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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion February 9, 2005 40 DAYS |
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Frontline Devotion for Wednesday, February 9, 2005 By
Penny Risen
Matthew
6: 1-6
“I yelled at my sister.”
“I hit the dog.”
“I took cookies when Mom wasn’t looking.”
“I talked back to Daddy when he asked me to turn off the TV.”
Such small offenses, but such big shame in their hushed voices and on their small faces. When we came to talk about Lent in Sunday School, the teacher’s lesson book sometimes asked me to discuss sin and repentance with the kids. Hearing this litany of misdeeds from the simple lives of children always gave me pause. They truly took “being bad” seriously, and when asked to speak out about it, they made this listener feel like an intruder. I couldn’t “make it better,” I’d explain to them, but God could.
“Be careful not
to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men,
to be
seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from
your
Father in heaven … Here's what I want you to do (in prayer):
Find a
quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play
before
God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage.
The
focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense His grace.”
-- Matthew 6: 1, 6
As Christians, we come before God to ask forgiveness in many ways: At church with other believers in reciting the Confession; in thought during our busy routine; in prayer perhaps at the start and the end of our days. In Matthew, Jesus encourages this private and contemplative conversation with Our Father. To acknowledge our wrongs, a quiet act of contrition works better than a big showy protest, He explains. Many times during His ministry, even Jesus made time to withdraw from His disciples, followers and crowds to pray alone.
As the Son of God, Jesus had no sins to confess, but He interceded for all of our sins. As the Son of Man, He suffered and died for them and for our sake. So, for His sake we take these next 40 days very seriously. Many believers begin this walk to the Cross by taking its sign, by receiving ashes on our foreheads. This quiet display of humbling ourselves as sinners before Him may seem showy, confusing or grim to some folks. Ashes represent our mortality, a reminder that He died for us. The cross represents His suffering, and shows our faith in His promise of salvation. On this Ash Wednesday, we sign on for 40 days of reflection and repentance. As Jesus directs us, our goal is to find a quiet spot to focus on God and begin to sense His grace.
In my Sunday School class, the serious talk about sin always ended with the joyful news of God’s forgiveness and His boundless love, coming to us at Easter and the Resurrection. The kids worked to understand that their offenses were in the hands of God, and He knew what was in their hearts. If only we could bring our sins and concerns as simply as children to God. With the Spirit to guide us these 40 days, we can strive to find renewal. We can begin to sense that when we rely on His saving grace, He can make it better --- for every one of His repentant children.
Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, I’m a sinner. I’m humbled before You with my faults. Thank you for Your awesome sacrifice and love. Let me open my heart to Your Spirit and guide me into Your peace. Amen.
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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