Lenten Devotional...March 14

"Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked."

(Psalm 84:10)

Choice is second nature, considered in many contexts of American life as a right of citizenship. The ability to choose, however, is not a gift of citizenship, but a privilege of relationship with the creator God. Considering the choices before him, the Psalmist ponders his options and values what appears to be less by comparison...a day in the presence of God as opposed to a thousand elsewhere; content to be a servant doorman in the house of the Lord instead of the relative freedom of the tents of the wicked.

The cross gives the appearance of poverty and shame, yet it becomes to those transformed by it, the most cherished of symbols. The One who embraced that cross speaks of the seemingly upside-down values of Kingdom living..."What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world, yet lose his soul?" In other words, better is one day in the presence of the Lord than a thousand elsewhere.

Choice is the gift of God...choose well.

Prayer: For the freedom to choose and the choice of the cross, we give you thanks, O Lord. Amen.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...March 13

"Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; Let them bring me to your holy

mountain, to the place where you dwell."

(Psalm 43:3)

Dr. Martin Luther King wrote, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." His words fit well with our text for today. The Psalmist is seeking help in the midst of his trouble. This forty-third Psalm continues the lament of the preceding Psalm, echoing three times between the two Psalms these words of assurance: "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." The threat of darkness brings despair...the light of God dispels that darkness and draws the believer into right relationship with the Creator. Love does this...love overcomes the darkness.

The path we travel during Lent often reflects the darkness of sin that seems to overshadow our lives. We are drawn to the cross where it seems that darkness swallows up the Light. And yet, we see the cross as part of God's plan, the tool that commanded the terrible price of salvation. But darkness did not drive out darkness there. Hate could not overcome. The Light of the world, Jesus, the Christ, overcame the darkness...his love overwhelmed the shadows.

Over the next few nights, a rare occurrence will fill the dark night with unusual light. The planets Jupiter and Venus will pass very close to each other and the juxtaposition of these two bright planets should, according to Mike Wall, writing for Space.com, "blaze bright over the western horizon for about four hours after sunset." Take a moment and step outside over the next few evenings to see the difference these bright lights make in the evening sky. Then ponder the light of the Creator that overcomes our darkness through Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Gracious God, send me your light and your faithful care, and let them lead me. Amen.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...March 12

And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”

(Mark 5:25-28)

The path to healing often begins in the mind. Certainly there is much evidence today that suggests that one's mental state can have a great influence on healing. But more than one's mental approach in the midst of the healing process, the first steps toward healing begin with initiative. Many of the healing stories in the gospels take place because the person who is sick or infirmed seeks Jesus, often because they have heard about his power to heal. Such is the case in our text today. Jesus is on his way to the home of a synagogue leader named Jairus whose daughter is near death. The worried father's concern for his daughter overcomes his concern about what others might think, so he finds Jesus and compels him to come to his home. As they are going, another person risks the response of others as she steps into the crowd and reaches out to touch the garment of Jesus, because in doing so, she believes that she will be healed.

Someone might say that such initiative is a simple decision...if you want to get better, you do what you have to do to make that happen. And yet, for these two persons in this story, taking this initiative placed them at great risk. Both risked the censure of the community around them...Jairus, the religious community; the woman, the community around her that would have been made unclean by her presence. Yet, both, driven by their particular need, stepped out to meet Jesus.

There's a lesson for us here. As Christ moves among us, do we, like these two biblical characters, take the initiative to move toward Him, or do the risks bring hesitation that stifles opportunity?

Salvation isn't gained because of the quality of a person's life. It isn't gained because of anything a person does to earn it. There is, however, the act of recognition that causes a person to realize his or her need for Christ and then, to move toward Him. For the woman in our text today, and for Jairus, the need was critical, the move to action a desperate one. Regardless of the need of our lives, taking the initiative to move toward Christ is a step toward salvation...just to reach out and touch him...that is our healing.

Prayer: As you move among us, Lord Jesus, may we have courage to reach out and touch you. Amen.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...March 11

"In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.

(Psalm 5:3)

My wife Cindy is a morning person. She is not just a morning person, she is a MORNING PERSON!!! The day begins for her sometime after 4 a.m., or so she tells me...I am not usually aware of the world's existence at that time. She enjoys the quiet predictability of her morning routines. Clayton and I are certainly comfortable in allowing her the freedom to enjoy these early morning routines and are resigned to our supporting roles in our slumbering states.

The Psalmist is indeed a morning person. He calls to the Lord in the morning, making his requests known with the assurance that God hears and will respond. It is this assurance that empowers his declaration to "wait expectantly," for God's response. The New Century Version translates the last part of this third verse, "Every morning, I tell you what I need, and I wait for your answer." To begin the day in prayer and anticipation is a good model for the person of faith.

One of my favorite Negro spirituals is "Give Me Jesus." The text simply says, "In the morning, when I rise, In the morning, when I rise, In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus, You can have all this world, But give me Jesus."

Whether you are a morning person or not, to begin the day knowing that the Creator of the universe hears your voice and speaks as you wait, empowers the bold assurance..."You can have all this world, but give me Jesus."

Prayer: Gracious God, in the morning when I rise, give me Jesus, Amen.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...March 10

"I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."

(Psalm 27:13-14)

Confidence is an important characteristic of faith. Of course, biblical definitions of faith don't always exude confidence, at least not in the way the world around us defines confidence. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hope is not always a verifiable commodity, and your bank would probably not grant a loan based on what they could not see of your credit history. And yet, the confidence of faith is based not on the seen, but the unseen...so much so that when Jesus confronted the doubting Thomas after resurrection, he said,“Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Psalmist did not speak in the afterglow of resurrection, but he had known the hand of God at work in his life and believed he could trust in God. The twenty-seventh Psalm culminates, again, with an approach not usually employed to breed confidence. "Wait," the Psalmist says. "...be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." Twenty-first century confidence says, "Don't just stand there...do something!" The confidence of faith says, "Don't just do something...stand there....wait...wait on the Lord" This confidence calls one not to inertia, but to a dependence beyond self...a dependence on God that, in God's time, empowers action and direction.

Luke gives illustration of Jesus' confidence in the context of faith as he moves toward crucifixion and beyond, saying that he "resolutely set out for Jerusalem." The confidence of faith empowered Jesus' walk to the cross. The confidence of faith can also empower our Lenten journey to the cross.

Prayer: May our confidence grow as we walk with you, O Lord. Amen.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...March 9

"With praises from children and from tiny infants, you have built a fortress. It makes your enemies silent, and all who turn against you are left speechless."

(Psalm 8:2)

Can the sights and sound of an infant truly silence enemies? Perhaps if you had seen young Fritz Larson, as I did this afternoon, you might answer, "yes!" Fritz was born this past Tuesday morning, just before 11 a.m., to Becca and Eric Larson. He is a precious reminder of the power and wisdom of the Creator who makes such wonderful gifts in his very image. I love babies and must admit that I stood spellbound by the tiny fingers wrapped around his mother's finger, the gentle motion of his breathing, the softness of his newborn skin, and the absolute peace of the moment as he slept. Of course, had I stuck around long enough, I'm sure that peace would have been challenged a bit by his cries of hunger...but my moments with him were moments of awe and wonder.

I have always believed that children are treasured gifts from God. Their arrival in this world is a testimony to the Creator's handiwork. From their first cries to their first steps, they are offerings of praise that tell the story of God's continuing hand at work in our lives. Jesus recognized and affirmed the value of these treasures when he called a child to himself as he sat among his disciples, and told them that to welcome a child in his name was to welcome him. The innocence and humility of a child softens an angry heart and eases a cynical mind. Jesus said that unless we become like these little ones, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

Perhaps we would do well, on this Lenten walk, to remember the wonder of God's creative hands that fashion such blessings as little Fritz. Ours is the humble place of a child...a child of God, made new in the image of Christ.

Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for creating us in your image. May we, your children, humbly offer praise to you in everything we do.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...March 8

"For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come."

(Psalm 71:5,18)

We often speak of faith as a journey, comparing it to a course traveled where pathways are navigated by the power of the Holy Spirit. This journey encompasses various stages and experiences of life. In our text today, the Psalmist speaks of the confidence he has had in the Lord since his youth, and of his hope to continue faithful to the Lord even when he is "old and gray." He is confident in God's faithfulness to him, and hopeful that he will remain faithful to God.

There is great discussion today about the future of the church. Current studies speak of declining trends in attendance and involvement across denominational lines. There are many theories about this decline. Some believe the answer is better programming that will attract younger believers. Others speak of the style and emphasis of worship as key, while still others point to the need for more relational leadership. These and other strategies have some merit indeed, and yet, though we may package the gospel message in various ways, it is still the story of the Creator God whose love for his creation, motivated by love, compels him to continue reaching out to sinners like you and me. For the Psalmists it was the story of a God who had honored covenantal commitments to their fathers, and their fathers before them, and their fathers before them. This faithfulness was not just a history lesson, but the continuing fulfillment of God's promise. The writer of our text today bridges the gaps created by the differing stages of his life by recalling the faithfulness of God, committing himself to share that story with coming generations.

The future of the church will not be secured by changing worship styles, more progressive and relevant strategies, or more highly trained leaders alone. Discovering, as the Psalmist believed, that our confidence is in the God of creation, recognizing past blessing and anticipating future opportunity, we can and must pass along the good news that God is our hope...yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Prayer: Almighty God, from generation to generation you continue faithful. In our youth and in our old age, may we be faithful to share the glorious good news of "your mighty acts to all who are to come." Amen.

Jim Abernathy