Prayer of Adoration

Praise be to You, my God, my Lord, my King! You have shown Your mighty power through the death and resurrection of Your Son. You have removed my sin as far from me as the east is from the west. You have give me access to Your Kingdom through the work of the Holy Spirit in my life. Your glory is second to none and You are worthy. Lord my soul praises You from the deep and my body praises You on the mountain top. You are all that I need; You are my everything. Thank You for Your extravagant gifts of mercy, grace, and life everlasting. You are the one true God; may my life be a reflection of You. All glory to You, both now and forevermore! Amen!

Solace and Hope

Psalm 43:3 Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.

On this day there is always a contemplative feeling around me. I know what is coming, but I am not able to fully rejoice yet. This verse is where I find my soul. I am seeking the light and truth of the Father. I am asking Him to lead me to the place where He is. On this day, so many years ago, the followers of Jesus were left without him. They were feeling lost, afraid, hopeless. These words would have been exactly what they were needing in that time of need. They must have been crying out to God to be back in His presence again. I need this too. I need to be in the Presence of God. I need to find myself swept up in the holiness of the Almighty. As I wait for the celebration of my resurrected Savior, I seek solace and hope in the One who can and will give my soul what it longs for. These are the days when I understand what it means to be joyful in the midst of suffering, hopeful in the midst of despair, faithful in the midst of desertion, living in the assurance of the Resurrection.

Not Just a Man Dying

John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

This is the verse I am drawn to the most during Good Friday. My thoughts are always with the finality of the statement. There is so much more going on than the dying of a man. Jesus is on the cross for the sins of the world, willingly. He is taking the punishment for each person (whether each of us accepts that or not), personally. He is battling on our behalf for our eternity...alone...as man. This is a weighty moment. It is finished. There is relief in this statement. Jesus' job to fulfill the law and establish a new covenant with all people, Jew and Gentile, is complete. The people at that cross knew exactly who He was in that moment. The words "Surely, this man was the Son of God." are a testament to their understanding in real time. Today, I will meditate on Jesus' words and their meaning for me, spiritually.

He Is the King

Luke 22:15 And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer."

What must it have been like for Jesus to have this final meal with his friends? He was sharing himself with them, trying to tell them what was going to transpire in the coming hours, but they couldn't hear it. They were celebrating the right thing (He is the King) at the wrong time (too early). I wonder how often the sentiment of these words cross Jesus' lips with me in mind. How often does He think about eagerly spending time with me and telling me something that will change my life completely? I believe He eagerly desires to spend time with me daily. Jesus is all about me, just as He is all about you. He desires to be in relationship with each and every one of us, personally. Following the meal, Jesus washed the disciples' feet, showing his concern for each individual person. I am sure it was incredibly personal. I wonder what he talked about with each one of them. I wonder what it was like to have the King of Glory wash your feet. How intimate. How humbling. How indescribably impactful. On this day, I try to imagine myself at that last supper with Christ. I try to picture myself at the table, hearing his words, seeing his actions. I try to grasp the meaning of my Lord washing my feet. There are no words. Sometimes, I just have to sit in awe of God being Himself as a man.

So Much More

Luke 24:45-47 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

These verses follows Jesus' resurrection. There was so much more going on during the week of Passover and the disciples, and crowds, had no idea. Jesus was telling them within his actions and words, but they were unable to comprehend what was truly going to happen. They understood the truth, that Jesus was their Savior, but they were not able to connect all of their knowledge until this moment. It makes sense to me that they didn't get it. These men were not the scholars of their day. They were regular guys who didn't "qualify" to study as rabbis. They weren't the "cream of the crop," so to speak. They were simple. Yet, Jesus chose them. He chose them to be the ones to take His message of hope to the world. I know I wouldn't have gotten it either. There was so much going on beyond the celebration of Passover in Jerusalem. There were many lambs being prepared that week. There were lots of suppers shared together. Feet were washed. Bread was broken. This was a typical Passover week for most Jewish families. But not for this group of regular guys. The disciples were experiencing the symbolic truths of Passover in the most tangible way. The Lamb was preparing them. Let the Lamb prepare you too.

"Mine"

Matthew 21:10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"

Jesus has come to the Holy City. He is riding in as a king and the people of the city are noticing. But they ask who he is; they don't know. I find that fascinating. He's been preaching in and around the region for three years and they do not know him. Of course, the throng with him lets them know, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." There is something about this moment that connects for me to today. How often do I miss Jesus? How often does He come to me as a King and I ask, "Who is this?" I find myself wrapped up in my own kingdom, making decisions and choices the way I want. I claim my life, my body, my mind, my soul as a two-year-old, "mine." And then I am challenged by this compassionate Savior who reminds me that I have done nothing to have what I have. I did not create my soul. I have done nothing to give myself life. I did not create my body. My mind was formed within me by a much Higher Power. So, when I get to Holy Week and I begin to review "my" life, I am reminded that this is God's life. God created me and everything that is in me. My choices matter, but not because they are mine. They matter because I am a part of the Kingdom of God. I am connected to Him and all that is His. My choices either bring me closer to Jesus or farther from Him. There is no middle ground. And when I think my choices are all "mine," I completely miss the purpose of my Savior and my desperate need for Him.

Deep Sadness

Psalm 42:5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon - from Mount Mizar.

Every time I head into Holy Week, coming off of Palm Sunday, I have deep feelings of sadness. I don't really understand them fully, and this year it seems I could place them in the current situation. However, I don't think my sadness during Holy Week has anything to do with Covid-19. It's deeper than that. There seems to be a soul understanding of my personal need of the work of Jesus in the coming days. I feel the weight of his suffering. It's strange. I know that the cross is finished and that I have been bought, yet Paul talks about sharing in Jesus' suffering. I think this must be what I feel during this week. It's not meant to be a downer. It's actually quite uplifting, which is why I know it's of God. I remember the places God has moved, where He has walked, the paths He and I have taken together. I am reminded of the pain that was there and the glory that followed. I am reminded of the happiness that was felt and the praise from my lips. There is hope in God, and He is the only place there is hope. Nothing of man can begin to touch the deep places of my heart and bring me peace and joy like my Jesus can. He is going to walk the path to the cross and I must go with him to draw closer to him.

One Day

Holy Lord, Your extravagant love has become evident to me this week through your Word. Father, I thank you for sending your Son and showing the beauty of who you are. The way you have brought together justice and grace is soul-changing. Lord, the work you do in the lives of people through the Holy Spirit is remarkable. I thank you for my salvation. I ask you to continue the good work you have begun in me. One day I will be with you in Heaven to spend eternity. In Jesus' name, amen.

Preparations For Me

Mark 14:12 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"

The preparations have been made. I can't help but focus on the words, "customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb" for obvious reasons. The disciples are still not hearing the fullness of Jesus' words. He's about to show them with an object lesson in a meal they know so well, and yet, they will still miss the meaning. I don't blame them one bit. They were seeing incredible miracles. They were feeling unbelievable love and compassion. They were in the presence of God. I cannot even begin to imagine what that must have been like. And here he is, the Passover lamb, about to be sacrificed for the sin of the world. He is having one last meal with his friends. He is trying to help them understand what is about to transpire, but even Jesus struggled to teach them. During Lent, I've been trying to take more time to understand and seek those things that Jesus is trying to teach me. I've been trying to listen closely to conversations and look carefully at circumstances with Kingdom eyes. I don't want to miss the small things the Lord is trying to show me. God is not going to scream His will to me. He is going to gently guide me on the path. I have to be willing to take the steps and follow Him wherever He leads in holy faith. So my question today...What preparations is Jesus making for me this Lent?

On the Other Side

Matthew 4:5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus has been to Jerusalem before to fight a battle with the devil. He must have been thinking about this moment on his way into Jerusalem this time. I find it fascinating that this is the temptation from Satan in Jerusalem at the beginning of Jesus' ministry and we know how it's going to end. He will be lifted up! Back to those crowds though, the people who are at this moment excited about Jesus' coming into the city. I don't suppose any of them knew about Jesus' first round with Satan. I'm sure they were completely unaware of the spiritual battle that was going on for our very souls. So their excitement is founded, but their issue is that they are trying to make earthly sense of a heavenly moment. This never works. I have this same issue. I try to see Kingdom work with my earthen eyes and it never quite works. It's as if I'm looking through a cloudy mirror, upside down, and backwards. I know it isn't right, but I try to make sense of it anyway. And really, the only way the Kingdom makes sense is when I am on the other side of it looking back. The parade into Jerusalem doesn't make complete sense until Easter Sunday.

The Problem With Expectations

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

This journey to Jerusalem has created a lot of hype. People were getting worked up, in a good way, about what they believed Jesus was going to do. They thought Rome was going down and Jesus was just reminding them of all of his works up to this moment. The people were excited. They were ready. I've been thinking about this and reconsidering my thoughts on expectation versus expectancy. What am I am expectantly awaiting God to do in my world? Have I been looking at the signs and wonders and trying to make them fit into a pattern that will give me what I want? God does amazing work in our lives and we can look back on those moments and see how things may match up in current circumstances. The problem I have with this is that circumstances never seem to go as I expect. They don't turn out how I'm planning, much in the way Jerusalem is going to be a very different place in a week. So am I wrong to think about what I know about who God is and how He has worked in the past? Not at all! It is so important to consider what God has done in my life and praise Him for it! My faith is founded on those great works (even the sorrowful ones), but I cannot allow myself to set up false expectations of God. I can live in the expectancy that He will move, but I only set myself up for failure when I have a particular expectation of what/how He is going to do so. That was the problem for the crowds in Jerusalem. I am so very similar.

Here and Now

Ephesians 3:17b-19 And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

At a time when things are quite crazy and we are forced to be alone, to sacrifice, you might say, for the sake of others, fulfillment seems elusive. This week with all of my focus on my prodigal God and the love that we share, this verse seems the most fitting for me to ponder. When I can't use the world to fill the void, the only thing I have to cling to is the One who created me. He knows me best. He knows my need. He knows my struggle. He knows my desire to be filled. He can fill me. Job comes to mind with understanding the fullness of the love of God. His circumstance was well beyond himself and his understanding, yet his willingness to follow God through the mess was unwavering. This is what I seek. I want to know this love. I want God to fill the empty space with Himself. The extravagant love of God can bring my soul a comfort and peace, so I'll not need to seek anything else. That's what I'm after...the Kingdom of Heaven here and now.

The Prodigal Father

Isaiah 57:18 "I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him, creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace, to those far and near," says the Lord. "And I will heal them."

The extravagance of Jesus in washing the disciples' feet is just the beginning of what he is about to offer them. This verse shows the true extravagance of God. He knows man has chosen to fall away from Him and yet He offers salvation. Our healing is no simple task. The justice that has to be served is as the sin was in the beginning. Paul's words in Romans 5: "For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous." Jesus' death shows his extravagant love to save me, to be sure. And even more so is His resurrection. That is ridiculous extravagance, even prodigal, one might say. 😊 The justice and grace I have are the biggest show of God's extravagance. It is the completion of my healing while I am on earth through the work of the Holy Spirit in me that shows the world the extravagance of my Father. And that healing, that sanctification, my friends, takes a lifetime. How much do I love Jesus for that work? Immeasurably. Do you love Him? Extravagantly? Mary did.

The Extravagant Moment

John 13:12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them.

Looking at the parallels of Jesus' last supper with his friends, Lazarus, Mary and Martha and his last seder meal with the disciples, this really stuck out to me. This morning Dad made the comment that Mary had done an extravagant thing when she poured the expensive oil on Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair. All I could think about was Jesus washing the disciples' feet and how "extravagant" that action was on his part. He washes the feet of the ones who will shortly disown him. He is serving them in one of the most demeaning positions of that culture. His extravagant behavior had nothing to do with anything they had done. He didn't ask for anything in return. He simply tells them he has shown them how to act toward one another. Incredible. This extravagant moment between Mary and Jesus was simply a precursor to his extravagant moment with his disciples. We often misunderstand the extravagance of God and try to make sense of it in an earthly manner, like Peter telling Jesus to wash his entire body. Sadly, we misunderstand the true love of a Father who simply wants to love on us and desires our acceptance of that love in return. Have you accepted His love? Mary had.

A Letter to God

Dear Lord,

How thankful I am that you understand this life! You have been here and walked these paths. I am so grateful for your continued love and support throughout my journey. You whisper words of hope in the din of fear. You bring quiet in the chaos. The peace and calm you provide while we sit together reminds me of the spirit you created me to be. You are always working and always moving. Your plans will prevail and I am beyond relieved by that. May my thoughts, words, and actions be uplifting to those around me that they may experience You through me.

With Much Love,
Me

A Little Perspective

John 18:19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

Jesus' perspective of the work he will finish in Jerusalem isn't like mine. His view is from the mountaintop. This doesn't mean that it makes God's will any less painful or simplifies it in some way. No, Jesus is going to feel every hit of the whip, every pound of each nail. He isn't going to magically not feel anything because his perspective is from the victor's place. His perspective puts me directly on his mind. Every drop of blood shed reminds him of me and his love grows all the more. His compassion and mercy cannot be swayed; they only grow. The love of Jesus is a perspective I cannot fully know until I meet him face to face. What I can see now is that through his own words in scripture, I have been on his mind. He has wanted me with Him in Heaven through eternity since before I was here. He is a God of love. He is a God of hope. He is a God of compassion. He is a God of mercy. He is a God of justice and grace. Like Him there is none other. Jesus' perspective from the cross increases his mercy toward me.  My perspective from the foot of the cross humbles my soul to complete adoration for Jesus' love for me. Oh, to gain a little perspective!

Truly Suffer to Fully Live

James 5:11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

The road leading up to Jericho is difficult to pass. It is known for robbers and animals. It's not easy terrain. As Jesus makes his way to Jerusalem he is trying to help his followers understand what is going to happen once they arrive in Jerusalem. All I can think at this point is that he is on his way, the road is difficult, and yet, when he gets to Jerusalem there is more severe suffering to come. I don't know that I have ever or will ever truly and completely understand the suffering of Jesus. I am invited to endure his suffering with him, but I don't know if I can fully grasp what that is. He is on a difficult path that is only going to get more difficult and painful. I don't know if I have it in me to experience his suffering. Ah, but the beauty of being a follower of Christ is the fact that He has already done it. He offers me His strength to get through it, just as the Father did for Him on His journey. I must seek Jesus and accept all He has to offer in this time of Lenten sacrifice in order to truly suffer with Him and fully live in His glory.

A Fellow Human

Micah 1:4 The mountains melt beneath him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.

Jesus is beginning the climb into Jerusalem from Jericho. He is headed up a very steep and dangerous path. I chose this verse from Micah because it reminds me of who God is. It reminds me that He is the Creator of all things. He is in charge of the entire universe and it all responds to Him with reverence and obedience. He is able to make the mountains melt and calm the raging seas. There is nothing that makes Him fearful. Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem. He knows the path he is on very well. He isn't surprised by what is coming; he's actually trying to tell his followers. When I'm climbing the steep path with him, what am I thinking about? Am I thinking about what comes at the end? Am I considering what it is Jesus will have to do when he gets to Jerusalem? He is. I need to consider this with him. I need to recognize that even though he is fully God, he is also fully man. Jesus isn't able to complete this journey because of his divinity. He is making this journey as a fellow human on earth, through the strength of his Father in Heaven. This is why He can now come alongside me in my time of need while I climb my steep mountain and provide me great peace and strength. He's been here.

Turn Toward Home

John 12:1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

After crossing the Jordan, Jesus begins the final part of his journey to Jerusalem. He has turned toward home. I absolutely love this thought. There is so much to those words, turned toward home. Jesus is on The Jericho Road to climb his way to Jerusalem to the temple for the Passover. He is going to the place he knows so well. He is fully aware of what will happen and he is not deterred. He is ready to go home. He is visiting friends. He is sharing his peace. He is making His Kingdom visible, yet no one is really getting it. Jesus is on His way to ensure my place in Heaven with Him, and no one understands what that is going to take. It must have been a lonely place for him. He was trying to tell the disciples, but they were so hyped up on defeating Rome that they couldn't truly listen. They were distracted by the worldly kingdoms. Alas, I do not want to be distracted by a worldly kingdom. I want to live in Jesus' Kingdom through Him and not let the world keep me from His truth. Jesus turned toward home. I want to turn toward home with Him.

Glory In the Trial

Joshua 5:15 The commander of the Lord's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.

Jumping back into the Old Testament, back to the moment when the Israelites had crossed the Jordan. Crossing the Jordan was not the battle. They had another battle on the other side, the city of Jericho. Once they are there, Joshua realizes he is in the midst of the Holy One. Jesus, hundreds of years later is going to experience a similar situation. He's going to cross the Jordan, but the battle for him is still ahead...in Jerusalem. Jesus is leading the way to battle, a battle that none of them was expecting. They are walking where the "greats" have walked, yet they are on a very different journey. In all of Israel's history it has been God going before them, leading them. And now that God is on the planet with them, He is leading them again. What battle am I experiencing right now? Have I asked Jesus to go ahead of me? Have I found a place where God is inviting me to experience His holiness and remove my sandals? This is what I seek. I want to look ahead to where God is moving and follow Him. I don't think the disciples really understood the battle that was coming. I think they had missed it completely, and I don't know that I blame them. However, there is no excuse for me to miss it. I have so many historical, Biblical, and personal references to see God's moving. Lord, don't let me miss the Your glory in the trial!