wait

Opening Prayer: “Wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.  My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.” (Psalm 130:5-6)

Scripture: Psalm 130:5-6

Journal: How does God have you waiting for the Lord these days?  What does that look like?  Are you putting your hope in him?

Reflection: Eventually God leads each of us to the place where all we can do is wait for him.  It is as maddening as it is challenging, but the truth is that we can either embrace it and enter into it or we can drive ourselves crazy trying to avoid or escape it.  Which will we choose?

Pray

Closing Prayer: “O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love, and with him is full redemption.” (Psalm 130:7)

an old clay jar

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am a mess.  Fortunately, you do some of your best work in the lives of messy people.  Do that in and through me.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

Journal: In what ways are you a mess these days?  How might God use that to reveal his love and his power?  How in touch are you with the treasure you contain?  How can you become more aware of its beauty and its value?

Reflection: I am a mess!  I always have been and will be until the day I die.  But I’m okay with that because this old clay jar contains a treasure.  And I can’t embrace the treasure if I can’t embrace its container.  The jar is somehow an essential part of the equation.  

If I never carry around in my body the death of Jesus, how can the life of Jesus ever be fully revealed in my body?  I can never fully appreciate the risen-ness of Jesus if I try to escape, or discard, my brokenness and need for Jesus.  I must somehow learn to embrace this old clay jar before I can fully appreciate, and reveal, the love and power of the Risen Jesus to a world that’s in as desperate need of him as I am.      

Pray

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me never to hide my messiness or brokenness, because it only gives you the chance to reveal your love and your resurrection power.

alive 2024

Opening Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, that the resurrection is not just a future hope, but a current reality.  Help us to let go of what is dead and dying, so that we can be alive to the risen life you invite us into.

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-4

Journal: Do you see the resurrection as more of a future hope of a current reality?  What does living the risen life with Jesus look like for you right now?  What will you need to let go of?

Reflection: Since, then, you have raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your hearts on things above, not on earthly things. (Colossians 3:1-2)

Notice that Paul says, “Since you have been raised with Christ,” and not, “Since you will be raised with Christ.”  That means resurrection life is a current reality, not just a future hope.  Because of the resurrection of Jesus, he now invites us to experience resurrection life with him.  We do this by setting our hearts and minds on things above, rather than on earthly things.  We do this by focusing on what is alive within and around us, rather than what is dead and dying.  We do this by recognizing the Risen Jesus whenever and wherever he appears to us, rather than allowing mood, whim, and circumstance to keep us from being able to see him and embrace him in his risen form.  He is the only one who is able to usher us into the life of risen-ness he invites us to.  The only question is, will we take him up on it?

Pray

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to live in risen-ness with you today.