Feb. 15, 2018: Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Feb. 15, 2018: Thursday after Ash Wednesday
“Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a terrible battle.” -Philo of Alexandria
Choose life. - Moses (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Moses had it right. We face choices every day. Every day gives us another opportunity to commit ourselves to the Lord and to find the life that he promises us. Many of us made Lenten resolutions yesterday, and the best way to keep them is by making these choices.
Moses’ words can give us a framework for these daily choices. He tells us that we can choose life by “loving the Lord, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him” (Deuteronomy 30:20).
• Loving the Lord. This seems easy enough, but we might skip over this one because it can also feel vague. Let’s make it more practical. You can decide to love God by spending time with him in prayer every day. Thank him for his mercy. Tell him that you love him. Ask him for his grace. You can also love God by loving your family. Choose to turn off the TV or to put down your phone so that you can spend time with your family.
• Heeding his voice. The Hebrew Scriptures don’t have a word for “obey.” Instead, they talk about “heeding” the Lord’s voice. They talk about listening carefully to his word, internalizing it, and putting it into practice. How can you do that today? You might try slowly rereading today’s Scripture passages and asking God to give you a personal message through them. Or you might feel him nudging you to contact an old friend or to help out a neighbor. Go ahead and follow through, and see how God blesses that choice.
• Holding fast to him. You might find yourself today feeling lonely or frustrated or wondering if God is with you. That’s the time to cling to the Lord. Remind yourself of his promise to never abandon you. If you’re struggling with temptation, decide to affirm your love for God and his love for you. Choose to stand firm in your commitment to him.
Every day this Lent, try to make a little headway in your choice to follow God. Don’t be surprised, if you do, to find yourself feeling closer to the Lord. Don’t be surprised to feel his life and his love more deeply in your heart.
- Reflection from Word Among Us
Prayer from Creighton Online Ministries
Lord,
Let everything I do this day and in this season of Lent
come from you, be inspired by you.
I long to be closer to you.
Help me to remember that nothing is important in my life
unless it glorifies you in some way.
It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day of my life and keep saying,
"Tomorrow, I will spend more time in prayer,"
but now my longing meets your love and I want to do it now.
Help me to rely on you for help.
The prayer asks you that I reach perfection.
Please, Lord, remind me that "perfection"
isn't the crazy, "successful" way I try to live my life,
but a perfection of my most authentic, real self.
My "perfection" might be holding my many flaws in my open hands,
asking you to help me accept them.
Heal me, Lord, and help me to find you in the darkness of my life.
Let me reach out in this darkness and feel your hand and love there to guide me.
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
