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We have now entered a time of Lent.  Ash Wednesday introduced to us the opportunity to begin a 40 day journey.  This journey is to open our eyes to where we may be missing it, where we may be failing to be faithfully living as God’s child, where we may be going in the wrong direction.  It is a time of reflection, a time of repentance, and a time of redirection.  It is the place where we can see where we are and head to the place where we should be.  

The first Sunday of Lent takes us to a familiar scripture.  We know it is as the temptation of Jesus.  Jesus has been baptized.  God has proclaimed him as his own Son.  Jesus has been identified and John has shown others who he is.  It is now time for Jesus to undergo temptation.  This is a preparation of what is ahead.  But it gives us a glimpse into how we may find ourselves tempted in our own lives.  And possibly help us to identify where we may be going in the wrong direction.  The temptations Jesus faces should be eye opening to our own temptations.

Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus is led to the wilderness where he is alone.  He spends time in fasting and prayer.  It is a time to grow and prepare, to listen and to seek direction from God.  Jesus has fasted, meaning he has not eaten in 40 days.  It is at this time when the tempter approaches him with his first pull, the first of the enticements to see if Jesus will waiver.

Jesus would be hungry.  Most of us don’t know what it is to fast for one day, much less multiple.  So we have to imagine the cravings Jesus is having for food.  But the tempter asks him to simply take a stone and turn it into bread.  It is a simple request.  This is within Jesus’ power to do.  And Jesus is hungry.  What could be the problem?  It seems to be reasonable.  Surely he has starved enough already.  

The bread is not the issue.  It is the reasoning for turning the stone to bread.  The devil asks him to prove himself.  IF or SINCE you are the Son of God, do this.  It is a temptation to show his power.  It is the temptation to prove who he is.  It is a manipulation to see if Jesus will fall in the face of temptation.  Jesus proclaims his allegiance to following the word of God.

The second temptation takes an interesting turn.  The temptation is still focused on power.  It is still a temptation to prove who he is.  It begins the same, IF or SINCE you are the Son of God.  Except this time, the tempter uses scripture to show why this would be a good thing.  In other words, the devil has taken scripture out of context to prove a point.  He is using God’s own scripture against Jesus.  He is twisting scripture to make it what he wants it to be.  He has plucked a verse from familiar scripture to lead Jesus down a wrong path.  

Jesus recognizes this and combats him with scripture which is in context.  He provides him with scripture as God had given it, in its completeness and not manipulated.  He recognizes what has happened and shows him how to properly use the word of God.  And the power the devil has is not the power he seeks, even as attractive as it may seem.

The third and final temptation is connected to the same idea – I have the power you need.  The urge for power is real.  It has a pull which is attractive and causes many people to slip.  The tempter presents a landscape that is beautiful and amazing.  God’s creation is before him.  And all of this can be his if he simply makes the sacrifice.  Jesus understands the lure and combats him once again with scripture taken in context.  The worship of God is the only true worship, even if it means giving up all the power of the world.  

Jesus has passed the test.  But what about you and me?  We are certainly not Jesus.  We expect Jesus to make the right calls.  We expect him to do the right thing and choose the right option.  We know he’s going to get the answers right on the test.  But what about us?  I think this is an opportunity for us to learn from the test so we are prepared when temptations come our way, and they are, and they will.

Power is attractive.  It comes in the form of envy, greed, manipulation, vanity, and having influence over other people.  It sneaks up on us in our social media, our own mirrors, our own lives when we least expect it.  It causes us to be apathetic or to stop caring.  It twists our longings to become obsessions and shifts our focus on things which do not matter.  It shows up in our words and our actions which become fueled by anger and hatred.  And it happens when we often don’t notice because the attractiveness is so great.  It happens regardless of our age or our status.  And it can look so beautiful but lead us in such dark places.  

That’s why this time of renewal and repentance is so important.  It causes us to stop and really seek God.  It should give us the opportunity to reevaluate what we are doing and why we are doing it.  Have we become captive to the temptations all around us?  For the majority of people, this would be a defined yes, in one way or another.  

Recognizing this is where we begin.  Understand this happens even from those times when the Bible has been quoted and from people who seem to know the scripture.  We can be led to difficult places and choose the wrong path when we don’t know God’s word and haven’t taken the time to study and grow.  We can be tempted to take the wrong path when we don’t understand what it means to follow.

This is a time of awakening.  Power is a temptation which has an undeniable pull.  Yet, God is greater.   His love overcomes.  His mercy is available.  His kindness is life changing.  And we can choose HIM.  Jesus helps us to recognize we are not destined for the wrong path, but we are instead given the opportunity to choose the way of God.  What will you choose?  Where are you missing it?  What are you willing to do about it?  The choice is yours.

A significant part of the Lenten season is commitment.  We are committing to something that is different than what we have been doing.  For some, the commitment is to fasting.  We will often hear people talk about something they are giving up for Lent.  It could be their favorite meal, social media or maybe a most-watched show.  It is an act of giving up something which holds importance or significance in life. Others will commit to doing something which will help in the exploration of their walk with God.  This could look like reading a devotional, spending more time in prayer, studying the Bible, attending services of worship, or giving of an offering.  The two ideas really go together.  Either giving up or giving time to something special is the idea.  

Lent can also be a time of exploration.  I mention this because for me, personally, it is a time to listen to God and find out where I am missing it.  Where is it that I need to grow or what it is that I need to stop doing?  What is it about my life that may be hiding my light under a basket?  What actions am I doing which do not align with my values?  It is about taking a long, difficult look at my own actions and seeking God’s guidance.  Admittedly, this time of exploration could lead to a type of fasting – giving up something which is hindering my growth.  It could also lead to a type of giving additional time to something which would help me become more like Christ.  It all works together.

But in all of this, commitment is required.  It is a 40 day commitment to something outside of our norm.  It is a time period set aside we commit to the Lord.  It is unlike any other time.  And commitment can be difficult.  It will seem as if our lives clash with the commitments we make.  It may even be a fight for us to keep those commitments.  The important part is to continue to do the work.  Even when we fail for a day or things don’t go well, don’t stop.  The commitment is key.  Continue to do the hard work.  Continue to hear God.  Continue to explore where you can grow and what needs to be changed.  Don’t quit.  Commit to becoming more like Christ.  It will be worth it in the end.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.  We are but dust and to dust we shall return.  Ash Wednesday is a reminder of our humanity and our limited time here on earth.  In our humanity, we often make mistakes, go the wrong way, find ourselves wandering far from where we started.  We can continue to drift or we can remember who we are and come back to the One who created us.  For me, Ash Wednesday is that call to come back home.  It is the invitation to come to the table, to receive the steadfast love and abundant mercy we so long for.  It is the arms wide open waiting for our turning back.  It is the journey of heading back and finding we are on our way to something amazing.  It is a reminder of how God has been with us.  And it is an awakening to where we are missing it all.

Psalm 51 is my favorite passage for this day.  It is attributed to David as he realizes how far he has drifted and the painful crawl back home.  It is painful because of David, not God.  It is filled with realizations of actions which caused so much heartache and destruction.  And while it is all of these things, for me, it is more about who God is.

He is full of steadfast love and abundant mercy.  He is truth, issues judgement and provides wisdom.  He offers cleansing and renewal, restoration and deliverance.  He presents a new way.  God has prepared the table.  God has welcomed his children.  God has poured out his love in more ways than can be counted.

What will we do?  Will we begin the journey home?  Will we see where we are missing it and find our eyes fixed on him instead?  Will we become consumed in his steadfast love?  Or will we continue drifting?  Ash Wednesday reminds us of our humanity, our awakening of just how short our time is.  May we not waste a moment.  The invitation has been sent.  What will we do with it?

We approach the season of Lent tomorrow with Ash Wednesday.  As I mentioned yesterday in the devotional thoughts, it is an opportunity for us to dig deep within ourselves and see where we are not following God as we should.  It is the time to really check ourselves in an honest and raw way.  It can be hard to do this.  We don’t often want to see where we are falling short.  We don’t want to change anything.  This all can be difficult and challenging.  But this is how we grow.

What if we approach this time with gratefulness?  We get this privileged time to spend moments with God to help us become more like him.  We can not only receive redirection but also be surrounded and wrapped in his love.  Part of our discovery is grace.  Knowing we aren’t perfect but also knowing we can always improve.  This is a special time which we can be grateful and welcome this in. 

We should enter this season with an open heart and a grateful attitude.  This is where we begin to change.  This is where we begin to humble ourselves to listen.  This is where we find God at work in and through us.  But it doesn’t happen if we don’t seek God.  This doesn’t happen if we don’t seek redirection.  This also doesn’t happen if we aren’t willing to change.  In the end, if we are willing, we will find new opportunities to become joyful, loving followers.  

Are you grateful for this season approaching?  How might we humble ourselves to prepare our hearts and minds for what God has in store?  If we do, we may leave this Lenten Season forever changed.

It is almost time to enter the time of Lent – the season leading up to Easter.  For me, it is a special time.  It is an opportunity to evaluate myself and see where I am failing.  Where is it that I am not doing as God would have me to do?  What am I missing?  One of the most powerful parts of this time is this isn’t a time to evaluate others.  This is a time of deep searching within. 

During lent, I am reminded of Psalm 139, verses 23-24, “²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. ²⁴ See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”  These verses call for God to search us.  We are asking God to test us, to know what we are thinking.  We are seeking God to take a deep, long look at us.  In doing this, we surely will find where we are missing it.  We will find where we are doing well.  And we will find where God is working in us to make us more like him.

This is a challenging opportunity to spend time with God and have him lead us.  It can be exciting, painful, beautiful and difficult all at the same time.  But if we are willing, we can come out of this reflecting his glory and shining bright for him.  In the end, we may find we are the light shining in the darkness.  Are you ready to have God search you and seek to become more like him?  Let it begin.

When we think of rules, we think of something strict.  They are hard and fast rules that tell us what we are to do and if we don’t do it correctly, we have broken the rule.  I will take one we probably heard in school and plenty of people also didn’t follow.  There was a rule to not talk in class unless you are called upon.  This is simple.  If you are given permission, you talk.  If you don’t have permission, you don’t talk.  It keeps order in the class and facilitates learning.  But there are always folks who whisper or try to get away with just a little talking.  There are those who write notes and pass them because technically they aren’t talking but still not following the rule per se.  But the rule is clear – don’t talk unless the teacher calls on you and you have been given permission.  It’s simple. 

In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5), Jesus is taking what many consider as rules and getting to the root of them.  He is trying to help the disciples and followers of God understand the core of the rule so they can apply it in a different way.  It isn’t just simply not talking, it is about being considerate to the other classmates, helping others concentrate on their work, and keeping the teacher from losing his or her mind with all the chatter.  There’s more to it.  And Jesus wants them to understand more than what they have gotten in the past.  He wants to take it to the next level.

The other thing to remember is Jesus clearly states he is not there to abolish the law.  He has come to fulfill it.  That means the commands given by God don’t go away with Jesus.  The Old Testament doesn’t become obsolete or invalid.  In fact, he is bringing life to the commands of God, he is bringing light to the Old Testament and it is even more important to understand who God is and what he is doing.  This is not doing away, but fulfilling.  And this is just one way of fulfillment. 

Given these two things, read what is recorded in Matthew 5:21-30.  This just takes into account 2 of the examples, but will get us to start thinking the way Jesus is teaching rather than simply reading the rules.

In the first example, Jesus uses the command of you shall not murder.  This seems pretty clear cut.  Do not murder.  If you murder, there are consequences.  So it would seem that those who have not murdered anyone would be fine just checking the box and knowing they had fulfilled this commandment.  But Jesus tells his disciples, and also us, not to draw that conclusion so fast.  He wants to get to the core of the problem.  What is the core of the command of murder?  Jesus says it is anger. 

The problem Jesus is addressing with this command is our issue of anger.  If we allow anger to take over our lives, we have essentially broken this commandment.  If anger drives us or causes us to do things we wouldn’t normally do or wouldn’t do if we weren’t angry, we have broken the commandment.  Anger has to be addressed and dealt with.  Jesus is asking us to take a really deep look at ourselves, our motives, and our heart.  He wants us to understand what drives us.  Is what drives us love or is it anger and hate?  

Anger causes us to say and do things we often later regret.  Anger can be maddening and take us places we never intended to go.  That’s why Jesus is challenging us to check our anger and deal with it before this happens.  If we deal with our anger, we essentially won’t break the commandment.  And so dealing with the anger looks like seeking reconciliation.  It looks like setting things right.  This means apologies and asking for forgiveness.  It means humbling oneself to realize when we are wrong or when we allowed our anger to lead us to places we should not have gone.  It means making amends where possible.  

I want to point out something with all of these teachings.  This is not about the other person.  This is about us.  What are we doing?  What is the source of our actions?  What is in our heart?  This isn’t about thinking of those who have done us wrong and pushing them to fix it.  This is about us seeking what we have done wrong and seeking to right our wrongs.  This is about discovering what is in us.  And when anger is in us, it fuels a fire which can burn out of control.  So we have to deal with that when it is a spark.  

The second example is adultery.  Do not commit adultery is the commandment.  This seems simple.  We either have or haven’t.  But Jesus tells us not to draw that conclusion so fast.  He asks us to dig a little deeper.  What is the source of what causes us to commit adultery?  He points out a wondering eye, an unfaithful heart, and an unruly mind.  In other words, the adultery started long before the act.  It began with checking out other people.  It began with allowing thoughts to enter our minds which then led to actions later.  It began with entertaining ideas which should never have been allowed before.  It began with the heart.  

Do you notice a trend developing here?  The heart is the source of the problem.  Long before any actions took place, there was an issue with our heart.  We began getting off track when our heart was not in check.  We lost focus on what was important before we actually made any mistakes.  

Jesus, in a parable type of way, tells us to keep that in check right from the beginning.  In a very direct teaching, Jesus is having us to stop this before it starts.  He doesn’t literally mean to pluck out our eye.  But he means to get our eyes in check.  He doesn’t mean to cut off anything, but to keep our hands to ourselves by searching the heart first.  

We all make mistakes.  That is a given.  But when we keep our hearts and minds in check, when we focus on following God, we are much less likely to be lead down roads which cause us to break the commandments.  It starts early.  It starts with having checks along the way so we don’t get too far without realizing there is a problem.  

This goes beyond anger and lust, by the way.  These are teachings for all of our life.  These are guides for us as we seek to live for God.  This helps us to keep ourselves on track.  Jesus was teaching us how to live, truly live.  

It begins with us, you and me.  We begin with this exploration of what is in our hearts.  Where are our intentions?  Is our main focus on loving God with our everything?  Do we keep coming back to loving God first?  Do we have guards along the way which bring us back to him?  Maybe it is time to check on ourselves.  Maybe we do some cleaning of our own houses.  Maybe it begins today.

Psalm 18

¹ I love you, O Lord, my strength.
² The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Who is the Lord to you?  In Psalm 18, the Psalmist is praising God because of being rescued.  The rescue was huge and so he experienced God’s mighty hand at work personally.  He not only saw, but actually felt the strength of God working.  And it changed him.  He proclaims his love for the Lord, the ultimate strength.

God is so much bigger than our words.  He is so much more powerful than we can describe.  Our language fails us when it comes to describing the Creator and Sustainer of life.  But it is often when we are most in distress that we begin to see God at work.  It is when we need him most we see him most.  When God shows up to rescue us, it is life changing.  And to feel his power is not only incredible, but something we never forget.  

The more we spend time with God, the more we can begin to have words to describe who he is to us and how much he really means to us.  The closer we follow, we begin to love him more and more.  We don’t really understand this until we truly dedicate ourselves to following him, wherever he may lead.  Sometimes following is into the most difficult places.  But these are the times we see him, truly see him.  

May God show up for us today in a mighty way, reminding us he is our strength, deliverer and our refuge.  May we follow like never before.  And may we echo the Psalmist in proclaiming to God, “I love you.”  

Psalm 16

⁷ I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
    in the night also my heart instructs me.
⁸ I keep the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
    my body also rests secure.

When we are looking for advice, where do we turn?  We look for people who have life experiences, those who display wisdom, and those we can trust.  We look for people who will hear us and be truthful with us.  We look for those who understand us and want to help us.  These are all good traits.  And there is nothing wrong with seeking wise counsel from those who are wise, trustworthy, truthful, and compassionate.  

Let us not forget to also seek counsel from God.  We usually think of those around us who we can turn to for answers.  But do we turn to God?  Do we actually seek out his counsel?  Do we really want to hear what he has for us?  Are we willing to spend the time exploring what God has for us?  It is easier to just ask those around us, especially if they may tell us what we want to hear.  But it is more valuable to seek counsel in the One who knows us better than we know ourselves and still loves us.  

In this writing, the Psalmist seeks counsel from the Lord and invites his heart to be instructed.  Because he does this, he knows God is with him, leading him, and keep his footing firm.  With God at his right hand, his heart is glad, his soul rejoice and his body finds rest.  This is even the case when God doesn’t tell us what we want or give us the answers we seek.  Sometimes his wise counsel is simply to trust him.  And that’s often most difficult.  

What might it look like for us to seek the Lord’s counsel, to feel his presence and to have a glad heart through it all?  

Psalm 43

³ O send out your light and your truth;
    let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
    and to your dwelling.
⁴ Then I will go to the altar of God,
    to God my exceeding joy;
and I will praise you with the harp,
    O God, my God.

What is your guiding light?  What provides guidance for how you act, your actions in daily life, and why you do what you do?  What is it that is guiding you?  For some of us, we seem to go through life aimlessly.  It’s almost as if we just “go with the flow” in life.  The guide is simply what we want to do at the time.  For others, the guide is the expectations set upon us.  We are led by those around us, who are telling us what we should do.  Some people are led by the media and the current trends.  If everyone else is doing it, it must be okay.  

All of these guides will ultimately lead to an unfulfilling life.  The aimless pursuits and following of others won’t help us to truly find the way we were created to go.  We only find our way when we are guided by the light of God.  The Psalmist in Psalm 43 is asking God to send out his light and truth, so these might be what he follows.  It is in following God that he understands there is exceeding joy and praise.  This is the fulfilling life, even if it isn’t the materially abundant one.  

A life led by God is one which has a focus on the teachings of the scripture.  This life is full of love because God is love.  The life led by God’s light will cast through the darkness.  Through God’s light, we may not have all the path illuminated, but we have enough to continue to step forward, knowing God is guiding.  This is a path of peace, a path of joy, and a path of steadfast love.

What is your guiding light?  May we be led by the light of God, step by step, day by day.

Psalm 40

¹ I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he inclined to me and heard my cry.
² He drew me up from the desolate pit,^[a]
    out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
    making my steps secure.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
    and put their trust in the Lord.

Trudging through the snow this past week reminded of how difficult it is to walk when every step has to be high and strategic.  It takes much more work to travel a short distance when the snow is as high as it was.  It is also difficult to walk when you are sinking in mud.  Mud seems to have this suction and picking up your shoes could result in losing one or both along the way.  It can make for a frustrating and almost defeating journey to travel through either.

The Psalmist in Psalm 40 has felt this frustration and defeat.  He has had his feet sink way down deep, maybe up to his knees.  He can’t see what’s in front of him.  He knows what it is to fall so far that it becomes almost impossible to move forward.  It was during these times he cried out to God.  And, just like God always does, he heard his cry.  What did God do with the cries of his child?  God brought him out of the pit and set him high upon a rock.  In other words, he gave him firm footing.  He gave him a new start.  He offered him the possibility of moving forward when he felt most defeated.  He was rescued.

What do we do when we feel up to our knees in difficulties?  Where do we turn when we can’t see a way forward?  What happens when we feel so defeated that every single step is almost too much?  Instead of trying to fight the mud, maybe we cry out to God for his rescue.  His firm footing is exactly what we need when we can’t seem to move.  All too often, I find myself just sitting in the mud, still trying to figure it out on my own.  Psalm 40 is my reminder there is no reason to do this.  God provides just what we need when we turn to him.  And what we may need is to be lifted up.  

May you be lifted up today, set high upon a rock, and guided forward in following God.