Our Hope is Assured 5th Sunday during Lent Read: Philippians 1:3-11 “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
“Jesus is coming back someday. Could be tomorrow, could be today! Jesus is coming back I know for the Holy Spirit told me so” This was a song I learned while on a Lutheran Youth Encounter Team in the USA. It was a fun song where the leader would choose someone to tell a story (fact or f iction) and then just at the crunch line, the song would start. I remember thinking, wow, Jesus really could come back while I am brushing my teeth or writing a devotion or spending time with family. We just don’t know, and in the Bible, it tells us that not even Jesus knows, only our Heavenly Father.
That means we need to be ready! When Jesus comes back, is He really going to take me with Him, or is He going to change His mind at the last minute? That can be a really scary thought, but Paul in the Bible verse tells us that we have this hope of eternal life given to us by the Holy Spirit and so we can be confident that God will be with us always. Thinking about the day of Christ’s return should be a joyous thought. But for many it can be scary.
Have they done enough? Have they told enough people about Jesus? “What about my family – they won’t listen to me!” Paul assures us that our hope with Jesus is assured, “all of you share in God’s grace with me.” (verse 7b) God sent His son Jesus to be a substitute for us and take all our sins and wrongdoings on Himself. He took all our burdens, uncertainties and failures to the cross with Him and washed them away with His precious blood. With Jesus doing that for us, we can have the hope of a future life in the presence of a loving Father. God wants this for you and me. Trust and believe in God and that He has your life in His arms. Be assured, God will take you to be with Him on the day of Christ Jesus!
Prayer: My dear Jesus, you have saved me through your death and rising from the dead. I know and believe in you and trust that you also have my eternal life in your hands. Amen.
You Have Been Called 28th Day in Lent (Saturday) Read: Ephesians 4:1-6 “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:4-6 (NIV)
Have you ever felt that God has called you to something? Was it a feeling of foreboding, or was it a feeling of excitement? The church uses the ‘calling’ process for congregations to ask a Pastor to come and be their pastor. When I was in LTC (Lutheran Teachers College) back in the 1980’s, the church also used this ‘calling’ process for teachers. I know that when people were sent to Papua New Guinea as missionaries – they were also ‘called’. Is it only ‘super-Christians’ that can be ‘called’ to serve God? No, I don’t believe that is the case. Each one of us is ‘called’ by God to work in His kingdom.
Four years ago, I felt an urging by the Spirit to start a young children’s ministry. Mainly Music started in our church, just through having a feeling that God wanted me to do something for families and children. God is calling each of us, all the time to do something special for Him. Maybe to talk to that group at work who sit off by themselves.
Maybe it is to begin a new initiative within the church. Maybe it is to put your hand up to usher, play an instrument, lead a small group, participate in a small group. Jesus called the disciples to be His followers; He is also calling you to be His follower. What is God calling you to do? In the Bible reading from Ephesians 4:1-6, Paul talks about us all to live a life worthy of being called by God. What does that look like?
We are to be humble, patient, forgiving, loving and bring peace. Sometimes this can seem like a big ask when life is just turning us all upside down with demands pulling us everywhere. But I have always found it interesting that when God wants us to do something He always makes a way for it to happen. Each of us are called to serve God where we are and He has given us the Holy Spirit to help us. It is so good to know where our hope and help come from. You have been called by God – what does this look like?
Prayer: Loving Saviour, thank you for calling me into your service. I don’t yet know how you want me to serve but open my eyes and ears to hear and see what you have in store for me. Amen
Being Enlightened 27th Day in Lent (Friday) Read: Ephesians 1:15-23 “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Ephesians 1:18-19a (NIV)
The Pixar movie ‘Inside Out’ was released in 2015. My children were teenagers, and I could really relate to the plot and the workings of a teenage mind. Pete Docter conceived this movie after observing changes in his own daughter’s personality as she grew older. The storyline is as follows and for those who haven’t seen it and have teenagers, it can be an eye-opener. ‘Inside Out follows the personified emotions – Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust – inside the mind of 11-year-old Riley, who is forced to move from Minnesota to San Francisco. When a struggle between Joy and Sadness leads to core memories being lost and personality islands crumbling, Joy and Sadness embark on a dangerous journey to return to Headquarters, ultimately realising that all emotions especially Sadness, are vital for Riley’s well-being and growth.’
[Wikipedia] Read through the Bible reading for today again (Ephesians 1:15–23). All that God has done in sending Jesus to pay the debt of my sin brings so many emotions within me. I am grateful, thankful, filled with joy, but also with sadness as I know the pain that it cost both Jesus and God. In the above passage, Paul prays that God may open the eyes of the people of Ephesus to the extreme love God has for them and the workings of the Holy Spirit as he brings wisdom and knowledge to their lives about how much God has done and will do in each of their lives. Paul is telling us that too! God loves you so much love that He sent His only Son to the cross as a willing sinless Saviour. God then raised Jesus from the dead after a gruesome death and is seated with God and now rules for eternity.
God has given Jesus all power and authority. But, even with this incredible reign and dominion, you and I were chosen to live with Him. Celebrate with joy and thanksgiving! You have been chosen to enter Heaven – live like that matters!
Prayer: Help me Lord Jesus to understand all that you are saying to me through your Word, the Bible. So often I take things for granted and don’t try to get it. You are always patient with me, thank you. Amen.
Working of God’s Spirit 26th Day in Lent (Thursday) Read: Galatians 5:22-25 “As for us, our hope is that God will put us right with him; and this is what we wait for by the power of God’s Spirit working through our faith.” Galatians 5:5 (GNT)
sin like everyone else, I ask for God’s forgiveness and then I get to begin each day with a clean slate. That is basically what this quote is telling us. God’s Spirit works through each of us, that in itself makes us different – the Holy Spirit produces the fruits of the Spirit to impact our lives – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Showing these qualities in themselves makes us different in a world that is selfish and self-serving, each of these qualities show how we act and react to others. In our Mainly Music Team meetings, before our sessions, we talk and pray that we will be different so that the families and caregivers can wonder what makes us different to then open the door to sharing about Jesus.
Jesus was different. In the society back in 30 AD, he showed uncompromising love and acceptance for all. He stood up for those who were outsiders and expelled from normal society and through love made them whole. He used and showed every possible fruit given by the Spirit to show that He was different. People were drawn to these differences and wanted to know more.
The most amazing act was when Jesus went to the cross for you and me – He loves us so much. Each of us has unlimited access to the Holy Spirit and the fruits and gifts that He provides for each of us. I pray that you will be different and that you will show others that Jesus is your Saviour by how you act and behave. Society is quick to label and ostracise; it is not easy to be different. So rather, show that you are a Christian by your love. God helps us through the Holy Spirit – don’t forget to use this amazing power!
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you that you were different and that I have an example of a true servant to follow. Help me to not be ashamed of you and the Gospel, but to shine out to all displaying the fruits of the Spirit. Amen
‘The God Who Stays’ 25th Day in Lent (Wednesday) Read: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)
I am sitting in my home office looking at all the devotions I need to write for this Lenten devotional, and I feel somewhat overwhelmed. How can I write another one? Surely, I have said everything. Then, on my Spotify Christian play list, this song comes on by Matthew West – ‘The God who Stays’. This is exactly what I need to say for this devotion. “If I were You I would’ve given up on me by now I would’ve labelled me a lost cause ‘Cause I feel just like a lost cause If I were You I would’ve turned around and walked away I would’ve labelled me beyond repair ‘Cause I feel like I’m beyond repair Oh, but somehow You don’t see me like I do Somehow You’re still here You’re the God who stays, You’re the God who stays You’re the one who runs in my direction, When the whole world walks away You’re the God who stands, With wide open arms And You tell me nothing I have ever done can separate my heart From the God who stays” [by Matthew West].
Throughout the Bible we have examples of God remaining by His people when they have sinned and turned away from Him. God returns again and again in love to a people who don’t deserve His love. Are we really any different? As God’s people we have experienced many ups and downs, we may have turned away from Him and yet, “inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (verses 16b, 17) I love in the song lyrics that it says that God not only stays beside us through thick and thin, but He also runs towards us like the father in the story of the prodigal son. No matter what the world throws at us or accuses us of, there is nothing “…nor anything else in all creation, that will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39) A God who never leaves me is the God in whom I place my hope!
Prayer: Thank you, dear God, for always staying by my side. You are there in my joyous times and also when I am discouraged and sad. In you I place my hope and trust. Amen.
Place Your Hope 24th Day in Lent (Tuesday) Read: 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 “On [God] we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers.” 2 Corinthians 10b-11a (NIV)
I was homesick. I had left Australia filled with a spirit of adventure to the UK and had found myself in a busy home looking after someone else’s children as a nanny. The first weeks flew by as I settled into the children’s routine and the routine of the house. But then I started to think of home and my family in Adelaide. They were such a long way away and I yearned for something familiar. Then, came a letter and every week there was another – my faithful mother wrote an aerogramme letter every week to me. This became my source of comfort and I in turn wrote every week back sharing all my needs, joys and concerns. I placed my hope in this letter knowing my mum understood. Our Heavenly Father also understands our needs, concerns and worries and listens and comforts us. As a sinful human we know that we will experience troubles, homesickness, pain and hurt because that is all part of being a human.
God doesn’t want us to hurt any more than He wants us to sin, but no matter what, He is always there sharing His love with us through all His letters (The Bible). We can rely on our loving Father to provide us with every good thing. He loved us so much that He sent His one and only Son to the cross to forgive us and provide a way for our salvation. That truly is a God who loves. So, place your hope in a God who doesn’t change, who listens to all your prayers, who understands all your pain and hurt, and who forgives you unconditionally.
Paul in his second letter to the people of Corinth, wanted to tell them all about this God who is “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,” (verse 3). This loving God gives us the example of how to care and comfort people so that we in turn can show this same care and comfort to others. So, place your trust and hope in a God who knows and understands!
Prayer: My loving God, thank you for the way you understand me. You know what I need before I ask for help. Help me to understand your ways so that I too may share them with others. Amen. 3
God Knows Better 23rd Day in Lent (Monday) Read: 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)
The story of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter follows the story of a little rabbit who thinks he knows everything and what is best, when realistically he should have listened to his mother. Peter’s mother warned her four children – Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter to have fun but not to go into Mr McGregor’s garden, for that is where their father was made into a rabbit pie. Disobedient Peter did go into the garden and had his fill of the vegetables growing there but then was chased by Mr McGregor where he lost his shoes and his jacket which got caught on a net.
He hid in a watering can filled with water until his sneeze gave him away, he was chased again and finally escaped under the gate. He was so exhausted when he got home that he was put to bed with only chamomile tea while his sisters had a lovely supper. It is very easy to think that we know better than God. The Bible (God’s Word) was written so long ago, is it even relevant? God does know what is best for us and warns us to stay out of the forbidden places where we could get hurt. In the Bible reading, God tells us that His love never fails. When we were younger (in our faith) we accepted God’s love, grace and forgiveness most of the time without question. God told us not to do something and hopefully we obeyed. With a more mature faith, we can understand more the cost of our disobedience (sin) and how that hurts us and others around us. We know we need to listen to God, but sometimes over the fence in the garden, everything looks so much better.
God has assured us of His love. He forgives us continually. He has shown us His love through Jesus’ death on the cross and then overcoming death by rising again. And He has given us the promise and hope of spending eternity in heaven. Listen to God, He really does know better!
Prayer: Loving Father, you love me with an unconditional love which surrounds me every day. Help me to rely on you for wisdom and to listen to your guiding me. Bring me to your eternal home. Amen
Unsurpassed Love 4th Sunday during Lent Read: 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 “Love is patient, love is kind… It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 4a, 7 (NIV)
My husband and I have just celebrated thirty years of marriage. The above verses were not the text for our wedding, but I do know that this is a favourite for many couples about to be married. This verse is filled with optimism for a future filled with love. It is a verse encouraging each person to live in this love knowing that only a love f illed with God and the Holy Spirit can get through all the tough times.
This sort of love always has the best intentions for the other person; it protects them from any hurts of body, mind and spirit; it trusts that the other person will be there through thick and thin; there are shared hopes and dreams; and that one person will never give up on the other. Such a marriage, for those who have been married for a while, seems almost ‘pie in the sky’, unrealistic and possibly naive, but those entering marriage don’t think so and look at their future with love, hopes and dreams. God wants us to have this sort of love not just as a married couple but also for all our relationships, whether it be between family members, parents, friends and church members. The love we have for each other needs to be filled with God’s love.
There will also be people that perhaps we do not like, but God calls us to love them. We need to love them with a servant heart, always putting their interests above our own and praying for their future. God has this love for each of us.
He is patient and kind when we say unkind things. He will protect us with His angels; we can always trust that God has our best interests at heart. We know that our future is secured and that is where we place our hope. God will never give up on us but comes back to us again and again with His forgiveness and love. For us as humans, this sort of love can seem impossible, but with God it surpasses all our understanding. Know that God’s love is unsurpassed!
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your incredible love for me. I cannot understand this depth of love that gives His only Son to save me. Help me to pass this love on to those around me. Amen.
Hope Overflowing 22nd Day in Lent (Saturday) Read: Romans 15:13-21 “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)
In 2010, our family took a thirteen-week holiday in an RV driving across the USA from Los Angeles to New York City and visited everywhere in between. Before we left Australia, I remember my husband asking the children to give him three things that they wanted to see and do while there. Disneyland was on the list, a dinosaur park in Colorado, The Grand Canyon, Greenfield Village in Michigan and Niagara Falls in New York/ Canada. (There were lots of other ideas and places!) We were also to visit Monument Valley in Arizona and Central Park in New York City as well as visiting family and friends in Iowa and Minnesota. It was to be a journey full of experiences and we went with the hopes of all that we were to see and do.
The plans were made, and we set off and so many of our dreams came true, but plans also had to change due to weather, building construction and closures. Snow stopped us seeing Yellowstone National Park and Old Faithful (on my list). But instead, we saw more of South Dakota and Bear Country. I am sure that you have also had times where you were so excited for the future with hope overflowing – having children, children’s weddings, grandchildren, retirement, a new job and f inishing school knowing that a new chapter is beginning.
These are the hopes and dreams that God wants us to have. I think that is the sort of joy and hope that Paul is talking about. It is a hope without boundaries where anything is possible. It is the joy we experience in the faithfulness of a loving God. This joy and hope we can also relate to during Lent. We know that our Saviour went through a horrific death for you and me, but that is not the end of the story.
Jesus rose again to give us a hope that overflows. It is in this that we can f ind joy for our future and the peace that God knows and cares for each of us. Our hope lies in the love of our Heavenly Father.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord God, for giving me a future filled with hope and your promises. You guide and direct me through each day, let me rest in your peace and the joy of a future with you. Amen.