Hosea (Come Back To Me)

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Day Twenty-Three

The season of Lent provides us a special opportunity to understand the heart of God for his wandering children in a richer and deeper way. Spending an intentional 40 days thinking about the cross of Christ and the depth of his sacrifice reminds us just how loved we are, because we see what lengths God went to in order to draw us back to himself.

It’s a common misconception to think that this picture of God’s heart, with all of its tenderness and longing for a wayward people, is a uniquely New Testament image. It is not. It is the same heart that we find yearning for the return of his people Israel, prone to wander off in hopeless pursuit of idols despite all God had done for them.

Nowhere is this more powerfully demonstrated than in the story of the prophet Hosea. Called by God to speak out against the nation’s idolatry, Hosea is also called to live out a very striking image of God’s love and Israel’s unfaithfulness in his marriage to a woman named Gomer. Her adultery and Hosea’s faithful attempts to bring her out of her sin both provide a living parable of our relationship with God. Just as Gomer is prone to return to her life of prostitution, so we are also prone to sell ourselves to false idols and godless pursuits…and yet God does not give up on us. Time again, just as Hosea with Gomer, God comes to us in our sin and our unrighteousness and calls us back to himself.

In Hosea 3, Gomer has been sold into servitude, but God calls Hosea to redeem her. With 15 shekels of silver and 5 bushels of barley, Hosea pays the price of her enslavement and brings her home. This is a picture for us of God’s eventual redemption through Christ, who paid the price of our enslavement with his own precious blood. That is how much we are loved.

The anger of God towards sin and idolatry is evident in the book of Hosea, but his anger towards sin is countered by an even more powerful love for his people. In Hosea 11, God says this to his people:

“‘Oh, how can I give you up, Israel?
How can I let you go?
How can I destroy you like Admah
or demolish you like Zeboiim?
My heart is torn within me,
and my compassion overflows.
No, I will not unleash my fierce anger.
I will not completely destroy Israel,
for I am God and not a mere mortal.
I am the Holy One living among you,
and I will not come to destroy.
For someday the people will follow me.
I, the Lord, will roar like a lion.
And when I roar,
my people will return trembling from the west.
Like a flock of birds, they will come from Egypt.
Trembling like doves, they will return from Assyria.
And I will bring them home again,’
says the Lord.”—Hosea 11:8-11 (NLT)

These are the words God would speak to your heart and mine: “How can I give you up? How can I let you go?” No matter how often we wander into sin and idolatrous behavior, God stands ready to forgive. His love his constant. He has paid the price for our redemption, and calls us back to his heart.

How will we respond?

Come back to me with all your heart
Don’t let fear keep us apart.
Trees do bend though straight and tall,
So must we to others’ call.
Long have I waited for your coming
Home to me and living deeply our new life.

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Provided to YouTube by CDBabyHosea · Steve BellSons and Daughters℗ 2004 Signpost MusicReleased on: 2004-01-01Auto-generated by YouTube.

Questions for Reflection

1) What has this Lenten journey been teaching you about the heart of God? Are there areas in your life where you’ve wandered, and where he is calling you back to himself? Spend some time in prayer confessing your sin and receiving anew the love that calls out to you even in the midst of it.

2) One author called the book of Hosea a glimpse into “The Incredible Scandal of God’s Perfect Love.” How do you respond to the idea that God’s love is “scandalous?” How might God be calling you to embrace that way of looking at his love?

3) Have you ever been tempted to think that God has given up on you? What is helpful for you in resisting that urge? How can you immerse yourself even more deeply in the truth that he is always ready to welcome us back from our wanderings?

4) The song for today includes these words:

The wilderness will lead you.
To your heart where I will speak.
Integrity and justice with tenderness
You shall know.

How do our wilderness experiences lead us to a place where God speaks? How have you experienced that in your own life?

5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love”—John 15:19 (ESV)

You Keep Hope Alive

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Fourth Sunday

In 2018 the Rubin Museum in New York City opened an exhibition entitled “A Monument for the Anxious and Hopeful,” a participatory art installation that invited visitors to anonymously write down their anxieties and hopes on vellum cards and then display them on a large wall. Guests would then have a chance to read and reflect on our shared fears and aspirations, engaging in a communal act of emotional solidarity. Over 50,000 cards were submitted over the course of the exhibition, with wide-ranging themes that covered the personal, the political, and the spiritual. The creators of the exhibition had this to say about the thoughts they hoped to inspire:

“By definition, anxiety and hope are determined by a moment that has yet to arrive—but how often do we pause to fully consider our relationship with the future?”

—Candy Chang and James A. Reeves, “A Moment for the Anxious and Hopeful”

For those who have put their faith in Christ, that statement is only half-true. Anxiety is definitely rooted in “a moment that has yet to arrive,” because anxiety is about the fear of something that may yet happen. Anxiety imagines a scenario and lets it play out to its worst possible conclusion, then prompts us to react as if that conclusion has already taken place. Anxiety steals from a potential future and pulls us down in the present. Anxiety looks ahead and is afraid of what it may find.

In a secular definition, hope, like anxiety, also looks to the future. The only difference is that hope is about imagining a positive outcome rather than a negative one. Hope looks ahead and feels good about what it may find. But in both cases, the ultimate resolution is uncertain. In both cases, we are looking to the future and wondering what will take place.

Biblical hope is different. Before it looks ahead, biblical hope first finds its foundation in something that has already taken place—the resurrection of Christ. We don’t rest our hope on some imagined outcome that may or may not be assured, we rest our hope on the sure and certain truth that Jesus Christ, who was crucified, is alive. The tomb is empty, and the powers of sin and death have been defeated. That is where we find our hope!

The Apostle Paul addresses this truth in 1 Corinthians 15, when he writes:

“If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.

But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.”—1 Corinthians 15:17-22

Paul points out an important distinction between hope from an earthly perspective and hope from a spiritual perspective—in Christ, our hope looks beyond this world, beyond its temporary cares and concerns. Our hope deals in eternal truths, truths that allow us to rest in the knowledge that our sins are forgiven and our future is secure. The resurrection of Jesus is a “down payment” that gives us an assurance which no earthly hope can even come close to providing.

To put it succinctly: we don’t find our hope in the possibility that something good may yet happen…we find our hope in the fact that the very best thing has already taken place.

This past few years have been a time when many of us have struggled to keep hope alive. The good news of Sunday, the message of these “mini-Easters,” is that hope is already alive. The forces of death conspired against it, but hope is alive. The grave tried to silence it, but hope is alive. And there are still voices today that will tell you it’s no longer real, but those voices are lying. Hope is most definitely alive.

There's hope in the morning
Hope in the evening
Hope because you're living
Hope because you're breathing
There's hope in the breaking
Hope in the sorrow
Hope for this moment
My hope for tomorrow

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Official Acoustic Video for "You Keep Hope Alive" by Mandisa ft. Jon ReddickListen to the song here: https://mandisa.lnk.to/YouKeepHopeAliveIDSubscribe to Ma...

Questions for Reflection

1) Do you give in easily to the temptation to think that hope is about things that might yet happen? How might you find ways to ground your hope in what has already taken place on your behalf in the cross and the empty tomb?

2) How does the knowledge that Jesus is alive inspire hope in you? When has that knowledge been most real to you?

3) Theologian J.I. Packer made this distinction between optimism and biblical hope. Spend some time reading and reflecting on his words:

“Optimism is a wish without warrant; Christian hope is a certainty, guaranteed by God himself. Optimism reflects ignorance as to whether good things will ever actually come. Christian hope expresses knowledge that every day of his life, and every moment beyond it, the believer can say with truth, on the basis of God’s own commitment, that the best is yet to come.”—J.I. Packer

4) Today’s song talks about:

—hope in dark days
—hope in the midst of rising evil
—hope in sorrow
—hope in “the breaking.”

How has God ministered hope to you in your own experience of these? Spend some time in praise and thanksgiving for his presence and hope in difficult times.

5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”—Romans 15:13 (NIV)

Not What My Hands Have Done

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Day Twenty-Two

At one time or another, most Christians have probably experienced a disturbing shift during a season of intentional spiritual pursuit, such as reading through the Bible in a year, or taking a Lenten prayer journey, a shift that changes the nature of what we’re doing and the reason we’re doing it.

In short, what was meant to be “devotion” becomes “work.” What began with an earnest and heartfelt desire to draw closer to God becomes less about communion and more about obligation. When that happens during Lent, the shift can turn us around and push us in the opposite direction from where we started. Instead of heading to the cross, with its powerful reminder of what Christ has done for us, we turn away and start focusing on the things we’re doing for him. We act as though the “success” of our journey depends on our performance, and when that belief takes over we find ourselves drifting off the path, walking away from from Jerusalem instead of towards it.

There is only one perfect antidote for our wandering hearts when this happens: we stop whatever it is we’re doing and spend some time gazing upon the cross of Christ. Only in being reminded of Christ’s work can we find what we need to stop focusing on ours.

Today we’re going to do just that, by allowing a wonderful, yet little-known, hymn of the cross serve as our invitation to remember that this journey is not about our work or our worthiness. It is about Christ’s work and his worthiness alone. After listening to the hymn you are invited to sit with each verse prayerfully, allowing the words to become your own prayer of re-centering.

This particular recording features one instrumental verse before the vocals begin, and you’re invited during that time to be still, breathe deep, and begin in a spirit of prayer. Focus on the cross, whether with your eyes or with your heart, and know that the one who traveled to that cross willingly is more than able to turn us around when we’ve strayed from the path.

No other work, save thine,
no other blood will do;
no strength, save that which is divine,
can bear me safely through.

You can find the rest of the words in the prayer exercise below.

Provided to YouTube by CDBabyNot What My Hands Have Done · Nathan Clark GeorgeRise in the Darkness℗ 2007 Nathan Clark GeorgeReleased on: 2007-01-01Auto-gener...

Prayerful Reflection

Read each verse slowly and prayerfully, perhaps even reading them out loud. Read each verse more than once, allowing these words written so long ago to become a prayer you offer from your own heart today.

Not what my hands have done
can save my guilty soul;
not what my toiling flesh has borne
can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do
can give me peace with God;
not all my prayers and sighs and tears
can bear my awful load.

Thy work alone, O Christ,
can ease this weight of sin;
thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,
can give me peace within.
Thy love to me, O God,
not mine, O Lord, to thee,
can rid me of this dark unrest,
and set my spirit free.

I bless the Christ of God;
I rest on love divine;
and with unfalt'ring lip and heart,
I call this Savior mine.
His cross dispels each doubt;
I bury in his tomb
each thought of unbelief and fear,
each ling'ring shade of gloom.

I praise the God of grace;
I trust his truth and might;
he calls me his, I call him mine,
my God, my joy, my light.
'Tis he who saveth me,
and freely pardon gives;
I love because he loveth me,
I live because he lives.

For a closing prayer, read and reflect on this verse.
Let it lead you into heartfelt worship and gratitude:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”—Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)

With Great Gentleness

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Day Twenty-One

When we enter the season of Lent, with so much of our focus on repentance as we meditate on the cross, it is important that we do not let our image of God go askew. This 40-day journey is not meant to inspire fear of judgment or cause us to withdraw from an image of God as an angry and vengeful deity, one who is eager to catch us in our sin and make us feel despised. That is not what Lent is about. Lent is always about God’s love, mercy, and grace shown supremely in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Yet there are many who struggle with that false image of God, and not just during Lent. Sometimes when we are face-to-face with the sin in our lives, immersed in the shame of feeling that we have disappointed or even angered God, it can cause us to withdraw. Like a child who is afraid of being punished, we lie about what we’ve done—to others, to ourselves, and we even may think we’ve gotten away with lying about it to God. And as that shame festers in our souls it becomes toxic, which can then further distort our image of God. It whispers horrible lies to us, saying, “You can’t go to God with this. You’ve disappointed him too many times. He has given up on you.” As our image of God becomes distorted, we can grow even more afraid of coming to him openly and honestly. It is a vicious downward spiral, feeding on itself in a frenzy of self-hatred and fear.

In Paul’s letter to Titus there is a wonderful passage that can help ground us if we’re falling into that cycle, where he writes:

“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”—Titus 3:4-7

When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us…

The salvation of God is rooted in kindness and love, because God is love. Even as he hung on the cross, Jesus asked God to forgive those who had tortured him and put him there. If there was ever a picture of the “tender mercy” of God, you’ll find it there. It is the same tender mercy that David leaned on when confronted with his own fall into sin, lies, and deceit:

“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.”—Psalm 51:1-2

As you travel to Jerusalem with Jesus, be sure to follow his heart as well as his footsteps, for his heart is filled with love for you. As one anonymous 19th century preacher put it, he is “the fountain of all gentleness, all kindness, and all good.”

All gentleness…all kindness…all good…this is the one who invites you to walk with him.

Come to Jesus, He will never cast you out
Come you thirsty, put aside your fear, your doubt
With great gentleness, with great gentleness
He draws you, how He draws you,
See how He draws you to Himself

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

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Questions for Reflection

1) Have you ever had to wrestle with a distorted image of God? What was at the root of that distortion? Spend some time in prayer asking God to clear away any image you have that is not true to who he is.

2) Are there specific Scriptures or practices that you lean on to be reminded of the kindness and love of God? What in your life helps you counter the voices that would whisper lies to you soul?

3) The Hebrew word “chesed” occurs over 200 times in the Old Testament. It is a very rich word with deep meaning that is difficult to capture in English, and has been represented by words and phrases like:

lovingkindness
steadfast love
goodness
favor
mercy
loyalty
devotion
covenant love

Which of these definitions of “chesed” resonates most with you? Why?

4) The song for today includes is built around an invitation:

Come to Jesus, He will never cast you out
Come you thirsty, put aside your fear, your doubt
With great gentleness, with great gentleness
He draws you, how He draws you,
See how He draws you to Himself

How have you experienced Jesus drawing you to himself? Spend some time in prayer offering your “yes” to his invitation to draw even deeper into his lovingkindness and covenant love.

5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:
‘I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.’”—Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)

Rescue

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Day Twenty

There are a lot different ways we can describe the story of Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem: it’s the account of Jesus’ final days, the story of God’s great love and Christ’s great sacrifice, the Passion narrative, the Atonement, Holy Week…there are lots of terms and words available to us. But there is one phrase that is rarely used and yet maybe most effective:

It’s a rescue story.

We love a good rescue story, with its heroes and villains, accounts of peril and escape, and the sense of relief that comes when those who were trapped are brought to freedom. We love it in movies and TV shows, and we love it in real life as well. From news stories about young children trapped in wells to live coverage of miners trapped underground for weeks on end…tales of rescue have the power to draw us in.

The Bible is filled with tales of rescue—from the deliverance of armies in battle, to Hebrew spies hidden from an angry mob in Jericho, to Paul’s bold declaration that the threat of shipwreck wouldn’t cause any loss of life, and more. And of course, the central narrative in the history of Israel is the Exodus, God’s rescue of the Hebrew slaves from bondage in Egypt under the leadership of Moses, an event that still sits at the heart of the Jewish faith today.

That image of the Exodus is an important one for those who follow Jesus, who also came to lead people out of bondage. In the New Testament there are clear parallels drawn between the ministry of Jesus and that of Moses, especially in Matthew’s gospel. Writing to a primarily Jewish audience, Matthew is very intentional about painting the picture of Jesus as a “new Moses,” and some of the comparisons are striking:

  • Jesus is rescued as an infant from the slaughter of innocent children, as Moses was saved from Pharaoh’s wrath

  • Jesus fasts for 40 days in the wilderness, echoing Moses on Mt. Sinai

  • Jesus delivers his “new law” from the side of a mountain, calling to mind how Moses received the law of God on a mountaintop

  • Jesus’ identity as a teacher, a prophet, and a lawgiver throughout is a direct parallel to the leadership and ministry of Moses

  • At the Transfiguration (where he meets with Moses himself) Jesus is transformed in a way similar to Moses when he encountered God on the mountain

And as striking as these are, they are minor compared to the biggest parallel of all: Just as Moses led God’s people out of slavery in Egypt, now Jesus has come to lead us out of slavery to sin. This theme resonates throughout the entire New Testament, as Jesus is shown to be the mediator of a new covenant of grace, freeing us from bondage to the powers of sin and death. Paul states this powerfully in Romans:

“And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.”—Romans 8:2-4 (NLT)

This is why Jesus came to earth. It’s what this season of Lent is all about: it is a reminder of the price that has been paid for our freedom. He came to secure our deliverance. In fact, Jesus made that very clear in his very own words:

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”—Luke 19:10

That is a rescue story worth telling…again and again.

I need You Jesus to come to my rescue
Where else can I go?
There's no other name by which I am saved
Capture me with grace, I will follow You

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Questions for Reflection

1) How have you known Jesus as one who rescues? In what ways has that image of Jesus been most evident to you as you have walked with him? Spend some time in prayer simply resting in the knowledge that he gave his life to set you free.

2) The ancient Hebrews often retold the story of their freedom as a prompt for worship (e.g. Psalm 136). How does the story of your freedom in Jesus inspire worship for you? What are ways you can build steady and regular reminders of that story into your daily walk?

3) Are there ways in which you experience bondage in your life? Are there sins that still seek to control you and hold you captive? Bring them openly and honestly to God, and let the saving power of Jesus be made real in those areas of your life as you surrender more deeply to him. Ask him to show you the depth of freedom he desires you to know.

4) What does the lyric “capture me with grace” communicate about the nature of our freedom in Christ? What do you think the songwriter meant by those words, and how do they speak to you?

5) Read and reflect on these verses. Let them lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”—Luke 4:18-19 (CEB, also Isaiah 61:1-2)

The Pastoral Symphony

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Day Nineteen

Today’s guest post by Amy Nemecek invites us into a different way of sitting prayerfully with a piece of music. What is frequently disregarded as an instrumental interlude becomes an opportunity for Scripture meditation and imaginative prayer. There are no reflection questions at the end, as you are invited into prayer as you listen and read.


“He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.”—Isaiah 40:11


Most people associate Handel’s Messiah with the Christmas season, not the season of Lent. And yes, the Pastoral Symphony technically falls within part 1, aka the Christmas portion of the oratorio, as an instrumental interlude to set the scene for the shepherds abiding in the fields of Bethlehem. The title itself—Pastoral Symphony—evokes the image of shepherds watching their flocks by night.

I can’t hear this piece of music without thinking of Isaiah 40:11, which looks ahead to God’s promised Shepherd for his people. The words of that prophecy are the basis for a later aria from Messiah, “He Shall Feed His Flock Like a Shepherd,” and the melody of the Pastoral Symphony foreshadows that song. The two pieces are linked through a common time signature and tempo markings and are written in complementary keys,

Handel composed the Pastoral Symphony for strings only. It is tender in its simplicity, but because it lacks the vocal grandeur of the rest of Messiah, listeners often overlook it as mere incidental music. But today I’d like you to try a spiritual practice of listening to it with the ears of your soul. Close your eyes and remove any distractions so that you can listen reflectively.

Pay attention to how the music’s simple A-B-A structure and the textures of the melody follow the movements of Psalm 23. Meditate on the words of “the Shepherd’s Psalm” as you let the music indwell you with thoughts of Jesus, our Good Shepherd.

A (vv. 1-3)

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupHandel: Messiah, HWV 56 / Pt. 1 - Pastoral Symphony · London Philharmonic Orchestra · John AlldisThe Messiah℗ 199...

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.

 

The simplicity of the music is enough, sufficient for your soul’s needs. Follow the Good Shepherd  through the movement of the notes as he guides you up and down rolling hills. Can you feel the Shepherd’s sure footsteps in the lower registers through the steady hum of the cellos? You arrive in a pleasant meadow to graze—the texture of the music’s line echoes the greenness of the grass. Do you hear the quiet trickle of a stream in the little trills of the violins?

 

B (vv. 4-5a)

Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.

 

The bass line ascends through a key change before the tone of the music dims the melody into a minor mode. The path ahead grows dark as you descend into a valley. The downward movement you hear in the cellos is the bear and the lion prowling in the shadows, and the sheep are afraid. But then the steady harmony of the violas casts a warm light that pushes back the darkness in a confident circle. The Shepherd has built a campfire; he will keep watch through the night, and you are safe. The violins swell, then diminish as the flock settles safely under his protection.

 

A (vv. 5b-6)

You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

 

Once again the cellos provide steady footsteps back to the opening theme in the violins. As the orchestra quietly continues, feel the Shepherd’s healing oil on your head, hear the trills trickling into your hair and soothing the cuts and bruises the world has inflicted on you this week. The music get softer, quieter, to the final, restful resolution and the cutoff.

Feel the memory of the strings’ vibration in the stillness. Remain silent for a few moments, allowing the sound of the Shepherd’s goodness and mercy to press around you and push out the clamor of the world’s noise.

 

In closing, pray these words drawn from the words of Jesus in John 10:11-15.

Jesus, our Good Shepherd. This world is filled with hired hands who are paid to tend your flock. But hired hands are not you. Hired hands don’t own the sheep, haven’t bought them with their very blood, so they won’t risk their own lives to protect the flock. When they spot a wolf prowling at the edges of the pasture and see your sheep becoming frightened, they abandon us and run away to save themselves. But Jesus . . . you know us. Help us to know you, too, just as Abba Father knows you and you know him. Thank you, dear Shepherd of our souls, that you have laid down your own life for us, your sheep. May we be ever grateful, and as the cups of our lives overflow with your goodness and mercy, use us to draw others into your sheepfold. Amen. 

Refuge

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Day Seventeen

For most of us, “hide and seek” is a child’s game, one we tend to leave on the playground when we get older. But in Italy, at least for a few years, it was a very serious endeavor indeed. Christened the “Hide and Seek World Championship,” it featured contestants who gathered from around the world gathered in different villages in Italy each summer from 2010 to 2017 to prove their mettle in the rough-and-tumble world of the game Italians call “nascondino.”

The founders of the event talked about the opportunity it presented for adults to relive their childhood fun, and pointed out that it was, in fact, the most popular game in the world. As such, didn’t it deserve its very own world championship? They also added a more historical and philosophical excuse for the event, saying:

“Hide-and-seek has been around much longer than sports like football and basketball. Hiding is a part of every human being and forms a necessity to survive.”—Giorgio Moratti

That’s a pretty insightful remark in an interview about a children’s game. We are masters of hiding…hiding from others, from ourselves, and even from God. During Lent we focus upon all the ways we hide, and we allow God the freedom to search our souls and reveal the hidden places of brokenness that need to be brought to the cross. And one thing we discover is that we’re really good at hiding…perhaps it’s true after all that it’s part of every human being, a skill we’ve been honing for a long, long time.

Hiding is primarily a fear reaction, but it shouldn’t always be thought of in a negative light. Hiding is not always a bad thing. Sometimes we need to hide. Sometimes we need to take refuge, because sometimes we find ourselves in places and times of danger. It’s true in a literal sense, and it’s also true in a spiritual sense. In those times when we identify with the writer of Psalm 69 that “the waters have come up to my neck” (v.1), when we find our strength is gone and our resolve is weak…we need to step back for a bit and take some much-needed refuge. At those moments, the problem isn’t the hiding—the problem manifests in where we often choose to hide.

When we find ourselves in need of refuge, we have a number of choices at our disposal, and it’s fair to say that many (if not most) of them are not healthy. We can hide ourselves in our work, in our busyness, in our habits, or in a blanket of denial and false positivity that can cause a toxic backlog in our souls when it finally comes out. We can even hide ourselves in unhealthy ways behind things that are in and of themselves actually good—we can use family, friends, even church to avoid the need in our souls for rest and refuge. Hiding isn’t always wrong, but we need to examine what or who it is we run to when those needs arise.

The invitation in Scripture is to find our refuge in God. It is an image found all through the Bible:

“Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.”—Psalm 16:1

“His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is pure.
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.”—2 Samuel 22:31

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble;
he knows those who take refuge in him.”—Nahum 1:7

The language of hiddenness is found throughout the words of Scripture. In the New Testament, those who have put their faith in Jesus are said to have their life now “hidden with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:3) It is an image of safety and security, of protection and care. It is an image of the very character of God.

There’s a story told about a wealthy businessman who asked two artists to illustrate peace, to depict a peaceful scene on canvas. The first artist painted a beautiful landscape of the countryside on awarm spring day. A cloudless sky, a picturesque farm house, soft sunlight on rolling hills, animals grazing in the field…everyone who looked upon the painting agreed: it was a perfect depiction of peace.

The second artist painted a majestic, rugged cliff. Gnarled trees, twisted by years of violent winds, jutted from the craggy mountainside. Dark and threatening clouds hung low and fierce, while jagged streaks of lightning slashed across the angry sky. The painting was a picture of violence, chaos, and rage.

The businessman was perplexed. But as he continued to look at this unsettling painting, he noticed something. There, in one of the crevices of the rocky mountain, tucked back just out of reach of the wind and rain-- was a nest with two tiny birds. Undisturbed by the raging storm, the little birds looked peaceful, calm, and cozy as they waited for the turbulence to pass.

We are living in chaotic, turbulent days. Storm clouds assail us from so many directions, and at times our need for refuge is great. That is not something to be ashamed of. Even Jesus needed time away from the chaos of his public ministry (though at times it eluded him). If the witness of Scripture is true, and it is, God delights in being our hiding place and our place of refuge.. He invites us to join our voices with the psalmist:

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
Will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
He is my God, and I trust him.
For he will rescue you from every trap
And protect you from deadly disease.
He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.”—Psalm 91:1-4 (NLT)

Lent is a perfect time to remember that God is our refuge and hiding place. As we lean more fully into our need for God and the truth of his promises, may this image bring us comfort and peace whatever storms we are facing.

You are my refuge,
You are my shelter,
You are my hiding place, forever.
I will run to You, I will rest secure,
In the presence of my Saviour.

You can read the rest of the lyrics here.

Provided to YouTube by CDBabyRefuge · We the UnionThe Most Beautiful Place on Earth℗ 2016 Fellowship CollectiveReleased on: 2016-08-12Auto-generated by YouTube.

Questions for Reflection

1) Are there things to run to in your life for shelter and refuge that are not healthy? Why do they hold that attraction? How can you bring them to God in prayer?

2) How has God revealed himself to you as a refuge and hiding place? Offer to him gratitude and praise for his protective grace.

3) Read the whole of Psalm 91 slowly and prayerfully. How can you turn this psalm into a prayer you can offer to God?

4) What storms are you facing in your life now where you can see your need for God’s protective hand? What intentional steps do you need to make to spend time in the presence of Jesus, allowing the words of “Refuge” to be true for you?

You are my refuge
You are my shelter
You are my hiding place forever
I will run to You
I will rest secure In the presence of my Saviour

5) Read and reflect on these verses. Let them lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”—Psalm 18:2 (ESV)

I Want To Know You More

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Day Eighteen

We offer many prayers during Lent. Prayers of confession, prayers of repentance, prayers of commitment and submission…these 40 days are a time of deep communion with God as we pour out our hearts to him and seek to be more conformed to the image of Jesus. We spend much of this journey to Jerusalem on our knees, crying out to God in faithful trust that he listens…and answers.

It is very unlikely that there is any one prayer God desires to hear from us more than another, but I have a sneaking suspicion that there is one simple prayer that brings a special smile to his face, and it’s this one:

Lord, I want to know you more.

The heart of Jesus’ ministry is relationship: he came to reconcile us to the God who created us to be in relationship with himself. If you have ever found yourself longing for a relationship with someone you love dearly who has wandered far and doesn’t return that longing, then you have a small inkling of what was in the heart of God as he sent Jesus to earth. And as Jesus goes to the cross, it is that desire that carries him through the pain and suffering: he knows that what he is going through will enable the relationship that human beings were created for to be realized anew.

And yet so many of us who claim to be in that relationship are prone to treat it casually at times, causing it to languish and stagnate. We can take it for granted, and when we do, we lose sight of God’s call further and farther into his love, into a deeper and more intimate fellowship that knows no limit.

The Lenten journey provides a counter to our casual leanings: as we meditate on the cost of our reconciliation we are exposed in all the ways we fail to pursue our relationship with Jesus with passion and fervor. This doesn’t happen to shame us or to tell us we aren’t doing enough. That is not what God is saying when we’re convicted of our own spiritual stagnation. What he is saying is, “I was willing to go through this for you; that is how precious you are to me. That is how much I desire to be in a relationship with you. I love you with an everlasting love and will go to any length to draw you to myself. The way has been made, the work is already done. Will you, in turn, draw near?” Paul describes this deep and abiding love of God so powerfully in Romans:

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”—Romans 5:8 (ESV)

The invitation that comes to us is to know the heart of the psalmist:

“As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so I long for you, God.
I thirst for God, the living God.”—Psalm 42:1-2 (CSB)

The beauty of this call is that it doesn’t require psalmist-level poetry on our part. Six simple words are all that are needed:

I want to know you more.

And this is one prayer we can know without a doubt that God will honor and answer, because answering this prayer is his absolute delight. As James reminds us:

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”—James 4:8 (ESV)

And if that’s not where we are right now, that’s okay. In fact, that’s kind of the point. The kind of passion we see in Psalm 42 isn’t something we can just stir up within ourselves. It only comes as we drop all pretense and simply be honest with God. Maybe in that honesty we add a couple of words to our prayer:

I want to want to know you more.

Again, that’s a prayer God is more than pleased to answer. It’s a handing over of our hardened hearts to the work of the Spirit, and Lent is a powerful season to take that step. The cure for our spiritual stagnation is to stop pretending it isn’t there and begin to hear anew God’s invitation to intimacy, because the truth is that he wants us to know him more.

I want to know your voice when you are calling
I want to feel your touch in my despair
I want to know you'll catch me when I'm falling
Just to know you are there

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Provided to YouTube by The Orchard EnterprisesI Want To Know You More · Wayburn DeanAs Long As I Live℗ 2001 Wayjade MusicReleased on: 2006-06-13Auto-generate...

Questions for Reflection

1) Can you remember the first, or a significant, moment when you realized that God desired to be in relationship with you? That he delighted in it? If that is a truth that you’re still seeking to know in your life, ask God to reveal to you in a new way the depths of his love for you.

2) How have you navigated times of spiritual stagnation in your walk with Jesus? When your passion for God seems to be in decline, are there specific prayers or practices you find helpful to keep yourself centered? If not, how might you ask God to be near to you during those times?

3) The song for today includes these words:

I want to know your voice when you are calling
I want to feel your touch in my despair
I want to know you'll catch me when I'm falling
Just to know you are there

Which of these resonates most with your spiritual journey right now—do you need a sense of God’s voice? His tender touch? His saving arms? Or maybe just to know he’s there? Offer to God the deepest cries of your heart and rest in the knowledge that he desires to meet you there.

4) Many people build intentional moments into their day to reconnect with Jesus: times of prayer, of worship, of silence, of Scripture reading. What might you build into your day to express your desire to know him and be rooted in your relationship with him?

Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.”—John 14:23 (NLT)

Hymn of the Saviour

If you’re new to Lenten Song Reflections, click here to learn about it.

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Third Sunday

One of the most frustrating things to deal with in life is an incomplete story. It’s only human nature to want resolution, to see the tale brought to its conclusion so that the “open loops” in the narrative no longer take up emotional space in our lives.

The folks behind blockbuster movies and television shows understand this need well. A well-placed cliffhanger in a popular franchise ensures that folks will return to see how it plays out. Will the heroes emerge victorious? (most likely yes) Will the villains get their comeuppance? (it’s almost assured) Will the audiences be happy? (some will, some won’t) Will the studios make enough money to keep churning out more for years to come? (you can be sure of that)

This idea of an incomplete story figures into our Lenten journey as we shift from Saturday to Sunday. For six days of the week we are called to focus our attention on the passion of Jesus: his betrayal, arrest, torture, and death. We contemplate the cross and its meaning, along with our call to repentance and a deeper yielding of our lives to Christ. It is a needed time of reflection, but the tension of the unfinished story can rest heavy on our souls.

As we enter the “mini-Easters” of these Sundays during Lent, we are invited to remember the rest of what happened after Jesus died. We turn the page from the cross to the empty tomb and find the much-needed reminder that the story didn’t end on Calvary—it continued (and continues) on in the truth of a risen Savior who conquered the grave as a definitive victory over the one who tempted him in the wilderness. We may hold back a bit on a full-blown celebration of the resurrection until Easter, but we let the reality of it once again refresh our souls with the knowledge that sin and death did not have the last word.

There are powerful worship songs available that do a wonderful work of telling the entirety of the gospel story, from Jesus’ birth (and sometimes before) all the way through to Easter (and sometimes beyond). When we soak in the fullness of their storytelling, we are inhabiting the completeness of God’s work and the fullness of his promises. “Hymn of the Saviour” is one of these worship songs, a stirring, poetic retelling of all that has happened for our salvation. Here are some others that have that same “complete story” theme at work in their lyrics, and they are a wonderful complement to each “mini-Easter.” (And if you know of another hymn/worship song that does a good job of telling the whole gospel story, please post it in the comments below—thanks!)

"Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)” by Casting Crowns

“I Cannot Tell” by Emu Music

“What a Beautiful Name” by Hillsong

“Magnificent, Marvelous, Matchless Love” by Matt Boswell and Matt Papa

For the song we raise, the works of our hands
Are in service of the King
When a thousand tongues cry, ’Glory to God’
Forever his praise we’ll sing

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Our new single, 'Hymn of the Saviour', filmed live in Oxford, UK, from our 'Creation Awaits' album: CREATION AWAITS // OUT NOW 📝LYRICS - available below and...

Questions for Reflection

1) As you make your way on this Lenten journey, are you finding ways to make Sundays different? What could you do, even today, to spend some intentional time in “the rest of the story?”

2) Can you think of hymns or songs that have been particularly meaningful for you in focusing on the resurrection of Jesus? What was particularly striking to you about those songs?

3) Even as we remember that the story of Jesus didn’t end at the cross, we also do well to remember that it didn’t end at the empty tomb either. In what ways does anticipating the return of Jesus and the culmination of the Kingdom story impact our “mini-Easters?”

4) The story we’re meditating on is also our story. What Jesus did, he did for you, and you are part of the story he’s weaving in the world right now. And it’s important to remember that our sins, failures, and troubles in this life are not the final word of our story, neither will death mark the end. As “Hymn of the Saviour” reminds us:

At the end of the ages, the world passed away
I will gaze on my Saviour’s face
When my heart is perfected, and free from my sin
I will rest in your glorious grace

Spend some time in prayer giving thanks to God for the ways he is at work crafting your story, and for the promises of a final chapter of intimacy with him that will never end.

5) Read and reflect on these verses. Let them lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”—2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NIV)

If Ye Love Me

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Day Sixteen

In the story of Jesus’ temptation in the desert, there are characters who are sometimes overlooked. Obviously the whole event centers on the interaction between Jesus and the tempter, but when the drama of their clash is concluded, we find in Mark’s and Matthew’s accounts an interesting detail. Matthew records it in verse 11 of chapter 4:

“Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”—Matthew 4:11 (NIV)

A handful of words that can easily be missed—”angels came and attended him”—but when we focus on them, these words provide an image of refreshing and restoration that are worth noting. Having emerged from his wilderness journey, Jesus finds comfort in the presence of angels sent to take care of his needs.

As he begins his public ministry, Jesus is not alone in the wilderness.

A similar occurrence is found at the other end of the gospel story, as Jesus finds himself praying to God the Father in the hours before his arrest and crucifixion. Luke tells us about it in chapter 22 of his gospel:

“Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation.’ He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.”—Luke 22:39-43 (NIV)

As he has before, God sends to Jesus a divine messenger to attend to his needs. It is Christ’s darkest hour, one so fraught with despair that Luke (ever the physician) mentions in the next verse how his sweat was “like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44, NIV). Yet even in this darkness, there is comfort to be found in angelic presence.

As his public ministry draws to a close, once again Jesus is not alone.

As we follow Jesus on this road to Jerusalem and beyond, there are moments of temptation, and there are also moments of despair. In those times, we need to remember the promise of Christ that even in our wilderness we are not alone. We, too, have been given a gift of divine presence in the person of the Holy Spirit. But unlike the angels Jesus encounters, the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives is not limited to specific circumstances. It is a fixed reality for those who love and trust in Jesus. That is the promise Jesus shared with his disciples the night before he was killed:

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”—John 14:15-17

The Spirit ministers to us in many ways: he guides, he strengthens, he intercedes, he advocates, to name a few. The King James translation captures his role in a rich and meaningful way in its rendering of verse 16:

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever…”—John 14:16 (KJV)

The Holy Spirit is our comfort. As the angels attended to Jesus, the Spirit attends to us. What a glorious and amazing gift! And it’s important to remember that it’s a gift only made possible because of Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension. He made this clear to his disciples:

“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”—John 16:7 (NIV)

As we journey to the cross, we become more and more aware of our brokenness and our need for Jesus, but we are not left to wander by ourselves in the wilderness of despair. Thank God for the gift we’ve received in the strengthening, comforting presence of the Spirit.

If ye love me,
keep my commandments,
and I will pray the Father,
and he shall give you another comforter,
that he may 'bide with you forever,
e'en the spirit of truth.

You can read more about this beautiful choral piece here.

From our six separate homes during COVID-19 isolation, we recorded Thomas Tallis's beautiful anthem 'If ye love me'-Patrick Dunachie - countertenorEdward But...

Questions for Reflection

1) “Comforter…Advocate…Helper…Guide…” What other words come to your mind when you consider the work of the Holy Spirit in your life? Is there one that has been particularly meaningful for you?

2) Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of truth” in John 14:17. In what ways has the Holy Spirit revealed truth to you? In what ways is he still revealing truth to you?

3) The Holy Spirit is also referred to as the “Spirit of Christ” (1 Peter 1:11, Galatians 4:6). What does it mean for us as followers of Jesus to know that we have his very life within us? Spend some time meditating on this astounding truth, and offer to God your desire to know Jesus better by yielding more to his Spirit.

4) Jesus prefaces his promise of the Spirit by saying “If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15) How do you understand the relationship between obedience to Christ and fellowship with Christ? Is there any imbalance in your life that might lead to an unhealthy understanding of that relationship? How might you offer that to God in prayer?

5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”—Romans 8:11 (ESV)

Nearer My God To Thee

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Day Fifteen

[Special thanks to Amy Nemecek for today’s post]

“But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.”—Psalm 73:28 (ESV)

Just as athletes run drills and musicians practice scales to reinforce and strengthen fundamental muscle patterns, our souls need the repetition of movements and patterns of the Holy Spirit. Praying. Reading and meditating on God’s Word. Humbling ourselves in true repentance.

The essential movement in each of these practices is that of drawing near to God.

Praying with and meditating on the hymn “Nearer, My God, to Thee” is appropriate during Lent as we journey with Jesus to the cross and there find that we can be nearer to God than we have ever been. The song’s lyrics express a hard truth: suffering is an opportunity for our hearts to be drawn closer to God.

I can’t hear this hymn without thinking of my dad. A precious childhood memory is the time he sat down at our piano to prove to me that he could play. But he could only recall one song: “Nearer, My God, to Thee.” His thick fingers, which were more tuned to the feel of wrenches and the sound of engines, were soft on the keys as they automatically found melody and chords that carried his thoughts elsewhere.

What began as a merry jest became a window into my father’s soul. By this time in life he had borne crosses of suffering and loss, and he would go on to bear many more before he himself was laid to rest. That he remembered how to play this one song says much. Even in the hard times—especially in the hard times—he wanted to be nearer to God. The hymn was the prayer of his heart, and I got to witness it before the curtain came down and his good-natured teasing resumed.

That image of my dad at the piano has carried with me through my own griefs. His unspoken lesson has been a reminder to listen to my own soul’s longing for God in midst of loss and sadness. That practice makes the pain bearable—even useful.

I don’t desire suffering. It hurts. It leaves me broken, sad, scarred. And yet, I can’t deny that it draws me nearer to Jesus. Suffering joins me with him in a way that I don’t experience when life is easy and cares are few. It is indeed good to be near to him, even if that nearness comes through pain. The prophet Isaiah says, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (53:4). As we draw near to Christ in our brokenness, his presence becomes our refuge and we are moved to tell others so that they too may recognize and exercise their soul’s desire for closeness with him.

The continued practice of drawing near moves us into the art of praise.

Whether we are wandering or settled, weeping or rejoicing, in deepest darkness or brightest praise, may the muscle memory of our souls draw us ever nearer to God.

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
darkness be over me, my rest a stone;
yet in my dreams I'd be
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Provided to YouTube by CDBabyNearer, My God, to Thee · The Lower LightsA Hymn Revival: Vol. 2℗ 2012 The Lower LightsReleased on: 2012-07-03Auto-generated by ...

Questions for Reflection

1) Think of a time in your life when you experienced loss or suffering — perhaps you’re in such a season right now. In what ways has God used (or is he using) that experience to stir up your soul’s longing to be nearer to him?

2) Here is an additional verse from this hymn:

Then with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs Bethel I'll raise;
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee

Read the verse slowly and prayerfully. The reference to raising Bethel comes from Genesis 28, where Jacob takes the stone he used as a pillow and raises it as an altar to remember his encounter with God in his dream. The hymn writer suggests that our “stony griefs” can become altars of remembrance that testify to God’s presence. How might we practice this in our own lives?

3) In Psalm 63, David expresses his soul’s deep longing for God. Meditate on these lines from the psalm and carry them with you throughout the day to express your own soul’s longing to be nearer to God:

O God, you are my God;
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

Abba, let this hymn be my prayer in this Lenten season as I journey with Jesus to the cross. Whether I’m in a season of relative ease or experiencing deep trials, let my soul’s muscle memory keep my heart in tune with my deepest longing: I want to be nearer to you. Amen.

Out of the Depths

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Day Fourteen

Waiting is hard.

We hate to wait, especially in our smartphone-at-the-ready, information-at-your-fingertips, drive-thru culture. Various studies have been done trying to figure out how much time the average person spends waiting over a lifetime in lines, on hold, and at stop lights, and the numbers range anywhere from 6 months to to 10 years depending on what country and city you live in. Even those who live on the 6-month end of the spectrum would probably report that it feels like 10 years. Because waiting is hard.

But truth be told, there are other kinds of waiting that can really put that long line at the supermarket into perspective. Waiting to hear from the doctor for test results…waiting for a decision after a job interview…waiting for news that a loved one is safe…compared to these, many of our typical experiences of delay prove to be nothing.

And then there is the very unique experience known to those who believe the promises of God: waiting for those promises to be made manifest in your specific situation. When we are waiting for God, it can be the most difficult waiting of all.

Psalm 130 is another of the “songs of ascent,” which may have been sung by Jewish pilgrims making their way to the temple in Jerusalem for one of the feast days, like the Passover which Jesus was preparing for in his final days. Biblical scholars also put it in the category of “penitential psalms” due to the powerful way it expresses sorrow for sin. It seems that as the pilgrims made their way to Jerusalem, singing their praise and declarations of God’s character and promises, they would also engage in the same kind of self-examination we are called to undertake during Lent.

As the psalmist looks into their soul, what they see tempts them to despair:

“Out of the depths I call to you, Lord!
Lord, listen to my voice;
let your ears be attentive
to my cry for help.”—Psalm 130:1-2 (CSB)

The imagery of “the depths” calls to mind another psalm, one attributed to David:

“Save me, God,
for the water has risen to my neck.
I have sunk in deep mud, and there is no footing;
I have come into deep water,
and a flood sweeps over me.
I am weary from my crying;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail, looking for my God.”—Psalm 69:1-3 (CSB)

To be in “the depths” is to be looking for God, but to not yet see him at work in the way we expect. Sometimes the reason we’re unable to see it that our sin still blinds us, but sometimes the reason for God’s seeming delay is a mystery. Whatever the cause, the waiting is not easy. The writer of Psalm 130 compares it to the image of a weary watchman who has been holding vigil for the long, dark night and eagerly awaits the first break of dawn that will signal the end of his duties. In fact, the psalmist doesn’t just say their waiting is similar—they actually say it is even more profound than that:

“I wait for the Lord; I wait
and put my hope in his word.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning—
more than watchmen for the morning.”—Psalm 130:5-6 (CSB)

As much as we may not want to acknowledge it, a relationship with God sometimes involves waiting like this. Some wait for an experience of redemption that echoes this psalm, others wait for a word of guidance, or for the lifting of their spirits. There are also so many who know the long darkness of waiting to see God at work in the life of a loved one, or to see reconciliation come to a broken relationship. And in these times of waiting, the temptation to despair is great.

It is interesting that in verse 7 the language of Psalm 130 shifts. No longer singing about their own particular needs, the psalmist’s words become a call to all of God’s people:

“Israel, put your hope in the Lord.
For there is faithful love with the Lord,
and with him is redemption in abundance.
And he will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.”—Psalm 130:7-8 (CSB)

After making their own declaration of trust in verse 5, the psalmist now calls all of God’s children to hold tight to the promises of God. Even in the darkness of the night watch, even when those promises seem far off, do not give in to despair. The goodness of God is a certainty, the actions of God will prove faithful and true when seen in morning’s light.

These are good words for us during Lent. In these days of self-reflection and brutal honesty with ourselves, we might very well find ourselves in “the depths,” especially if we are facing situations in life where it seems that God is not moving in the ways we so desperately want to see. As we offer to God during Lent our sin and our stubborn self-will, the invitation comes to us to offer into his hands something else as well: our waiting.

The secret mysteries belong to You
We only know what You reveal
And all my questions that are unresolved
Don’t change the wisdom of Your will
In every trial and loss
My hope is in the cross
Where Your compassions never fail

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

The Sovereign Grace version of "Out of the Depths" from the "Psalms" album written by Bob Kauflin and based on Psalm 130

Questions for Reflection

1) Are you in a season of waiting for God right now? What are you waiting for? How can you apply the words of Psalm 130 to your own situation?

2) Read and consider/discuss this quote about waiting for God from Betsy Childs Howard. Does it ring true for you? What about these words most stands out to you?

“Waiting exposes our idols and throws a wrench into our coping mechanisms. It brings us to the end of what we can control and forces us to cry out to God. God doesn't waste our waiting. He uses it to conform us to the image of his Son.” (from “Seasons of Waiting: Walking by Faith When Dreams Are Delayed”)

3) The writer of Psalm 130 declares in verse 5: “I wait for the Lord; I wait and put my hope in his word.” What is the relationship between hope and the word of God? How has God’s word spoken to you in seasons of waiting? Spend some time in prayer giving thanks to God for his words of comfort and hope.

4) The song for today includes these words:

The secret mysteries belong to You
We only know what You reveal
And all my questions that are unresolved
Don’t change the wisdom of Your will

These lyrics describe a trust that comes from accepting that we won’t always have answers to our questions or explanations for our waiting. Yet many of us still cling to a stubborn insistence that God “owes” us answers for the difficult situations we face. Has that been something you’ve struggled with in your journey of faith? How can you offer that to God and receive the freedom that comes from relinquishing that level of control?

5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”—Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)

Amazing Grace

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Day Thirteen

Here is a devotional thought for today:

Some days you just need to listen to “Amazing Grace.”

That’s it. Some days on the journey you just need to stop, breathe deep, and listen to a hymn that says it better than just about anyone ever has. Take a moment, close your eyes, and let it soak in.

Below you’ll find a few different versions of the hymn (including one instrumental). Choose one, a couple, or listen to them all. They each represent a unique take on one of the most powerful hymns of all time. Listen and let it speak to your soul as you make your way to Jerusalem with Jesus.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Read the rest of the lyrics here (scroll down to see).

►Buy Amazing Grace: https://smarturl.it/PHAmazingGracePhysical Signed CDs: https://peterhollens.com/albums/►Support me on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/pet...

Provided to YouTube by Rhino/Warner RecordsAmazing Grace · Ladysmith Black Mambazo with Paul SimonJourney Of Dreams℗ 1988 Warner Records Inc.Co-ordinator Pr...

by Giulia Zarantonello

Provided to YouTube by CDBabyAmazing Grace · Michael LuskPeaceful Violin Worship℗ 2016 Michael LuskReleased on: 2016-06-01Auto-generated by YouTube.

Questions for Reflection

For today’s reflections, you’ll be asked to read four verses of “Amazing Grace,” one at a time, in a prayerful, receptive posture. Read each verse slowly and take in each word. Read each verse at least twice. Some may find it helpful to read the verse out loud. As you read, listen for a word or phrase that catches your attention. When you are finished reading, before you go to the next verse, spend some time sitting prayerfully with the word or phrase that you found yourself drawn to. Hold it before God and offer whatever prayer they inspire: gratefulness, repentance, concern, or simply heartfelt worship.

1.

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

2.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

3.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

4.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.

5. Read and reflect on these verses. Let them lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!”—Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV)

Only His Wounds

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Day Twelve

There are many things about ourselves we are called to consider during the season of Lent: our sin and need for repentance, our mortality, our need to embrace self-denial as we lay down our lives…all of them opportunities for self-reflection that are fruitful and much-needed. We spend a good deal of time during these 40 days looking inward to the state of our soul.

But we are also called to look outward during Lent as we consider the sacrifice of Jesus, a practice which asks us to turn our gaze towards the brutal reality of what happened at the cross. We might embrace this call a bit more reluctantly, hesitant to confront the depth of the pain Christ suffered on our behalf. But it is an inescapable piece of our Lenten path, one that can’t be ignored without missing the heart of what this season is really all about.

Meditating on the wounds of Christ is an integral part of Lent, because the wounds of Christ are an inseparable part of our salvation.

It’s important to note that when Thomas is wrestling with doubt after the resurrection, it is the wounds of Jesus which bring him to the place of recognition and worship. The body of Jesus still bears the marks of his horrific death. As one of the characters in the Sensible Shoes book series reflects in her journal:

“…the testimony of Easter is that suffering isn’t erased from Jesus’ resurrected body. His wounds have been made glorious. They point to what he has done and how the Father has been glorified in the suffering, death, and resurrection of the Son. The wounds tell the story of our salvation and God’s victory over the forces of evil, of death. Life wins.” (An Extra Mile p. 274).

The wounds of Christ tell the story of our salvation. As difficult as it might be to spend time reflecting on them, it’s a necessary part of understanding the depth of what God has done for us. And understanding the depth of what God has done for us enables us to understand more deeply the breadth of his love for us.

In the wounds of Jesus we find the fulfillment of one of the most moving prophecies in all of scripture:

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”—Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)

Wounds that heal. That’s what we find in the nail-scarred hands and the sword-pierced side of Jesus. Because of those wounds, we can be made whole. Because of those wounds, all the things that rise to the surface in our time of self-reflection can be met head-on by the transforming love of God. There has been nothing else, there is nothing else, and there never will be anything else that can accomplish that for us. For this reason, we do well to meditate on those wounds as we make our way through this Lenten season. As Pope Francis said in a Lenten homily a few years ago:

“Enter into His wounds and contemplate the love in His heart for you, and you, and you, and me, for everyone.”—Pope Francis, 3/2/2018

Only His wounds can heal the broken
Only His wounds can save us from sin
Only His wounds give faith to the faithless
Only His wounds can restore us again

Read the rest of the lyrics here (scroll down to see).

Words and Music by Brian MossPerformed by Michael Card

Questions for Reflection

1) Do you sense any resistance in yourself to the idea of contemplating the wounds of Jesus? If so, what might be behind that resistance, and how might you offer it to God in prayer?

2) The 12th century monk Bernard of Clairvaux preached these words in a sermon around 1130 A.D.:

“Where can the weak find a place of firm security and peace, except in the wounds of the Savior? Indeed, the more secure is my place there, the more he can do to help me.”

What do you think he meant by “The more secure is my place there, the more he can do to help me?” What does it mean to be “secure” in the wounds of Christ? Spend some time in prayer asking God to reveal that security to you in a new way.

3) What does the phrase “his wounds have been made glorious” inspire in you? What might that communicate to us about our own woundedness?

4) Michael Card’s song says the wounds of Christ “heal the broken,” “save us from sin,” give faith to the faithless,” and “restore us.” Which of these seems to resonate more deeply with your soul during this time of your life?

5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”—1 Peter 2:24 (ESV)

Help My Unbelief

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Day Eleven

During Lent we come face-to-face with parts of ourselves we would rather ignore. As difficult as it is, it’s a beautiful work of the Spirit as we allow God to graciously reveal to us where we are still in need of forgiveness and healing, those places we have attempted to hide out of shame and regret. As the saying goes, “God loves us just the way we are, but he loves us too much to leave us that way.” Lent is a time when that truth becomes real in penetrating and transformative ways.

But as the Spirit probes our soul, we often find that it is not just sin that comes to the surface, not just a rebellious streak or a willful spirit. Sometimes, as we are brought to deeper places of honesty within ourselves, we come face-to-face with something we know is there but are maybe even less willing to admit: doubt.

As painful as it is to reckon with our sin, it is at least something we know we all struggle with. Paul knew the struggle and wrote about it. Jesus was fully human and isn’t shocked at all that we deal with it. Sin doesn’t come as a surprise. But doubt is a different animal. In many Christian circles doubt is seen as a unique spiritual weakness and fault, one we are shamed into denying should it ever rear its ugly head. How many of our churches are filled with people secretly struggling with seasons of doubt who are afraid to admit it, who then put on a mask of “everything is great” when around their church friends and family, the very people who should be most open to walking alongside us in those times?

At a church elder meeting some years ago a Pastor of Congregational Care shared that there were many in that congregation who were going through times of “messy spirituality,” and asked the elders to be praying for God to be close to those people as they wrestled with their faith. One of the elders spoke up and questioned the use of the term “messy spirituality,” arguing that it was incompatible with true Christianity. The implication was that they should be praying for these people to get their “faith act” together instead of asking God to be real and near to them.

That is not biblical.

When Christians talk about doubt in the Bible, they tend to focus on the parts that paint it as something to be denied and discouraged. They quote James 1:6, or they point to the person whose doubt was memorably recorded in Scripture, and our subsequent reading about it in a negative light ended up changing the way we remember him forever—Thomas. Never mind that Thomas wasn’t the only disciple to question the resurrection of Jesus—the others also didn’t believe until he appeared to them. In fact Thomas should probably be commended for being brave enough to name his doubts and confront them head on.

There are others in the Bible who doubted as well, people we tend to look to as heroes of the faith. Moses, Gideon, Abraham, and Sarah, to name a few…and yet we don’t condemn them for their uncertainty. King David wrestled with his faith on more than one occasion, and we even have records of these times scattered throughout the book of Psalms, such as Psalm 13:

“How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?”—Psalm 13:1-2

Doubt is not defeat. As the 19th century Scottish evangelist Henry Drummond said:

“Doubt is looking for light.”

Doubt is looking for light. It’s acknowledging the places in our lives where the light doesn’t make sense right now, or where the light is simply hard to see. We can be brutally honest with Jesus about our doubt, just as we’re brutally honest about our sin. It is not failure to acknowledge doubt, it is failure to ignore it. We can learn a good lesson from the despairing father who said to Jesus in Mark chapter 9:

“I believe; help my unbelief!”—Mark 9:24 (NRSV)

We can live in that tension and even grow from it. And we can emerge from seasons of doubt with a faith that is stronger and more resilient. As Tim Keller has written:

“A faith without some doubts is like a human body with no antibodies in it.”

As we make our way to Jerusalem with Jesus, we may even find ourselves doubting the journey itself. Whatever the doubt we’re struggling with, we begin to find the answers when we choose to acknowledge it and name it before the one who, as he did with Thomas, will meet us there and turn those doubts into places of encounter and worship.

O happy fault that gained for me the chance to know You, Lord
To touch Your wounded side and know the joy of my reward
I know, I know, and I believe You are the Lord
I know, I know, and I believe You are the Lord
Help my unbelief

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Title: Help My UnbeliefTrack: 02Artist: Audrey AssadAlbum: Fortunate FallYear: 2013

Questions for Reflection

1) “I believe…help my unbelief.” When in your life have you most resonated with those words? If your answer to that question is, “Right now,” are you able to hear Christ’s invitation to name your doubts honestly and without shame? Wherever you find yourself on the spectrum of faith and doubt, spend some time in prayer acknowledging to God where it is most difficult.

2) Here is a larger version of the quote by Tim Keller. What about these words stands out most to you? Do you find yourself resisting it at all? Use it as a launchpad for thought, discussion, or prayer.

“A faith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it. People who blithely go through life too busy or indifferent to ask hard questions about why they believe as they do will find themselves defenseless against either the experience of tragedy or the probing questions of a smart skeptic. A person's faith can collapse almost overnight if she has failed over the years to listen patiently to her own doubts, which should only be discarded after long reflection.”—Tim Keller

3) Are there people in the biblical narrative who have helped you understand doubt and wrestling with faith? What about their story impacted you?

4) As we think about Jesus, “the fullness of the Godhead knit with our humanity,” what can in we find in his divine nature that can help us be honest about our doubts and struggles? What can we find in his human nature that can do the same?

5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”—Psalm 94:19 (NLT)

Is He Worthy?

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Second Sunday

There are days the brokenness just seems to be too much. As we make our way to Jerusalem with Jesus, taking time to contemplate the weight of our sin and the depth of his sacrifice, there are days when it threatens to overwhelm us. Add to that the hurt and pain of a broken world, especially as we have seen it over the past year, and there are times it seems beyond our ability to bear.

It is.

It is absolutely far too much to bear, but for some reason we sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that’s what we’re called to do. That’s what brings us to a breaking point—when we allow the weight of all the brokenness to nearly crush us because we think it’s ours to carry.

It’s not.

Then just when we feel we can’t take another step in our Lenten journey, we come to Sunday. Another “mini-Easter” that reminds us that the the final word doesn’t belong to our sin, and it doesn’t belong to the cross. Just as it doesn’t belong to the forces at work in our world that seek to drown out the truth of what Christ has done. The final word belongs, for now and always, to God.

In the fifth chapter of Revelation, John has a vision of a scroll sealed with seven seals, the opening of which will initiate the final judgments of the end times. Scholars are not always in agreement regarding the actual contents of the scroll. Some believe it is a written account of the prophecies about to unfold when the seals are broken, others believe it’s a copy of the Hebrew Torah, still others think it’s a record of the sins of humankind. Some link it to similar scrolls in the Old Testament (Daniel 12:4, Ezekiel 2:9-10) with hidden messages about what lies ahead for humanity as God’s work of salvation draws to a close.

Whatever the exact contents of the scroll, what is certain is that it is of such importance that for a moment the angels (and John) are concerned that nobody is worthy of breaking the seal and revealing its contents.

“And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?’ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.”—Revelation 5:2-4 (NIV)

The scroll contains, in some form, a revelation of God’s divine plan for the final redemption of the world, a plan that seems at times to be close to defeat because of sin’s weight and the enemy’s schemes. Only one who can claim victory over those is worthy to open the scroll, and just when all seems lost that one appears to take his rightful place and carry out his prescribed work:

“Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’”—Revelation 5:5 (NIV)

Jesus alone is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll, worthy because he is the Lamb who was slain, the one who took sin and death upon himself and forever destroyed their hold over God’s children. In John’s vision he is worshiped as he takes the scroll, with a new song ringing out across the heavens:

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”—Revelation 5:9-10 (NIV)

In a fallen world, and in the face of our own fallenness, we need reminders of the worthiness of Christ and the sufficiency of his work. That’s what the “mini-Easter” of Sunday does for us. When we are discouraged, echoing John and the voices who feared nothing could be done to bring about our redemption, we need to be told again that something has already been done by the only one who is worthy. He alone is able to take the brokenness upon himself by virtue of his sacrifice, and he alone is worthy to rob it of its power by virtue of his resurrection. And one day, he alone will return to welcome the ones he has purchased for God into his presence forever. Reminded of this truth, we can join our voices with the heavenly choir:

“You are worthy!”

Is anyone worthy?
Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He was David's root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy of this?
He is

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Questions for Reflection

1) Among the questions asked in this song is: “Do you feel the shadows deepen?” What shadows are deepening in your life? How are you holding those shadows before God? How does the statement “He is worthy” speak into those shadows?

2) The majority of the lyrics in this song are questions. How are questions worshipful? What questions would you bring to God as an offering of worship today?

3) The choir of Revelation 5 sings to the Lamb, “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God.” How do you understand those words as they apply to your life? What do you think it means to “be a kingdom and priests” serving God?

4) The book of Revelation is often treated like a horror story, when in truth it is meant to be a word of hope to those who are discouraged, drifting, and distressed. How does the knowledge of Jesus’ final victory impact your experience of this particular season?

5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created and have their being.”—Revelation 4:11 (NIV)

Walk With Me

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Day Ten

A lot of our focus during Lent is on the fact that we are walking with Jesus. It’s such a powerful image for these 40 days—heading to the cross with Christ, where he will sacrifice his life for us, and where the call to die to ourselves and take up our own cross comes to greater focus and clarity. But there is another truth about our journey that is worth spending time thinking about:

Not only are we walking with Jesus…he is also walking with us.

We are invited on this journey by the Lord himself. It is not forced on us, and it is not offered to us reluctantly. This is why he came: to extend the invitation, “Walk with me.” It is his delight to be our companion, to share our joys as we share in his, to share our sorrows as we share in his. He desires to be involved in every part of our lives, meaning there is no stretch of our journey he can’t transform with his presence if we allow him to.

But his transforming presence is not something to be taken for granted. He will never force himself into areas of our lives we don’t offer to him freely and without reserve. Jesus awaits our invitation. Just as it is all joy for him when we answer his call, “Walk with me,” it is also all joy when we ask him in return, “Walk with me,” offering all of our lives and every step of our daily walk into his care.

In Luke chapter 24, Jesus appears after his resurrection to two of his followers making their way to the village of Emmaus, but they are kept from recognizing him. The men are distraught, trying to make sense of the horrible things that had just taken place in Jerusalem and the news that Jesus’ body was no longer in the tomb. And what does Jesus do? He walks with them, he offers himself as their companion and proceeds to teach them (after a small admonishment) about the promises of Scripture that have been fulfilled. By the time they reach the village, they are encouraged and captivated by what he has said. Later they remark that their “hearts were burning within them” as he shared the story of Scripture, which was really a sharing of himself.

Luke doesn’t mention the look on Jesus’ face while he spent time on the road with them, but it wouldn’t be surprising if there was a small grin on his face as they began to understand. After all, he hasn’t come just to be a teacher or a leader, he has come to be a friend to those who follow him (John 15:15). As a friend, Jesus takes joy when those he loves find truth, comfort, and peace in the knowledge of who he is and what he as done for us.

During Lent we say to Jesus, the friend for sinners, “Walk with me. Be my companion, my guide, my teacher, and my friend.” Even beyond Lent that invitation is crucial, especially in seasons when we find the path difficult and the spiritual terrain rocky and unsteady. As the Psalmist says:

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”—Psalm 23:4 (NIV)

Today as we consider Christ’s desire to walk with us, even through the most difficult seasons of life, we join our voices with those who have known that companionship at a powerful level. The spirituals sung by those subjected to the brutal and evil practice of slavery are a testimony to God’s presence in suffering, and as we make our way to the cross they give witness in a way like no other.

Walk with me, Lord
Walk with me
Walk with me, Lord
Walk with me
While I'm on this tedious journey
I need You, Jesus, to walk with me

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Provided to YouTube by The Orchard EnterprisesWalk with Me · McIntosh County ShoutersSpirituals and Shout Songs from the Georgia Coast℗ 2017 Smithsonian Folk...

Questions for Reflection

1) The requests made of Jesus in the spiritual are both extremely simple and extremely profound:

Walk with me…hold my hand…guide my feet…be my friend.

Which of these resonates most with you personally and why?

2) Can you identify with the language of the “tedious journey?” What does that word say to you, and what about it rings true? What does it mean to invite Jesus into even that which is “tedious?”

3) Prayerfully consider if there are areas of your life where you have yet to say to Jesus, “Walk with me, Lord…even here.” What might be behind any resistance you sense in that area? What would it look like to offer even that resistance in prayer?

4) Imagine you are walking along a path like the disciples in Luke 24, and Jesus were to appear by your side. What might he find you worried and confused about, and what word might he speak into that worry and confusion?

5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.”—Psalm 23:6 (ESV)

Psalm 121: He Watches Over You

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Day Nine

Jesus wasn’t the only one heading to Jerusalem.

During Lent we remember how Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51), starting down the path that would lead to his betrayal, arrest, and death. At the same time he and his disciples headed down that road, there were no doubt others alongside them. It was time for the Passover, and there would have been large crowds of Jews also heading to Jerusalem for the commemoration of their liberation from bondage in Egypt. Those same crowds would be there to welcome Jesus when he came into the city on what we call Palm Sunday, shouting with excitement and hope that a new deliverer like Moses had perhaps come into their midst.

Imagine what it must have been like to be on that road to Jerusalem with Jesus and those journeying for the festival. Was there a sense of anticipation already in the air? Did pilgrims along the way glace over at this itinerant rabbi from Nazareth and whisper among themselves, “That’s him! That’s Jesus, the one many say will set us free!” What kind of conversations took place as they stopped for the night around a fire and a meal? What did they hope for? What did they pray for?

Tradition has it that Jewish worshipers making their way to Jerusalem for the three major festivals each year would sing songs from the Hebrew psalter as they approached the city, hymns of pilgrimage that would echo in spiritual terms the physical journey that they took. In our English bibles these psalms are labeled the “Songs of Ascent,” since Jerusalem was situated on a high hill. They are found in psalms 120-134, and for many Christians around the world these songs are an important part of their Lenten journey.

This theme of ascent is evident in the opening verses of Psalm 121:

“I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”—Psalm 121 (NRSV)

“Where does my help come from?” Who knows what those who might have been singing on the way to Jerusalem that fateful year might have had in mind as those words crossed their lips? Would their hearts and minds be focused on personal needs, or would they perhaps have been thinking of the fate of Israel, which had been under the thumb of so many oppressors even before Rome? Whether their thoughts were of themselves, their family, or their nation, no doubt the reminder that the same God who made heaven and earth is still watching over his people provided much-needed comfort.

The songs of ascent are words of encouragement for a weary pilgrim. Weary not only from the journey but from life. They remind the singer that God is our help, the one who protects us and guides us. In these songs the call for help goes out, the reminder of who God is sinks in, and the eyes of the troubled ones look up.

For followers of Jesus today, troubled eyes look to more than just the various hills of Jerusalem for a reminder of their help. They look to a specific hill outside Jerusalem, a hill where the one whose right hand never leaves us allowed the hands of his only son to be pierced on our behalf. And it is because of what happened on that hill outside of Jerusalem that we today can declare with certainty alongside the pilgrims of old the same unassailable truth: that in our going out, in our coming in, today and forevermore, the God of the universe is watching over us. We lift our eyes up to the mountain of Calvary, and we know beyond the shadow of a doubt where our help comes from.

He watches over you
Like a shade from the sun by day and the moon by night
He watches over you
No evil can ever invade the covering of Yahweh

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Psalm 121 (He Watches Over You) - The Psalms Project feat Luke LynassPsalms set to music in their entirety, not just brief excerpts.Telling the full story o...

Questions for Reflection

1) In your experience, what does it mean to “lift your eyes to the hills?” What are ways that you have found God to be your help, and what aids you in keeping your eyes on that important truth?

(In the Eastern Orthodox tradition they include a song of ascent in their daily devotions during Lent—something worth considering if you need an “eye-lifting” assist)

2) It is a mind-blowing thought that the God who created the heavens and earth, the one who flings galaxies into space, knows us intimately, watches over us, and cares for our every need. Have you ever spent time simply meditating on this amazing truth? If not, spend some moments with God and dwell in the knowledge that there is one who is so far beyond us, yet desires to draw so near to us.

3) “No evil can invade the covering of Yahweh” is an interesting translation of Psalm 121:7, which is often rendered, “The Lord will keep you from harm.” How does that verse sit with you? Does it comfort you and ring true for you? Or have the difficulties of this world made verses like this hard to grasp? Spend some time in honest reflection and prayer, offering to God your needs and your questions, asking him to reveal his trustworthiness to you in a new way.

4) The setting of Scripture to music is a wonderful gift to the church. Are there worship songs or hymns you can think of that include words of Scripture in a powerful way? If engaging with Scripture in this way is meaningful for you, how might you build it into your devotional walk with God?

5) Read and reflect on these verses. Let them lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

"Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.”—Psalm 125:1-2 (NIV)

Mighty Is The Power Of The Cross

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Day Eight

There’s a story told about a priest in England, many years ago, who felt a call to become a missionary to a dangerous country, a place where declaring (much less preaching) Jesus as Lord would put your life at imminent risk. As he made his way to the coast where he would board his ship, the priest found himself sharing a train compartment with a wealthy businessman, who took an interest in the young man of God’s story. After hearing it all, the businessman looked at him with great concern in his eyes.

“Young man,” he said, “I applaud your enthusiasm, but I must protest. It seems so futile to go to a place where spreading your faith could cost you your life. You’re so young, with so much energy and passion, with so much of your life ahead of you. Surely God could find a place for you to serve where you won’t find yourself threatened with death?”

The young priest thought a moment, then quietly took out the cross he wore around his neck and held it out in front of the businessman and said only one thing.

“He did this for me. Can I do any less for him?”

He did this for me. Can I do any less for him? That profound statement followed by a profound question has such a powerful message for us on this Lenten journey. During these days, we follow Jesus to the cross where he died, and we meditate on his call to die to ourselves so that we may find true life in him. That is the heart of Lent.

The image of Jesus on a cross is a difficult and disturbing one, but it’s also an important one. In Protestant circles, where the cross is always shown to be empty, the emphasis is on the resurrection. “Our cross is empty,” they might say, “because Jesus didn’t stay on it. He was buried, and then he rose again. That’s our focus.” And they are expressing an undeniable truth: the resurrection of Jesus is where Christianity begins. Had Jesus stayed dead, his name would have been simply added to the pantheon of false gods that were common in 1st century Palestine, and then eventually forgotten. But he didn’t stay dead, and it’s good and right that we have a visible reminder of that.

But how important it is that we also allow ourselves to meditate on the importance of what happened on that cruel instrument of Roman torture and execution. We need to take it in without giving in to our desire to empty the cross of its inhabitant, the one who loved us enough to go through that for us. Paul emphasized the importance of this in his first letter to the Corinthians:

“And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”—1 Corinthians 2:1-2 (NIV)

Later in that epistle Paul will talk about the resurrection of Jesus. He will state without hesitation that there is no salvation without the empty tomb (1 Cor. 15:17). But it’s also true there is no empty tomb without the cross. Jesus rose because he was first willing to die for us and our sins. And when we allow ourselves the time needed to cast our eyes on that death, we are reminded of the depth of God’s love for us. As Paul says in Romans:

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”—Romans 5:8 (NIV)

As we contemplate this amazing truth during Lent, and as we listen for the ways God is stirring our souls to take up our cross and follow him, what else can we say?

He did this for me. Can I do any less for him?

Mighty, awesome, wonderful Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall
Mighty is the power of the cross

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Chris Tomlin "Mighty Is The Power of the Cross" with lyrics

Questions for Reflection

1) Do you keep a cross with you, or on you in some way (necklace, carry in your pocket, etc.)? How can we build into our lives and our churches an intentional time of focusing on the cross?

2) Read this quote by A.W. Tozer and think/talk about how it resonates with, or even provokes you. What is he saying here, and what in this teaching might we find helpful in our Lenten meditations?

“Though the cross of Christ has been beautified by the poet and the artist, the avid seeker after God is likely to find it the same savage implement of destruction it was in the days of old. The way of the cross is still the pain-wracked path to spiritual power and fruitfulness. So do not seek to hide from it. Do not accept an easy way.”—A.W. Tozer

3) Have you ever found a piece of art or depiction of the cross to be particularly striking and inspiring? What about it stirred your soul?

4) The lyrics of the song are framed as a series of questions, which then find their answer in the cross of Christ. As you spend time gazing on the cross, what questions come to your heart and mind? How does the cross speak to them?

5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”—Galatians 6:14 (NIV)

Wilderness

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Day Seven

There is an old saying, attributed to Jewish tradition, that speaks to times of trial that come before someone is ready to serve God in all fullness:

“The Holy One, blest be His name, does not elevate a man to dignity until he has first tried and searched him; if he stands in temptation then he raises him to dignity.”

In the life of Jesus, this theme is echoed in his 40-day journey into the wilderness after being baptized by John, the 40-days that have shaped our Lenten calendar:

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”—Matthew 4:1 (NKJV)

Many people reach this part of the story and want to firmly hit the pause button. “I thought God doesn’t lead us into temptation,” they protest, and not without good reason. The idea that God the Father leads Jesus into a place where he will be tempted by the devil seems unfathomable. And yet the gospel writers are clear it was the Spirit’s work leading Jesus into the wilderness.

Perhaps part of the problem lies in translation, because the same word in Greek can be translated as “temptation” or “trial.” But even if we choose the latter and distance God from the word “temptation,” we are still left with the reality that God allows his only Son to be driven into a wilderness where he will be physically weakened and spiritually provoked. He will be tested in a way that pushes him to the very limit. Does God really allow that for his children?

The answer, as much as we might not like it, is “yes.”

Think of Abraham being asked to sacrifice his son Isaac, or Joseph being sold into slavery in Egypt, or Daniel serving in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. Think of Naomi and Ruth, widowed and facing an uncertain future. And it’s not just individuals—the Hebrew people face a test of trust after being freed from slavery, and when they fail that test they find themselves wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.

Like the Hebrews, sometimes we find ourselves in barren places because of choices we have made, but even there God is at work. The simple truth is this: God allows wilderness seasons in the lives of his children. But there is an even more important truth: God allows them for a reason, and that reason is grounded in his love and his ultimate desires for us.

For Jesus, the temptation in the wilderness is all about his God-ordained mission. The devil offers him shortcuts, alternate ways to achieve glory and power, but Jesus refuses. He trusts God. He stays true to the path he had been placed on since birth…a path that will ultimately lead to the hill of Calvary and a cruel, Roman cross. Jesus knows that there is no other way but the way of sacrificial love, and when he emerges from the desert he is acutely aware of who he is and what he was sent to do.

That’s what happens in the wilderness, and in that we see why God might allow these moments in our own lives. Wilderness seasons test us by asking us what it is we truly rely on, what it is we really trust. When everything else is gone, when the comforts and consolations are all stripped away, what will we cling to? Will we seek shortcuts, or will we, like Jesus, hold fast to what we know is true about God?

God is.
God loves.
God provides.
God transforms.
God sustains.
God guides.

As we follow Jesus to the cross, seeking the way of self-denial, God may call us into the wilderness. But take heart. He knows what he is doing. Yes, what happens there will test us, but more importantly it will shape us. As it says in the first chapter of James:

“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”—James 1:2-4

Lent is the way of the wilderness, but this is not bad news. In God’s purposes it is nothing but joy.

Even in the wilderness
I know I'm not alone
Even in the desert place
Your river overflows
Even in the wasteland
Through the darkest valley, there is hope
'Cause even in the wilderness
You won't let go

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

iTunes: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/album/id1473247560?mt=1&app=itunes&at=1l3voFY&ct=project538244224Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/7BH9JK0mXkG0x3j...

Questions for Reflection

1) Think about the times in your life you would describe as “wilderness seasons.” If you can see how God was using those times to shape you and build your trust in him, spend some time giving thanks for those gifts. If you still struggle to see where his hand was at work in those times, how might you bring those times to him in prayer? Is there someone else you can invite into that conversation?

2) Read through the three temptations Jesus faces in Matthew 4. How would you describe and name the temptations he faces? How would you describe his response? What might we learn from his response about the temptations we face in difficult, trying times?

3) Read through this journal entry by Henri Nouwen (which seems very timely to situations we face today). Reflect on how it describes a time in the wilderness…what is happening? What is the invitation? How does his response speak to you?

“You are living through an unusual time. You see that you are called to go toward solitude, prayer, hiddenness, and great simplicity. You see that, for the time being, you have to be limited in your movements, sparing with phone calls, and careful in letter writing….The thought that you may have to live away from friends, busy work, newspapers, and exciting books no longer scares you….It is clear that something in you is dying and something is being born. You must remain attentive, calm, and obedient to your best intuitions.”—from Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom, HarperOne, 1999.

4) The lyrics of the song say this about a time in the wilderness:

But right here, right now
Is where I start to know You better
So right here, I'll stay

How do we come to know God better in the wilderness? How does that knowledge shape us?

5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”—Isaiah 43:2 (ESV)