March 28, 2013

Today’s readings:  Psalm 102; Psalm 142; Psalm 143; Jeremiah 20:7-11; 1 Corinthians 10:14-17, 11:27-32; John 17:1-26

I first thought that I wanted to approach this Lenten Devotion by tying together threads from the several scriptural passages I was assigned to read. I thought if I could find a common theme that stretched across the ages and pages of the Bible I was given, that it would somehow reveal a deeper truth than each of the readings taken by itself. So I searched and searched for that common theme. I spent 2 ½ hours searching, first reading each passage over and over, then putting in some serious time on Wikipedia, Biblical interpretation websites, blogs and sermons. I learned quite a lot in those few hours of research. I learned that John 17:1-26 is considered one of the most profound prayers we have from Jesus. I learned that in Jeremiah 20:7-11, he felt cheated by God and experienced agony of faith when the reaction to his ministry was less than positive. By researching Psalm 142, I learned that a Maskil is a set of instructions.

In the end I looked down at my papers with all the notes I had been taking and it was really Psalm 142 that kept speaking to me. It is a prayer from David, when he was in the cave hiding from Saul who was trying to kill him. Perhaps it resonated with me right away as it was a lesson we taught in church school this year. In the story of David and Goliath, David puts his trust in God when he picked up the stones by the stream. That same love and strength is there for us when those giants come up in our lives. We can lean on Jesus and the heavenly Father for help and strength through difficult times. “With my voice I cry to the LORD; …I tell my trouble before him. When my spirit is faint, you know my way.” God wants to hear our voice, to know that we trust in him for the direction of our lives. When life feels at its lowest and you can’t seem to keep it all straight, this would be the time to cry out to God and ask for his guidance. No matter what it is in life – school, choosing a college and/or a profession, raising children, caring for ailing family members or yourself, stress from a job. No matter what it is that gets us down, God is there for us. Turn those problems over to the Lord when it is too much for us to handle. And as Matthew 11:28 states, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” 

Pamela Keagle