Devotionals

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

Creator God is intrinsically good; therefore, his instructions or commands are good and it should be humanity’s delight to yield to this Creator in obedience.

“Human will becomes truly creative and truly our own when it is wholly God’s, and this is one of the many senses in which he that loses his soul shall find it.”
(C.S. Lewis; The Problem of Pain)

Because God is good, he will never ask us to do something that is not also intrinsically good. Our role as the created is to obediently yield to the Creator and it should be a joyous response for us since God is so good; but is it? Self-surrender and a return to God’s ways of righteousness is never “easy” for a human being unless we have made loving and pleasing God with our whole lives our primary goal. In our passage from the Psalter, today, David sings about the goodness of God to rescue and protect him from people who seek to maliciously slander him in order to create conflict in his soul (war). David proclaims God as Creator, so the response of his will is to seek God’s mercy, goodness, and deliverance to thwart the plans of evil being formed against him. Evil will arise, but like David let’s yield to God with our wills because God is greater and more powerful than anything evil tries to do. God has mysterious plans to save the lives of his children from evil.
Psalm 140:1-8 NLT A psalm of David.
1 
O Lord, rescue me from evil people.
    Protect me from those who are violent,
2 
those who plot evil in their hearts
    and stir up trouble all day long.
3 
Their tongues sting like a snake;
    the venom of a viper drips from their lips. Interlude
4 
O Lord, keep me out of the hands of the wicked.
    Protect me from those who are violent,
    for they are plotting against me.
5 
The proud have set a trap to catch me;
    they have stretched out a net;
    they have placed traps all along the way. Interlude
6 
I said to the Lord, “You are my God!”
    Listen, O Lord, to my cries for mercy!
7 
O Sovereign Lord, the strong one who rescued me,
    you protected me on the day of battle.
8 
Lord, do not let evil people have their way.
    Do not let their evil schemes succeed,
    or they will become proud. Interlude

We see God’s plan for salvation manifest in the life and anointing of Christ who defeats evil. In our New Testament passage today, Paul is writing to the church at Colosse about the Laodicean church [a few miles away]. Paul wants the two churches to come together in God’s love to grow stronger in their faith in Christ’s salvation and deliverance. Paul knows heresy is trying to rise up to rob God’s people of genuine faith; he reminds them about the deception of evil. When we accept Christ into our hearts and lives, we are just beginning the journey of new life and faith in God’s goodness to save us from evil. Every day we must choose to follow Christ knowing God is intrinsically good in his plans for us. If we are not careful to follow Christ and allow the Word to revive our souls each day, we may find ourselves becoming more like the lukewarm Laodiceans than like Jesus (Rev 3:14-22).

Colossians 2:2-6 NLT
2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. 5 For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.

Freedom from Rules and New Life in Christ
6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for rescuing us from evil as we obediently stay in that safe dwelling place in Christ. We understand not everything that happens in our lives is good. Sometimes we just have to choose how we will respond when evil tries to rob our joy. Holy Spirit, help us yield to the Father’s plan for our lives each day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

Father God has moved beyond all human understanding to love us, in Christ, and to make a dwelling place in the restoring work of the Spirit, so we can enjoy his divine presence and promises forever.

“For those who love God will desire not only to enjoy Him but ‘to enjoy Him forever,’ and will fear to lose Him.” (C.S. Lewis; Reflections in the Psalms)

In our passage today from the Old Testament Psalter, David sings praises to God who knows everything about him—even those things David tries to hide from others—and God still chooses to love him, anyway. In every season of life, whether David is walking through the darkest valley of death/failure or climbing the mountain of godly living/success, the Holy Spirit is there to be the Helper who comes along side him. Even though the kind of love and devotion God extends is hard for David to comprehend, the little understanding he has causes David to press on in hope and cling to God more intently. David begs for God to cleanse his sinful heart, so he can remain in God’s presence and not take his Spirit away (Ps 51:11).

Psalm 139:7-12 NLT
7
I can never escape from your Spirit!
    I can never get away from your presence!
8 
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
    if I go down to the grave, you are there.
9 
If I ride the wings of the morning,
    if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 
even there your hand will guide me,
    and your strength will support me.
11 
I could ask the darkness to hide me
    and the light around me to become night—
12 
    but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
    Darkness and light are the same to you.

Let’s take this lesson further into the New Testament Gospel of John. Living in God’s presence—his house—should be the goal for every human being. In God, human lives are made whole. In Christ, human beings connect to the godly life of the Father and the promises of heaven. In the Spirit, humans enjoy divine fellowship and eternal life. In our passage today, as Jesus is planning to ascend to heaven, he seeks to comfort his disciples. Jesus assures his followers he will be making room in his presence (a place of indwelling) for them through the parakletos (Spirit). Eternity with God has been prepared for believing hearts. When we invite Jesus to dwell in our hearts and forgive our sins, he sends the Spirit to be our Helper. So, let’s open our hearts up to God’s beautiful indwelling presence and allow the Spirit to grow a greater depth of the divine life in us.

John 14:1-7 NLT Jesus, the Way to the Father
1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

Prayer: Lord, when you descended from heaven to save your creation, humanity prepared no room for your birth. Yet, in love, you still offered your sinless life in exchange for our sinful lives so we could enjoy the room in eternity you were preparing for us. As believers, we offer you room in our hearts; this is what we long to give. We welcome and praise you for the indwelling of your Spirit and the new birth of our salvation. Now, we can enjoy your beautiful presence today, tomorrow, and forever. We are holding onto you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

Christ is the Living Word, so when the Bible is lovingly and wisely taught through Spirit-led proclamation it leads us to Christ who is the One who can actually bring spiritual life and guidance to our lives.

“It is Christ Himself, not the Bible, who is the true word of God. The Bible, read in the right spirit and with the guidance of good teachers will bring us to Him (CS Lewis; Letters).

Psalm 27:4-8 NLT
The one thing I ask of the Lord—    the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,    delighting in the Lord’s perfections    and meditating in his Temple.
5 
For he will conceal me there when troubles come;    he will hide me in his sanctuary.    He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
6 
Then I will hold my head high    above my enemies who surround me.At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,    singing and praising the Lord with music.
7 
Hear me as I pray, O Lord.    Be merciful and answer me!
8 
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”    And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

Isaiah 56:1-2 NLT
1
 This is what the Lord says:
“Be just and fair to all.
    Do what is right and good,
for I am coming soon to rescue you
    and to display my righteousness among you.
2 
Blessed are all those
    who are careful to do this.
Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest
    and keep themselves from doing wrong.

Please take time to read over our passages for today. I will be teaching on them and leading a discussion this evening during our Lenten Bible Study at 7PM. I hope you will plan to join us in person at Connect2Christ Church or online through our website as we explore the Scriptures together.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for life and the many blessings you extend to your children each and every day. Continue to lead us toward spiritual prosperity and growth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

God is love and creation was created to share that love in the world; therefore, we will find ourselves vulnerable to the pain love endures unless we choose the alternative and foolishly hardened our hearts with selfishness.

The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell. (C.S. Lewis; The Four Loves)

In our passage from the Psalter, we are reminded that God rejects those who sin [rebel] against his commands of love. God offers humanity unfailing love and as we live and love his way we are welcomed into his beautiful and glorious presence to enjoy fellowship and oneness. Many times people misunderstand the love of God as being unconditional acceptance, but that is not a scriptural stand in Truth. Actually, God accepts us where he finds us in the wilderness in order to lead us out of vulnerable selfish love and into godly sacrificial love. We must decide if we are going to protect and preserve our own selfish inclinations, or submit, trust, and obediently find our protective refuge in God’s glorious love.

Psalm 5:5-12 NLT
5
Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence,    for you hate all who do evil.
6 
You will destroy those who tell lies.    The Lord detests murderers and deceivers.
7 
Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house;    I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.
8 
Lead me in the right path, O Lord,    or my enemies will conquer me.Make your way plain for me to follow.
9 
My enemies cannot speak a truthful word.    Their deepest desire is to destroy others.Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.    Their tongues are filled with flattery.
10 
O God, declare them guilty.    Let them be caught in their own traps.Drive them away because of their many sins,    for they have rebelled against you.
11 
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;    let them sing joyful praises forever.Spread your protection over them,    that all who love your name may be filled with joy.
12 
For you bless the godly, O Lord;    you surround them with your shield of love.

Since we are to imitate God, we are called to express his love in all we say and do. Jesus laid down his life of perfect love, so we could have the power to walk in the light or truth of God’s love with the help of the Spirit. Therefore, as worshipers, our selfish inclinations must be left on the altar to be burned by the consuming fire of God. On the path of righteous love, believers will step beyond mere affection into self-sacrificing service to God and neighbor.

Ephesians 5:1-6 VOICE
1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.

Prayer: Lord, please help us to grow stronger in your love each day by making us more sensitive to sin. Make us aware of the sin that tries to hide under the cloak of complacency. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

All that we do and say must be for the glory of God…if it is not for the Most High God, then it is in alignment with the one who rules this world, and he is Satan.

“All our merely natural activities will be accepted, if they are offered to God, even the humblest, and all of them, even the noblest, will be sinful if they are not.”
(C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory)

During yesterday’s time of worship, we looked at the first two verses of Psalm 91 and today we will look at some more verses. I mentioned that the traditional Jewish thought is that Moses might have written Psalm 91 during the 40 years of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness. Since there is no title, the author remains unknown, and others believe it shares some of the similar messaging found in a few of the Psalms written by King David.

Either way, the author repeats the promise of deliverance and the assurance of victory as long as you and I make the Lord our refuge in all that we do and say. When we are living our lives fully for the Lord He promises to rescue us, to be with us, and to reward us.

Psalm 91:9-16 (NLT)

9 If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,

10 no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.

11 For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.

12 They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.

13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.

15 When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.

16 I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”

I read that as Christians we live as “the already but the not just yet”…meaning we are already redeemed, but not just yet completely redeemed. So, we must wait with both patience and eagerness for our resurrected bodies and our completion into the Heavenly realm of all Eternity with Jesus. In the meantime, while we know that all that we do and say must be for the glory of God, the Apostle Paul reminds us that we desperately need the Holy Spirit’s help because we have moments (and sometimes, we have many moments) of weakness. None of us are exempt from weakness, and so we need what the Holy Spirit does for us, in us, and through us because He is always in alignment with God’s will and His plan for our lives. We must remember that God uses ALL things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose for them (v. 28).

As Pastor Mary reminded us yesterday, we need to let Jesus drive the car of our lives. He wants what is best for us, and in that highest place no one can ever be against us. Even when (not if, but when) they are against us, we have peace (shalom) because the Highest God is for us, so nothing anyone says or does matters above the love of our God.

Romans 8:26-34 (NLT)

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Prayer: Jesus, please help me to do things that are in alignment with what You would do, and please help me to say things that You would say. I want my actions and words to glorify Your Holy Name. Please forgive me for not allowing the Holy Spirit free rein over my actions and words all of the time. Help me, Father, to press into You so that You can nudge me to call on the Holy Spirit more and more, and to trust the direction He is guiding for my life. I ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

God is the one who is in control of all things, and He is the one who can guide us in the right direction when we are led astray.

“God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other.”
(C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)

In this particular passage, David is addressing that the glory of God is displayed through creation. Back in Genesis 1, it talks about how the world was formed and the who created it. David is addressing that God’s glory is revealed through everything that we see in creation. From the tress in the park to the white sand beaches along the gulf coast, we are witnesses to the glory of God through what we see every single day.

Psalm 8:1-9 (NLT)
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument.

1 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
Your glory is higher than the heavens.
2 You have taught children and infants
to tell of your strength,
silencing your enemies
and all who oppose you.

3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
the moon and the stars you set in place—
4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that you should care for them?
5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God
and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You gave them charge of everything you made,
putting all things under their authority—
7 the flocks and the herds
and all the wild animals,
8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
and everything that swims the ocean currents.

9 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

When it comes to this particular passage in Hebrews 2, it is reminding us of what was mentioned in Psalm 8:1-8. There is a direct parallel between these sets of passages talking about how how the son of man, Jesus, was made made lower than the angels. But because He had taken the ultimate punishment for all people, He was crowned with glory and honor. In both Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2, it talks about how everything in under the authority or the subjection of God. We need to remind ourselves that He’s the one who is in complete control, not man.

Hebrews 2:5-11 (NLT)
Jesus, the Man

5 And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about. 6 For in one place the Scriptures say,

“What are mere mortals that you should think about them,
or a son of man that you should care for him? 7 Yet for a little while you made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor. 8 You gave them authority over all things.”

Now when it says “all things,” it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority. 9 What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone. 10 God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.

11 So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.

Prayer: Father in Heaven, I pray that as we move forward through this journey called life, You will continue to lead us in the direction that You have called us to. Remind us of how valuable we are in Your eyes. No matter what the world tells us, You say the exact opposite. Lord, I ask for Your continuous guidance as we journey through life. We know that this journey is a marathon, but we ask that You will continue to show us what we need to see and do the things that You have called to do. In His name I pray, amen.

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

Being invited into a relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is like waking up from a nightmare [wilderness] and finding ourselves immersed in divine joy with the assurance we will be safe in the love of God from now on.

“Bliss is not for sale, cannot be earned.” (C.S. Lewis; English Literature 16th Century)

In our passage from the Psalter, Israel has faced national defeat in battle and the psalmist cries out to God for help and understanding. This writing is a lament—expression of sorrow—because the people do not understand why God would allow their enemy to conquer them. They are suffering because, in a land filled with sin, they have chosen to remain faithful to God even though it appears God is silent. However, our passage ends with the psalmist trusting God and recognizing divine love.

Psalm 44:20-26 NLV
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God, or put out our hands to a strange god, 21 would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. 22 But we are killed all day long because of You. We are thought of as sheep that are ready to be killed. 23 Awake, O Lord! Why do You sleep? Rise up! Do not turn away from us forever. 24 Why do You hide Your face? Why do You forget our troubles and our suffering? 25 For our soul is brought down to the dust. Our body holds on to the earth. 26 Rise up and help us! Save us because of Your loving-kindness.

Human effort can never bring us salvation nor give us the ability to retain divine joy. Only God can bring something beautiful out of the suffering of his children. Evil is all around us, but God continues to work his purpose in and through those who love him. God will bring something good out of every circumstance; we can trust because God is always with us.

Romans 8:26-39 VOICE
26 A similar thing happens when we pray. We are weak and do not know how to pray, so the Spirit steps in and articulates prayers for us with groaning too profound for words. 27 Don’t you know that He who pursues and explores the human heart intimately knows the Spirit’s mind because He pleads to God for His saints to align their lives with the will of God? 28 We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan. 29-30 From the distant past, His eternal love reached into the future. You see, He knew those who would be His one day, and He chose them beforehand to be conformed to the image of His Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn of a new family of believers, all brothers and sisters. As for those He chose beforehand, He called them to a different destiny so that they would experience what it means to be made right with God and share in His glory.

31 So what should we say about all of this? If God is on our side, then tell me: whom should we fear? 32 If He did not spare His own Son, but handed Him over on our account, then don’t you think that He will graciously give us all things with Him? 33 Can anyone be so bold as to level a charge against God’s chosen? Especially since God’s “not guilty” verdict is already declared. 34 Who has the authority to condemn? Jesus the Anointed who died, but more importantly, conquered death when He was raised to sit at the right hand of God where He pleads on our behalf. 35 So who can separate us? What can come between us and the love of God’s Anointed? Can troubles, hardships, persecution, hunger, poverty, danger, or even death? The answer is, absolutely nothing. 36 As the psalm says,
On Your behalf, our lives are endangered constantly;    we are like sheep awaiting slaughter.

37 But no matter what comes, we will always taste victory through Him who loved us. 38 For I have every confidence that nothing—not death, life, heavenly messengers, dark spirits, the present, the future, spiritual powers, 39 height, depth, nor any created thing—can come between us and the love of God revealed in the Anointed, Jesus our Lord.

Prayer: Lord, thank you that nothing we face will ever separate us from your love. We do not need to suffer or deal with our problems alone. Thank you for providing everything we need to live for you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

Moral effort is using human strength to live for what we value most whether it is the priority of self, religious or society norms, or a relationship with God.
“The price of Christ is something, in a way, much easier than moral effort—it is to want Him.” (C.S.Lewis, Present Concerns)

According to biblical history, Israel turned away from God’s instruction [law] for how to love Him and others in a righteous way; therefore, the people reaped the separation or distressful exile into which they had actually sown by their moral efforts. They were living [sowing] with a wrong or divided priority hoping they could still reap the blessings from God. Think about Adam and Eve and the exile they faced from the blessings in the Garden. Consequences come with our deliberate sin against God [knowing it is wrong but doing it anyway]. When we deliberately sin, let’s be honest, accept the consequences for our rebellion and call on the Lord for mercy and help to deliver us. Despite our foolishness and weakness, God is faithful, good, and strong. In our passage today, the psalmist returns to prayer because life is so difficult it leaves sickness in his soul; he seeks the true Cure for his distress.

Psalm 102:1-2 NLT
1
Lord, hear my prayer!    Listen to my plea!
2 
Don’t turn away from me    in my time of distress.Bend down to listen,    and answer me quickly when I call to you.

Humanity typically views life from one of three perspectives and has a choice to make: 1) Live for self; 2) Live divided between allegiance to God and society norms; and 3) Live as Christ. We were created to live in fellowship with God and live as Christ who wholeheartedly placed himself into the Father’s divine care. Christ helps us live in that wholehearted place—holding nothing back. He offers the power to leave our selfishness behind and want Him more than anything the world has to offer. In our passage today from the gospel of Luke, the widow wisely chooses to live as Christ.

Luke 21:1-19 NLT
 Looking up, [Jesus] saw the rich people putting their gifts into the treasury.
2 And He saw also a poor widow putting in two mites (copper coins).
3 And He said, Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them;
4 For they all gave out of their abundance (their surplus); but she has contributed out of her lack and her want, putting in all that she had on which to live.

Prayer: Lord, with all the world has to offer, it constantly leaves the human soul wanting and distressed. We are tormented when we try to live with a divided allegiance. Only you can fill and satisfy us. We live in a place of spiritual exile if we do not make the choice to be completely devoted to you. Please help us to take personal responsibility and release our unholy wants for the world in order to grab ahold of your glorious grace. We choose you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

There is a big difference between asking God to forgive our sin and asking God to accept our excuses for sin.

“If you had a perfect excuse, you would not need forgiveness; if the whole of your action needs forgiveness, then there was no excuse for it.” (C.S.Lewis; The Weight of Glory)

Psalm 19:7-14 NLT
7
The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
    reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
8 
The commandments of the Lord are right,
    bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
    giving insight for living.
9 
Reverence for the Lord is pure,
    lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
    each one is fair.
10 
They are more desirable than gold,
    even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
    even honey dripping from the comb.
11 
They are a warning to your servant,
    a great reward for those who obey them.
12 
How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
    Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
13 
Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
    Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
    and innocent of great sin.
14 
May the words of my mouth
    and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

1 John 1:5-10 NLT Living in the Light
5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness [sin]; we are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

Please take time to read over our passages for today. I will be teaching on them and leading a discussion this evening during our Lenten Bible Study at 7PM. I hope you will plan to join us in person at Connect2Christ Church or online through our website as we explore the Scriptures together.

Prayer: Lord, we want to live in the light of your Word, so we can have fellowship with you and one another. Holy Spirit, please cleanse us from every desire to sin against you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

God has written his law or instruction upon believing human hearts; in so doing he has also given us a love for his will and his ways, as well as a hatred of sin because we are positioned to care for his world.

“In science we have been reading only the notes to a poem;
in Christianity we find the poem itself.” (C.S. Lewis, Miracles)

In our passage from the Psalter, today, David reminds us nature becomes the scientific evidence or proof of God’s existence and creative power. As we look up with wonder and observe the beauty of the heavens, we see the perfect wisdom of God in orderly and rhythmic motion each day. Oh, how I long to see the Lord’s wisdom and instruction guiding human life the same way; but of course, I realize this is something only God can accomplish!

Psalm 19:1-6 A psalm of David.
1 
The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
    The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 
Day after day they continue to speak;
    night after night they make him known.
3 
They speak without a sound or word;
    their voice is never heard.
4 
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
    and their words to all the world.
God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
5 
It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
    It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
6 
The sun rises at one end of the heavens
    and follows its course to the other end.
    Nothing can hide from its heat.

In our passage today from the prophet Jeremiah, God is making arrangements to put into place a way for humanity to operate in the wisdom and nature of God. In Christianity, believers are to be the evidence of salvation from sin and spiritual death. The proof is manifest as believers share God’s supernatural and life-changing love, mercy and grace with the world. Because the entire human race has been “infected” with sin—transgression or rebellion against God—only God can provide the proper Remedy—Jesus.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.

33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”

Prayer: Lord, because You have opened our hearts to the Truth, believers can be the ongoing evidence of Your presence within humanity. Thank you for making a way to save us. Now, we can “be” the living proof of your wisdom that brings spiritual change. Lord, may You be the sought after medicine this sinful world desperately needs. In Jesus’ name. Amen.