Lent 2023 Day 38 “Ride or Day”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2031:9-16;%20Job%2013:13-19;%20Philippians%201:21-30

Job 13:13-19  (NIV)

¹³ “Keep silent and let me speak; then let come to me what may.
¹⁴ Why do I put myself in jeopardy and take my life in my hands?
¹⁵ Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely^[a] defend my ways to his face.
¹⁶ Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless person would dare come before him!
¹⁷ Listen carefully to what I say; let my words ring in your ears.
¹⁸ Now that I have prepared my case, I know I will be vindicated.
¹⁹ Can anyone bring charges against me? If so, I will be silent and die.

Ride or Die

“Life’s not fair”. These are the first spoken words in the classic film The Lion King. Scar seems to believe he has been wronged by the universe. Have YOU ever felt like Scar? Have YOU ever gone through a tough time and YOUR friends with good intentions found ways to get on your last borrowed nerve? Has life ever challenged you to the core of your very soul and caused you to reexamine your views on just about everything. Have YOU ever had to express the courage of your convictions despite visual evidence to the contrary? In short, have you ever had to determine what it is that you believe so strongly that you will ride with it even if it means you die from it?

Our text from Job comes at a critical point in Job’s journey. With his body racked in pain and his family all dead, his friends have been carrying on a dialog that ends in him being blamed for his troubles. Job seems to be fed up and responds, “Keep silent and let me speak”. Earlier he has said to his friends, “If only you would be altogether silent! That for you would be wisdom.” Now the challenges Job faced were real and his friends like many of us equate being blessed with having a reduction of struggle. We believe that good things happen to good people and when bad things happen we must have done something wrong. This is logical but not always true. To know the whole story of Job is to know Job was blameless and yet he was afflicted on every level. The response here is epic. Job says, ¹⁵ Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. Job is saying in effect no matter what happens to me I’m ride or die with YHWH. Job says even if I die, I will not lose hope. Job would rather die with hope than live in despair. Friends, Job is confident that he has done no wrong and if he has he is willing to be accountable if only YHWH would tell him his offense. This text from Job speaks to an attitude we can approach the challenges we face. No matter the outcome, living with hope increases your chance for survival. Hope says it will be alright in this realm or the next. Hope says we will pick up the pieces when this is all over. Hope says we are going to make it, somehow, someway.

As Lent draws to an end, the season of struggle will remain. The hope is that times of reflection and consecration enhance our ability to walk by faith. The journey of Lent like the 40 days of Jesus in the wilderness will present temptations to overcome and grace to guide us. To be ride or die for YHWH is to be all in, and I am convinced trouble don’t last always.

Points to Ponder: How are YOU dealing with the your challenges? What are your fears? What inspires you to be ride or die?

Lent 2023 Day 36 “Upgrade”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20146;%20Isaiah%2060:17-22;%20Matthew%209:27-34

Isaiah 60:15-22

¹⁵ “Although you have been forsaken and hated, with no one traveling through,
I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations. ¹⁶ You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts. Then you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. ¹⁷ Instead of bronze, I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood, I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and well-being your ruler. ¹⁸ No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. ¹⁹ The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. ²⁰ Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. ²¹ Then all your people will be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor. ²² The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly.”

Upgrade

Your phone is slowing down and the battery is dying faster. Your car has a new muffler you call, a louder radio volume. Your shoes have holes where once there were soles. You are going through the motions Sunday after Sunday, day after day but no new revelation for elevation has come your way in longer than you can remember. In each of these scenarios, I contend you may be in need of an upgrade. The time has come to address the situation and let go of that favorite shirt that started black and has faded to grey. The old ways which served you well, have now stopped yielding any increase. It feels like you are running in mud on a merry go round. You feel let down, forgotten, and blah.

Isaiah 60 addresses this feeling. The Israelites have been through exile and have returned to a mess. They look at their situation and get depressed all over again. Everywhere they look they see remnants of what was and is no more. The prophet communicates from GOD a message of hope. This hope and vision is of an upgrade. GOD says in verse 17: “Instead of bronze, I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood, I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and well-being your ruler.” When I read this I am challenged not to downsize my dreams to the depths of my dilemmas. I am challenged to believe that my opportunities can overwhelm my obstacles. Hope is a contagious thing. When we have hope it filters through our whole being. We see launch pads where once there were landing strips. We see gold where once we saw bronze. We see bronze where once we saw wood. This message is for every person who is feeling down, falling down,  or fearing disaster. Lift up your head, steady your spine and believe that the creator of the universe has no limits or boundaries. Just because you have fasted and prayed and you see no results, remember that words are like seeds, They grow down before they grow up. The deeper the root the better the fruit.

Lent is a season of an upgrade. As we are intentional about our spiritual journey we are able to see areas of our life that are in disrepair. We acknowledge our fragile moments have fractured our faith and we are accountable. This Lent, GOD is saying to each of us through Jesus, I am the light of the world. You may have been in darkness, unable to see, but if you follow you will never be in darkness again. Follow me and I will give you hope. Follow me and you can have inner peace. Follow me and you will be inundated with light.

Points to Ponder: You are the light of the world, how are you shining? In what areas of your life are you in need of an upgrade? What does it mean to be a child of GOD and what are your responsibilities?

Lent 2023 Day 31 “Turning Around”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20130;%20Ezekiel%2033:10-16;%20Revelation%2011:15-19

Ezekiel 33:10-16

⁰ “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of^[a] them. How then can we live?”’ ¹¹ Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’

¹² “Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’ ¹³ If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done. ¹⁴ And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right— ¹⁵ if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die. ¹⁶ None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.

Turning Around

Have YOU ever been weighed down by the things going on in your life? Have you ever faced an obstacle so large that you were intimidated and felt there was nothing you could do? Have YOU ever missed the mark so bad that YOU saw no way to fix it and that thought made you feel like YOU were wasting away? I’m sure most of us have. This is the sin effect. We mess up and know we’ve messed up. We aimed right but went left. We knew better but we missed the mark anyway. We fear we may have fallen so far that not even YHWH can reach us. Our thoughts turn inward and we start getting distressed and depressed. This is followed by low energy and bad choices to make us feel better. We forget that we can turn around. Just because we have fallen does not mean we cannot get back up.

The text today from Ezekiel addresses the Israelite community who have started to recognize they have messed up. They are consumed by their thoughts of failure, feel weighed down, and wonder how can they live. The prophecy comes to them “‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’”  In essence the writer is saying, Why would you choose death when you can be alive? To choose to live is to choose to turn back from evil. This verb, “to turn” is used repeatedly in this passage as a reminder of the physical understanding of repentance. YHWH offers the opportunity to get it right from here on. No matter what we have done, we did it in the past. We do not have to be defined by who we were and what we’ve done. We can turn around.  YHWH recognizes where we have been and what we have done and offers the opportunity to move on. We can get on the right track and the choice is up to us.

The Lenten season is helping us to connect to the complexities of being a believer. On one hand we must be accountable for our actions and inactions and on the other we must embrace the fact that we can be forgiven. Our destination is not destroyed by our current situation. We can get it right, but we will need help. Jesus  and the Holy Spirit is that help. Whatever has caused you to miss the mark, Build a bridge and get over it. Live In Victory Every Day.

Point to Ponder: What action from your past are you allowing to crash into your present? What does repentance mean to YOU? How will YOU grow from here?

Lent 2023 Day 29 “Delighted to Serve”

Daily Scriptures: https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=328

Psalm 40:5-10
40:5 You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you. Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted. 40:6 Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. 40:7 Then I said, “Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. 40:8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” 40:9 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD. 40:10 I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.

Delighted To Serve

Have YOU ever been on the grind? Have YOU lived daily going from one thing YOU had to do to survive to another? Living life scrambling from one hustle and bustle to the next. Few things exciting YOU and fewer things to look forward to. This is the grind. Living from paycheck to paycheck, scraping by if at all. This is the grind. The grind is not a bad thing when placed in context. There is a proverb that says when you get off your knees get on your feet. Grinding is so much better than giving up, and yet the grind can and will exhaust YOU. When all YOU do is what YOU “got” to do, YOU miss the joy and delight of what YOU get to do. Take a moment and think about what delights YOU.

Our text from Psalm 40:5-10 speaks of the deeds and actions that YHWH has done for the people of YHWH. These actions are multiplying exponentially. In return, YHWH does not ask for sacrifices or offerings. The blessings of YHWH do not come with strings attached. Being blessed is not a response to work put in, that would be a payment. Being blessed is not something we can pay for with anything money or status can buy. There is nothing the CREATOR needs from the creation that the CREATOR could not create. There is a response however that YHWH honors. Not one born from duty or obligation but from a loving caring heart. The writer of this Psalm responds to the wondrous acts of YHWH by saying, “I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”  The writer encourages the reader and us to serve YHWH out of a desire not out of duty. To look forward to expressing the goodness of the CREATOR. To not hold back in sharing what YHWH has done and is doing. GOD does not need our stuff. Whenever GOD asks something of us it is not because GOD needs it but because we need to want to give it. Our giving and response is a status check on our heart. Where our treasure is our heart will be also, and still giving all our money and none of our hearts will not please GOD.

Lent 2023 continues to be a time to challenge us to grow beyond a transactional relationship with YHWH to a transformational one. We are called to respond with delight, excitement, vibrancy. Serving YHWH is not about the grind that is grueling but about the grace that is gratifying. Delight YOURSELF in the LORD and the LORD will give YOU the desires of YOUR heart.

Points to Ponder: What effect is the grind having on YOUR faith? Health? Happiness? How many blessings can YOU name in 30 seconds? Try it now………………. Now tell someone else about YOUR blessings and only share because YOU care.

Lent 2023 Day 28 “Look And See”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20146;%20Isaiah%2042:14-21;%20Colossians%201:9-14

Isaiah 42:14-21

¹⁴ “For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back.
But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant.
¹⁵ I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools.
¹⁶ I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. ¹⁷ But those who trust in idols,
    who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back in utter shame.

¹⁸ “Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see! ¹⁹ Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one in covenant with me, blind like the servant of the Lord? ²⁰ You have seen many things, but you pay no attention; your ears are open, but you do not listen.” ²¹ It pleased the Lord for the sake of his righteousness
    to make his law great and glorious.

Look Around

Have you ever been riding in a car on a road you usually drive on? Have you ever noticed the different things you see when your vantage point has been changed? Many people find themselves asking the question, “Where is YHWH”? A crisis is a particular season of life that causes us to start to wonder if we have an absentee Deity. A crisis will grab our attention and make us more attentive to detail. Look around. I mean really look around. Think about what you begin to see when you focus on seeing. Details start popping up and the whole terrain changes. Could it be that we cannot find YHWH anywhere because YHWH is everywhere? Look around.

Our text in Isaiah 42 addresses Israel and it’s overlooking the presence of YHWH in their midst. Day by day they would look for YHWH but they missed YHWH in their midst. Isaiah writes, ¹⁴ “For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back.
But now, like a woman in childbirth,I cry out, I gasp and pant. The text gives us an idea that YHWH was always in their midst even when they looked but did not see. Too often we get caught up in just wanting things to move faster and faster with no regard that we may be truly missing the MIGHTY ONE in our midst. In the movie The Color Purple, there is a line that says, “I think it upsets GOD when we walk by the purple color in a field and don’t notice it. This applies to the children of Israel and us today. As chaotic as things appear YHWH is here. Vs 20 says, “You have seen many things but paid no attention. YHWH is working and yet we are oftentimes so preoccupied with minutia that we miss the marvelous and miraculous. The reality is YHWH is hiding in plain sight which is not hiding at all.

The discipline of Lent is intended to slow us down long enough to recognize YHWH all around. The grind can cause us to lose the desire to pay attention. To move beyond looking and into seeing we may have to slow down. We are tasked to grow from listening to hearing. We are encouraged to be fully present in as many moments as possible. When we pause and pray we may see that YHWH was working it out while we were still trying to figure it out. YHWH is in our midst.

Points to Ponder: In what ways have YOU longed for something you already had but didn’t recognize it? How often have YOU been on auto-pilot paying little or no attention to YOUR environment? Wherever YOU go, YHWH is already there, go boldly.

Lent 2023 Day 26 “Inside Out”

Daily Scriptures: https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=27

1 Samuel 16:1-13
16:1 The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”
16:2 Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’
16:3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.”
16:4 Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”
16:5 He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
16:6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the LORD.”
16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
16:8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.”
16:9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.”
16:10 Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.”
16:11 Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.”
16:12 He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.”
16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

The Lord Looks on the Heart

Imagine YOU finally get the job interview YOU have lived YOUR whole life for. This is the job YOU believe was made just for YOU. You have heard that there are a few other applicants so you think to yourself, “How do I set myself apart?” The one idea YOU have is dress to impress. You take an extra few minutes in the shower. You starch and iron your shirt, shine your shoes, and get your hair done. The shell in which YOU dwell is on point. YOU are ready. Looking good, YOU look at the job interview email and see written in small print, The interviewer will be looking for your heart. Wow. How do you prepare for that?

Our text from 1 Samuel 16 chronicles the anointing of David. The prophet Samuel is tasked with selecting and anointing one of Jesse’s sons to be the next King of Israel. Saul has lost favor with GOD as we shared a couple days ago and now a new king is to be selected. Jesse the proud poppa starts sending out his sons to meet the prophet. Now I know we are taught not to have favorites and as the father of three daughters, I love each of them. Knowing my daughters I would probably apply some logic to my decision and the oldest may go first because I have known her longer. Whatever method of choice I would use I would go from the most likely to the least in presenting them. Jesse does this and The LORD says to Samuel, “the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” Seven sons come before Samuel and the response is the same, “neither has the LORD chosen this one”. Frustrated Samuel says Is this all of YOUR sons? In a moment of clarity, Jesse remembers his youngest son David who is tending the sheep. To understand this is to know sheep herding was a dirty job and generally reserved for the youngest or least favored child. Upon David’s arrival Samuel hears from the LORD and anoints David.

One of the lessons for us today in our dress for success, appearance driven society, is to focus on what really matters. So many of us judge a book by the cover and miss the content. How many times have we placed a label on a package we never took the time to look in? How often have we focused on some external accomplishments or accolades to fuel our sense of well being? Too often we major in minors. Fixing the shell but ignoring the core. Our challenge through Lent is to understand, while we may work out every day and buy the best clothes that fit just right, YHWH is not looking at our style or profile, YHWH is looking at our hearts. Being prepared for promotion involves our inner being. Are we loving? Are we compassionate? How do we treat the least of these in our communities? My prayer for you this Lent is to start with your heart, for it is from the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks and our words create our reality.

Points to Ponder: Are there blessings you may have missed by judging the outer appearance? How much value do you place on your heart? Who can YOU encourage today that YOU may have been overlooking? How will you proceed?

Lent 2023 Day 25 “The Light”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023;%201%20Samuel%2015:32-34;%20John%201:1-9

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. ⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Light

Have YOU ever been going through life and suddenly recognize you are not seeing as well as You used to? The concern of losing sight could mean a whole new lifestyle. It could mean losing ones independence. This awareness prompts a visit to the ophthalmologist. Once YOU get there one of the tests the doctor runs is asking you to follow the light. By doing this they are able to identify the health of the eye and diagnose any potential problems. What happens when YOU cannot see the light? What happens when the whole world seems dark and untenable. Whether literal or figuratively speaking, blindness and darkness can be a scary place. I don’t think its reaching to say we are living in a dark world where unthinkable things happen on a daily basis.

This is the world that Jesus enters into. A world of chaos and disorder. Our text in John 1 references Jesus as the Word that was with YHWH in the beginning and that the Word possessed life and that life was the light of Humankind. The life of Jesus is a light that enters a world of darkness with the intent to illuminate the pathways of life. Unfortunately this life and light enters into the world and the world chooses darkness. Most of us believe we would not have responded like our brothers and sisters in the time of Jesus. We would like to believe that we would welcome any help to get through this darkness. Although we believe this about ourselves a deeper look may reveal some blind spots.

One Lenten discipline is to repent, reflect, and refuel for service. This makes room for the power and presence of GOD to be manifested in our life. We are clearing out the junk that accumulates in the dry wildernesses we find ourselves in. We are adjusting our routines recognizing that if we don’t we can easily miss the Messiah in our midst. It’s easy to get lost in the wilderness and darkness of life. The day to day hustle to stay alive can get in the way of our ability to thrive.

In order for us to experience the next level in our life, we must follow the light. This may challenge our comfort zones and disrupt our status quo. Whereas this is true we cannot climb to the highest levels GOD has for us if we remain tethered to the pole of who we have been and what we have seen. The light has appeared. New things are being revealed. New thoughts and ideas are entering and this can be invigorating or infuriating. The Jewish people in our text rejected the light. Jesus came to his own and his own received him not. Be the light that causes the darkness to flee. When we do this and we are ready, we will experience the abundance of life Jesus entered the world to provide.

Points to Ponder: Are there challenging truths that you reject because they are uncomfortable? Are there thought patterns YOU have that compromise YOUR ability to see? Are YOU ready like John to prepare others for the light?

Lent 2023 Day 23 “Led and Fed

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023;%201%20Samuel%2015:10-21;%20Ephesians%204:25-32

PSALM 23 COOPER VERSION

I am a sheep. My needs are many and my resources few. I need a shepherd to look after me. I have been blessed with a great shepherd. I call my Shepherd LORD. The LORD, MY Shepherd makes sure all my needs are met.

Alone I would stray, but with The LORD I am nurtured. Always provided food and drink. When I am weak, The LORD gives me special attention and makes sure I am distinguished as The LORDS property.

Even when tough times come and the natural predators of life would seek to devour me, I will not be scared because my SHEPHERD never leaves me alone.

Even when I wander off, MY SHEPHERD prods me and redirects me for my own good. Though others all around me seek to harm me,  I am so protected that I eat without missing a meal. I am so blessed I have more than I need. In fact, I AM confident that as long As my SHEPHERD leads me the good things will follow me forever, and I will be the property of the GOOD SHEPHERD for eternity.

Led and Fed

Oops, I did it again. I wish I hadn’t but it did. Somehow, someway, when I try to live this life on my own, I go astray. Often this departure is not an intentional act but one that occurs gradually over time. Small acts of forgetfulness and grand rationalizations. Like a rock being gradually worn away by moving water, I don’t know the exact moment I started to stray but Suddenly I look up and can’t figure out how I got here. Yup, Oops I did it again. Many of us have a tendency to get lackadaisical in our spiritual disciplines and like sheep grazing in the field, we lose perspective of where we are. We can’t pinpoint when we turned because we were so focused on what we were doing. We can get locked into routines that after time lose their value. Even our spiritual disciplines can lose their meaning when we just do them on auto-pilot.

In our very familiar text, the Psalmist says, “The LORD is my shepherd”. Another way to say this would be I am like a sheep. Like a sheep without guidance I will make a mess of my life. Like a sheep, I am not able to focus on much beyond my immediate needs. I don’t plan ahead and I would drown chasing after water from fast-moving streams. The Psalmist recognizes that unless we are lead by GOD we will follow the wide, well-worn road to destruction. This path of least resistance leads to fear and destruction. On the other when the LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. I can rest and refresh with green pastures and still waters. This rest and refreshment restores my soul. With GOD as my shepherd even when I go through the alleys and the valleys of the shadow of death, I don’t have to fear what happens. I am able to focus on how BIG my Shepherd is and not how big my problem may be. With GOD as my shepherd when I stray there is a rod and staff of love to redirect me. Not only will I have enough, but my cup will also run over. As long as we follow GOD will lead us into eternity.

The Lenten season gives us an opportunity to bring meaning to our routines. We are able to see where we may have been going through the motions assuming we were going in the right direction without checking in with the Divine Navigator. Today I encourage you to bring added attention to the routine things you do. Chew your food more slowly, tasting and appreciating each bite. Look your loved ones in the eye a second longer and listen. Seek to understand before you seek to be understood. By doing this you can yield the control of your life to the only one truly able to provide goodness and mercy all the days of your life.

Point to Ponder: How would YOU rewrite Psalm 23 from a personal perspective? What measures will YOU take to be fully engaged in each moment? How difficult is it for YOU to identify as a sheep?

Lent 2023 Day 16 “Protect Your Neck”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2095;%20Exodus%2016:1-8;%20Colossians%201:15-23

^{Psalm 95:3} For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
⁴ In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
⁵ The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

⁶ Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
⁷ for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the flock under his care.

Today, if only you would hear his voice,
⁸ “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,^[a]
    as you did that day at Massah^[b] in the wilderness,
⁹ where your ancestors tested me;
    they tried me, though they had seen what I did.

Protect Your Neck

For the last few years there has been a new virus on the scene that has challenged and changed many of the ways we move from day to to day. There once was a time only deperados and stick up men wore masks. Now you see masks everywhere, even on the streets as trash. This virus has taken many lives and it may never leave us. A virus is a microscopic organism that replicates in a cell of the body. Scientist recommend we get vaccinated, wash our hands with soap and water, cover our noses and mouths when sneezing or coughing, and avoid touching our face. In other words protect your neck and the necks of others.

In the same way we must protect ourselves from viruses we must also protect ourselves from sin. Sin acts like a virus. Sin enters into our body when we let our guards down. When we grow complacent and skip vital steps of spiritual discipline, sin creeps in like a virus. It is aggressive and replicates itself. In very little time we are ill, focusing on surviving and missing the call to thrive. Psalm 95 gives us a way to protect ourselves from a virus. First, humble ourselves. We do this when we: bow down in worship, and kneel before the Lord our Maker. Putting GOD first allows our life to be in a proper perspective. Secondly, listen to what GOD is saying. Amid the symphony of sound we are bombarded with, GOD is still speaking. Sometimes through the percussion and sometimes through the piccolo. Sometimes through the tuba and other times through the triangle. GOD is speaking and we are called to listen which is a more intentional act than simply hearing. Third, we must remember how GOD has been with us in the past and not harden our hearts.

Let us be prepared this Lenten season to know GOD in creative ways that rituals and routines don’t provide. This is a day the LORD has made, Come let us bow down and worship.

Point to Ponder: How have you hardened your heart to GOD? In what ways has sin crept in and weakened your spiritual immune system? How will you Protect Your Neck?

Lent 2023 Day 15 “Feeling The Pain”

Daily Scripture: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20128;%20Ezekiel%2036:22-32;%20John%207:53-8:11

Ezekiel 36 ²⁷ And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. ²⁸ Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. ²⁹ I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. ³⁰ I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. ³¹ Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices. ³² I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, people of Israel!

Feeling The Pain

Whew! You dodged the bullet. YOU know deep down inside YOU have messed up and yet the full weight of the consequences has not been felt. YOU have escaped a punishment that YOU deserved. Now what? Do YOU bask in the glory of escape or do YOU do the hard work of getting YOUR life together and avoiding the pitfalls that swallowed YOU in the first place? So often in our lives, we move on without any reflection. We just act like the blessings we have received we somehow had earned.

Our text in Ezekiel 36 addresses. The word of the LORD comes to Israel that GOD is about to move on their behalf. A blessing is on the way that will erase the shame they have been experiencing. The LORD is moving and yet Ezekiel is told to remind them this move of GOD is not because of them. Nothing they have done deserves anything but punishment. The LORD is going to bless to preserve the LORDS name which the Israelites have profaned.

Lent is a time of reflection and this scripture challenges us to truly count the cost of our blessings. Instead of the arrogance that makes us believe we deserve all the good and none of the bad, we need to see that we can disappoint the CREATOR so badly that the CREATOR has to rescue us from ourselves. We cannot unlive the past but we can learn from it. The challenge for us is to reflect not deflect. Reflect on the unwarranted blessings and allow ourselves to take responsibility for our disobedience. Vs 32 says Be ashamed and disgraced oh people of Israel. I am convinced the intent of this shame is not for us to wallow in our pain but to feel it so deeply that we course correct and don’t make the same mistake. The writing in John 8 speaks of a woman who escapes a death sentence for adultery and is admonished by Jesus to leave her life of sin. Today face YOURSELF and leave YOUR life of missing the mark (sin).

Point to Ponder: In what ways have YOU been unaccountable for YOUR actions? When counting YOUR blessings can YOU identify the pain YOU may have caused GOD? Commit to go and sin no more.