Isaiah 1:18). Finally the bath that will finally wash away all my sins and leave me clean. Jeremiah 1:1-10; Psalms 24, 29; Mark 3:31—4:9 Monday, March 21 John 4:27-42 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, ‘Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?’ (vv.28-29) I have always been struck by the tendency of people to teach and tell it like it is rather than to witness and invite others to look and see what it is truly like. The woman at the well picks up the example of the first apostles when they were questioned, “Come and see!” It seems to me to be important that my faith rest not on other people who have met or heard about Jesus, but rather on my own personal encounter with the Lord. When I meet him I can respond with the men of the Samaritan city, “Now we believe, not because of thy saying; for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” When we can say that for ourselves, we can also know him as our Lord. Jeremiah 1:11-19; Psalms 56, 57, 58; Romans 1:1-15 Tuesday, March 22 John 4:43-54 And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, ‘Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.’ The nobleman saith unto him, ‘Sir, come down ere my child die.’ Jesus saith unto him, ‘Go thy way; thy son liveth.’ And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. (vv.46b-50) The nobleman approached Jesus with expectations that Jesus would have to heal his son according to his expectations: that had to come down and lay hands on his son to heal him. Jesus had other ideas about the healing; he simply spoke the word and the young boy was healed. We have a tendency to want Jesus to do his work in a way that meets our expectations. I have been involved in the healing ministry long enough to see many who practice rigid directions on how to pray and when to quit and how to hold you mouth when you pray—and I have seen Jesus use all of the above and have concluded that we are to ask him in our way and relax while he does it his way. The young man was healed by the word of Jesus. I have found that when I ask and accept Jesus’ way, he is faithful. Jeremiah 2:1-13; Psalms 61, 62; Romans 1:16-25 Wednesday, March 23 John 5:1-18 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been a long time in that case, He saith unto him, ‘Wilt thou be made whole?’ (vv.5-6) There is an apparent block to some healing that is hard to see. There are times when someone suffering from a major illness is not willing to be healed. I recall hearing my spiritual mother ask a young man who used a walker in getting to the altar rail one night, “What would happen if you got healed?” The discussion moved from there to the admission by the man that he would lose his allotment. I recall asking a friend of mine the same question when I met him in a wheel chair, and his answer was, “I would lose all of the attention I get from my wife now.” Another person didn’t think he deserved healing until after he went through the process of forgiving himself. What I have learned is that the Lord is ready to heal when we are willing to receive and ask for His love. Jeremiah 3:6-18; Psalm 72; Romans 1:28—2:11 Thursday, March 24 John 5:19-29 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.’ (v.19) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word” (John 1:1). I can almost see God speaking the Word when He said, “I love you,” and that Word put on flesh and God Himself was with us, revealing Himself to us in a way that we could know Him and walk with Him. We can read about Him in the Bible, but that tells us about God. When we come to know Him as He comes to us in the Father’s love, we can receive that love and know the One who brings it to us from the Father. In Him we can know the Father as Jesus. His Son reveals Him to us that we might come to know Him as our God. It is no longer a matter of reading and trying to imagine what God is like. It becomes a matter of knowing the Son so we can know the Father’s love that He has given us. It takes prayer as well as study to know the One who love us. Jeremiah 4:9-10, 19-28; Psalms 70, 71; Romans 2:12-24 Friday, March 25 John 5:30-47 ‘Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.’ (vv.39-40) I have known a lot of people who live in the Bible, reading faithfully and even memorizing parts of the Scripture, which they will quote when they want to correct you. I have known many who will argue about it all, but it seems to me that the real need is to turn to Jesus and pray instead of arguing. When I argue I find that I leave Jesus out and I settle for human, rather than divine, truth. Jesus makes it clear that we will find life in the Scriptures, but that they lead us to Him to get what we are looking for. I wonder what it would be like if the leadership of the many fragments of the Church were to get together to pray instead of argue and debate their individual views of the truth of the Gospel. Lord, what would you have us to do in coming to you to receive eternal life? Jeremiah 5:1-9; Psalm 69; Romans 2:25—3:18 Saturday, March 26 Romans 3:19-31 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. (vv.23-24, 31) I recall as a teenager that I liked the idea of being an Episcopalian because it was alright to be an Episcopalian and still drink. After I had tried to excuse my other sins, I decided that I needed something more than just trying to be nice. I needed grace; that would set me free from the bonds of sin that I had rationalized as being acceptable as long as I confessed my sins and put my trust in Jesus. I later found out that I needed to love myself enough to put myself in the hands of the Lord and let Him bring me through the love into the freedom of the law that we find when we finally reach that level. He set me free from the alcohol and the tobacco and the language which I used as a teenager, and I found that when we trust Him and seek His grace, He leads us out of bondage in the world to walk in the law—by simply loving ourselves and loving Him and obeying His will for us as we walk with Him through this life. When we trust and love Him, He sets us free to walk His talk as well as the talk we begin to learn, and we learn what true freedom is. Jeremiah 5:20-31; Psalms 75, 76; John 7:1-13 Sunday, March 27 Mark 5:1-20 But the Lord would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” (v.19 NAB) Attention, please: I am announcing to my Christian brothers and sisters all that the Lord in his pity has done for me—but more about that another day. Maybe it is because I am in the middle of a Beth Moore Bible study and am steeped in the teaching of obeying God, but what I immediately notice in the account of the Gerasene man is his deliberate choice to obey Jesus. This beleaguered man cried out to Jesus, who sets him free from the legion of demons that had beset and held him captive for years. I can imagine that when he suddenly found himself free he was immensely grateful to Jesus, as evidenced by his eagerness to follow him. Jesus however, in his wisdom, instructs the man to stay and tell his people what the Lord has done for him. Now, the man’s desire to follow Jesus was not unreasonable. He could have easily justified as important, logical, and/or valuable doing what he wanted to do, but Jesus wanted something more. The Gerasene man’s willingness to submit to Jesus wishes reminds me, in a new way, that it is the obedient response that meets both the spirit and the letter of God’s will. Jeremiah 6:9-15; Psalms 93, 96; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Monday, March 28 Psalm 80 “Stir up your power, come to save us. Lord of Hosts, restore us; let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.” (vv.3-4) Humility doesn’t come easy for we humans. We live in a society that believes we are, essentially, masters of our world, our lives, and our destiny. We build modern cities, revolutionize technology, explore the universe, wage wars, and eradicate diseases. Why would we think of ourselves as needing to be saved? Our individual and collective belief in our own strength makes it increasingly difficult to think of ourselves as a people needing to be saved. In truth, however, when it comes to our place before the King of the Universe, isn’t anything other than humility just plain delusional? We are His beloved, created beings: God the potter, humans clay. I tend to try to reverse these roles. More often than I’d like to admit, I want the Almighty to get on board with my plans. Thankfully, the continuing Good News for you, and me, is that God doesn’t expect us to rely on our own strength to be humble. Just as we are able to love because God first loved us, so also, through His grace, are we able to practice humility because God first humbled Himself, sending His Son to save us through death. We need only ask His help to be humble. Jeremiah 7:1-15; Romans 4:1-12; John 7:14-36 Tuesday, March 29 Jeremiah 7:21-34 “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.’” (v.23) In yesterday’s study, we were right in the middle of our humility and all the vulnerability that goes with it. While that is our earthly reality, our benevolent Father does not leave us there. I delighted when I began to read today’s Scripture and encountered the words above. How glad I am to release my sense of power and control when I am being escorted and protected by none other than the mighty Lord of the Universe! The longer I am willing to walk with the Lord, I discover the easier it is to allow myself to trust Him in a personal, real way. He uses opportunities in my daily life to lovingly remind me that no one knows me like He does. He will demonstrate to me, as often as I will let Him, that He knows my needs, and that He is faithful and true to His Word that says I can cast all my cares upon Him. I am, once again, touched and blessed by His love. I know no better response than, “Alleluia!” Psalms 78:1-39; Romans 4:13-25; John 7:37-52 Wednesday, March 30 Romans 5:1-11 Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. (vv.7-8) In preparing to write today, I have just read Psalm 119:97-120. I was touched and moved by the psalmists’ beautiful praise for God and the delight expressed in serving Him. I was specifically heartened by the practical benefits proclaimed their service brought them, including wisdom over their foes, more understanding than their teachers, more insight than their elders, God’s protection as our “refuge and shield,” and the strength to be safe. “Awesome, incredible, amazing,” I thought as I silently thanked God for providing these blessings to all who choose to serve Him. “That’s what I’ll write about,” I said to myself. Then I read Romans 5:1-11. Verses 7 and 8 stunned me. I am totally amazed at the depth of God’s grace and mercy for the human race. He made the first move. He reached out to us with His most precious possession even as we reveled in our rebellion and defiance. This fresh glimpse into His love and sacrifice for us sends my appreciation for Him soaring. Through His benevolent grace, I look forward to its continued ascendance. Jeremiah 8:18—9:6; Psalm 119:97-120; John 8:12-20 Thursday, March 31 Romans 5:12-21 For if, by the transgression of one person, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one person Jesus Christ. (v.17) I need to be reminded often that God’s ways are not our ways. What a mess of trouble we’d be in if His ways were ours! Here’s an example: Our human notion of fairness requires a certain quid pro quo, a relative balance of the scales of justice. God’s notion of fairness is very lopsided in human terms. His scales of justice don’t even come close to balancing. That’s because His scales are heavily weighted in favor of His beloved children, and include massive doses of compassion, mercy, and grace. The more I understand God’s bias for benevolence, as He increases my awareness and experience of His love, the more willing I am to submit to His perfect right to rule. I find myself needing to rebel less and to be less presumptuous in criticizing and rejecting His requirements for righteous behavior. Speaking as a recovering rebel, I consider the fact that I am writing these words of submission to be utterly miraculous. God does work in mysterious ways. Thanks be to our loving Father. Jeremiah 10:11-24; Psalms 83, 42, 43; John 8:21-32 |