Daily Readings for Wednesday, March 9, 2011
- Morning Psalms 5; 147:1-11
- First Reading Jonah 3:1-4:11
- Second Reading Hebrews 12:1-14
- Gospel Luke 18:9-14
Psalm 5 starts with the words: "Give hear to my words, O Lord; give heed to my sighing. Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch (vs. 1-2)." One of the reasons why I love the Psalms and am drawn to them is because of the language of yearning. The author of the Psalms wants to know and to be known by God. In Psalm 5, there is a almost tangible desire to know that God is listening.
I know at an academic-all-in-my-head level that God is always listening and always hears my prayers. But at an emotional, heart level, there is a part of me that wants certainty and confirmation that God, my God, is listening to me and is affected by the trails, tribulations, and trivias. And I hear that kind of desire in many of the Psalms - a hurting and lonely voice, crying out to a compassionate God, hoping for an answer, or an assurance that the prayer has been heard.
Today begins the season of Lent, and since I have given up my car for the next 40 days, I bundled up and walked (temperature was in the teens when I left the house). As I walked (slipping and sliding in some places), I reflected on the pharse "O Lord, in the morning, you hear my voice." If you know me, you know that I am not a morning person. I am pretty much a grump until 9:30 or 10:00 and the coffee has kicked in. I wonder what my voice sounds like to God each morning? It's certainly not filled with praise and joy!
The Hebrews passage (12:1-14) had several phrases that jumped out at me as I read them this morning. I just want to record them here with a few impressions (since this is the first day of this lenten blog - I don't want to use all of my words!) Verse 4: "In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood." Verse 12: "Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be be healed." I'm not sure why the idea of "struggle with my sin to the point of blood shed" captivates my imagination today. I guess I'm not sure how to imagine what that looks like on a practical level. I think about the sins that I am most prone to - pride, works righteousness, not trusting God enough, or making my problems bigger than they are (and therefore making God and my faith smaller), and I trust that God is working on me through my struggles with them. And I know that it is Christ's blood that redeems and forgives all my past (and continues into my presence).
And I like the idea at the end of Hebrews of lifting hands that are drooped and straightening up - the author if pointing me to look to Jesus.
Dear God, As I lift up my voice to you this morning, I am grateful to begin the holy season of Lent connected to you through the great cloud of witnesses all around me. As I repent of my sin before you, I ask that you would renew my heart and my soul so that I might delight with joy in your presence. Even as we journey to the cross together, may your love be so real to me in my daily life that I might be transformed into the likeness of your son. Amen.
John C
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