Grove Presbyterian Church 2022 Lenten Devotional

  Psalm 93: 1-4 The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty;            the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength.       He has established the world; it shall never be moved;  2         your throne is established from of old;            you are from everlasting. 3    The floods have lifted up, O LORD,            the floods have lifted up their voice;            the floods lift up their roaring.  4    More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters,            more majestic than the waves of the sea,            majestic on high is the LORD!   ...

  Live in the Knowledge of a Steadfast God     Scripture:   “Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me.” Exodus 20: 8a (TEV)      “Then the Jewish authorities asked Pilate to allow them to break the legs of the men who had been crucified, and to take the bodies down from the crosses. They requested this because it was Friday, and they did not want the bodies to stay on the crosses on the Sabbath, since the coming Sabbath was especially holy.” John 19: 31 (TEV)   Devotional Thought:   So here we are on the day between Good Friday and Easter. I never quite know what to do on this day sandwiched between grief and overwhelming joy. Should I still be solemn and reflective from the day before or should I start to express the joy of the day to come. It would seem it should be a quiet time and yet over the years I have probably spent most ...

  Not the End of the Story Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them.   John 19:16-18 The commercial aspects of Easter include vibrant, colorful celebrations, egg hunts and indulging in the best Easter candies around, while Good Friday is a somber day. Considered one of the most important religious holidays by Christians, Good Friday or sometimes referred to as Holy Friday or Great Friday, commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus. For this reason, Christians all around the world honor Jesus’ sacrifice and death for their sins with celebrations that attempt to mimic his own suffering.   Across the world, there are processionals, reenactments of the crucifixion and special religious services to mark the Friday before...

  "Love one another as I have loved you." John 13:34 Today is Maundy Thursday. Maundy is derived from the Latin word "mandatum" meaning "command." Towards the end of the Last Supper, Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment, to "love one another as I have loved you."   When I reflect on how I have loved others, I feel convicted to admit that I gravitate toward what comes naturally and is convenient. For me it is sending cards of encouragement and support. For others, their go-to gesture of love might be making a meal or sending flowers. It is wonderful when we can share our time and talents to love others, but I would challenge us to contemplate how we can do a better job loving others.  Our agenda, responsibilities, and needs often interfere or take precedence. We often show acts of kindness when it is convenient and fits our schedule. It is easier to extend gestures of love to a friend, but not as easy when the person in need isn't someo...

Jeremiah 17:7-8 Blessed are those who trust in the LORD,           whose trust is the LORD. They shall be like a tree planted by water,           sending out its roots by the stream.  It shall not fear when heat comes,           and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious,           and it does not cease to bear fruit.   Trusting is hard, and I’m sure I don’t need to remind anyone of that. Yet, the Bible reminds us repeatedly that it’s important to trust God with everything: our lives, ourselves, everything. What stands out about trust here is that Jeremiah doesn’t just tell us that those who trust  in  the Lord are blessed, he stretches it one line further to say that the Lord  is  our trust. Instead of relying on God and having c...

  The prophet Habakkuk asked God why evil was so rampant, and why evil people were prevailing against Gods own chosen people - legitimate questions, and familiar ones. Who hasn’t asked God why they’re not doing well when someone no more worthy (maybe less) appears to be thriving? Who hasn’t asked God why things seem messed up and unfair?   What Habakkuk did after he asked his questions seems very important for us today:   …“I’ll climb to the lookout tower and scan the horizon. I’ll wait to see what God says, how he’ll answer my complaint.” Habakkuk 2:1 (The Message).   I don’t know if Habakkuk really climbed up the city walls to the lookout tower or if he was speaking metaphorically, but I think he meant he was going to get ready for God’s answer by removing himself from the busyness and activity of everyday life, and put his mind in a place where he could see a bigger picture, and have a clear perspective.   And then he said “I’ll wait…to see wh...

    Psalm 150: 1-2   Praise the Lord!  Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!    Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness!      There are two kinds of people in this world: those who see the glass as half empty and those who see it as half full.  In my family we joked that my mom didn’t even see a glass.  Hating the dark days of winter, on the first day of summer she’d say, “Well, the days are going to start getting shorter now.”  Always waiting for the other shoe to drop robbed her of joy she might have felt in the present.   I spent many years as a teacher wielding my red pen and finding all the mistakes.  It would be so easy to follow in my mother’s footsteps, focusing on all the things that have gone wrong in my life, all the times I wasn’t perfect, all the sorrows I’ve faced.   ...