2010 Lenten Devotionals

then bulls will be offered on your altar. - Psalm 51:18-19

 

The psalm comes to a close with the psalmist petitioning God to hold true to the covenantal relationship. God is faithful and will not forsake nor break the covenants established with Abraham, Noah, Moses, and David. The psalmist yearns for God to good in Zion and to rebuild Jerusalem. God answers with a New Covenant found in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus.

 

Tomorrow we mark the day that Jesus enters the walls of Jerusalem. People then awaiting a new king were unaware of God’s covenantal plans. We observe Palm/Passion Sunday with joy and reverence because we know surety of the New Covenant unfolds with great glory on Easter.  But first, we must go with Jesus this week to Calvary. We do so with a promise that God will not forsake and will never leave us.

 

This is the last of the Psalm 51 Lenten devotionals. Beginning tomorrow, there will be a series focused on the events of Holy Week. 

 

Prayer of the day: God of Promise, who made a covenant with the patriarchs, your promise of a New Covenant was manifest in Christ Jesus. Send your Spirit in order that we might share the Good News of this everlasting promise.  In the name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.

A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. - Psalm 51:17b

 

 

Often when we say we’re sorry we do so perfunctorily. Not that we don’t mean it, we just sometimes say “I’m sorry” somewhat automatically. Throughout this psalm, the psalmist has exhibited anything but an obligatory confession. True repentance is exhibited from the psalmist. Contrition is sincere, from the deepest chamber of the psalmist’s heart. Not much more can be said. Not only will such actions please God, but will also be loved by our neighbor.

 

Prayer of the day: Gracious God, create in me a contrite heart so that when I confess and say I am sorry, you and others will be pleased. With a contrite heart, I bring this to you in Christ’s name. Amen.

The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; - Psalm 51:17a

  

For me, the words of the psalmist seem harsh as if to say, “God likes to see me in a state of despair.” If this is so, then this is truly one of the really one of the “tough sayings of the Bible.”

 

In reading this verse, I’m reminded of a horse being “broken” in order to be fully submissive to the trainer. After a long fight by the bronco, it finally surrenders. Such imagery helps depict that no one ever achieves spiritual greatness until one has fully surrendered oneself to God.

 

I’ve never believed that God intentionally “breaks” us down, but I do feel that God readily accepts our confession and acknowledgement with loving arms – most certainly when we realize our brokenness. Therefore, I read a “broken spirit” as an acknowledgement of a necessary change in our attitude. Such an attitude is echoed in the New Testament in the forceful words of Jesus “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).

 

Prayer of the day: God of Forgiveness, create in me a broken spirit when I remain arrogant. Allow me, then, to come before you in sincere, contrite confession. I bring this before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

If I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased. -  Psalm 51:16b

  

The books of Numbers and Leviticus outline the various offerings God instructed Moses to bring to the tabernacle altar. Although there were many types, the burnt offering was a significant offering in which worshipers would express total dedication and commitment to God. Many of the ancient Jewish worshipers though, perhaps not unlike some in churches today, would merely go through the motions at the altar, without putting their heart into it. The psalmist begins to identify this in verse 16 and 17. 

 

I’m certain God doesn’t want us to go through the motions and as I wrote yesterday, God doesn’t want sacrifices; God wants obedience from our hearts. (1 Sam. 15:22). And such obedience doesn’t come from an obligatory response, but from a response of loving thanksgiving for God’s bountiful grace.

 

Prayer of the day: God of Grace, with your Holy Spirit, create in me a stronger sense of thanksgiving for your bountiful grace and the sacrifice for us by Christ Jesus. It is in his name we pray. Amen.

For you have no delight in sacrifice; - Psalm 51:16a

 

With other Patriarchal stories of the Old Testament, the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham is one many of us have known since childhood. “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” (Genesis 22:2). As the only son of the aged Abraham and Sarah, Isaac was seen as a miracle gift from God; and now God wants the son as a sacrifice? 

 

Moments before Abraham was to offer the sacrifice, God responded, “‘Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God’ ” (Gen. 22:12). The psalmist proclaims this truth, God has no delight of sacrifice. Was God testing Abraham? Does God test us? I’m not sure, but I am certain there is always an “epilog” to life’s chapters of tests. Through obedience to God and faith, we know that after having “suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10) The story of Abraham’s obedience is an incredible test of such faith, surpassed only by Christ’s faithful, obedient journey to Calvary.

 

In times of trial, it is easy to focus only on our own troubles. However, the season of Lent disciplines us to grow closer to Jesus by focusing on the cross as Jesus draws closer to Calvary. Such obedience delights God.

 

And my mouth will declare your praise. –Psalm 51:15b

 

On Valentine’s Day I preached a sermon entitled “Love Songs”. I’m reminded of it this morning as the psalmist proclaims he will sing such praises to God. In that sermon I related a story of a non-believer who once questioned me why we sing praises to a God who, if so grand, really shouldn’t need to have such praise. The argument was well presented and I’ve pondered the question often. I came to the conclusion that in some ways I think the non-believer is right:  my really Big God doesn’t need the special praise any more than my wife or my mom needs my praise. My mom, my wife and my really Big God already know of my deep love. 

 

But, because I don’t say I love you enough to my wife, because I don’t call my mom nearly as much as I do, Valentine’s Day gives me the opportunity to express my love in a very special, meaningful way. I don’t think it’s the recipient who benefits from Valentine’s Day...I think it’s the one who expresses the love. Hallmark has made and avenue for many of us who just can’t express our love in words. And for centuries, psalmists, hymn writers and composers have given us a similar “greeting card” of incredible words put to music to express our love to God.  In the church we call them hymns and songs of praise. We do so not to serenade God with praises, but to remind ourselves and express our gratitude to the One who loves us first.

 

Scripture says, “God is love and those who abide in love, abide in God and God abides in them.”(1John 4:16) 

 

Love Songs...that’s why we sing praises to the Holy.

 

Concerning the non-believer...I never got to speak about God’s love, but I always sensed there was a fear. But the Scripture says it boldly...There is no fear in love. (1John 4:18)

 

Prayer of the day: Praise God from all blessings flow. Praise God all creatures here below. Praise God above, ye heavenly hosts. Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

O Lord, open my lips. – Psalm 51:15a

 

Singing solo must be one of the most frightening things to do. I’m amazed how those gifted in song can remember the words while on stage. The psalmist seems to have a little stage fright here as he prepares to offer praise to God. Fortunately, we don’t have to endure any stage fright as we come before God’s throne. God awaits us no matter how we stumble. When we do encounter the fright of life’s stage, we can be assured that God will be with us to open our lips.  

 

Prayer of the day: Author of the Word, open our lips so that we may proclaim your Word in thought, word and deed. In the name of the Word that became Flesh, Christ Jesus. Amen.

And my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance. – Psalm 52:14c 

Praise to God comes in the form of song. The psalmist declares that his tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance. Have you ever tried to compose a song? It’s incredibly difficult. Words must complement the meter of the melody. When reading the psalms in the original Hebrew, one gets a sense of meter, rhyme, alliteration and other disciplines of song. I’m of the firm belief that God is the Grand Master of song and through the power and mystery of the Holy Spirit instills the songwriter with lyrical gifts.  Not all of us are gifted songwriters, but God gives each of us a gift. Praise God for such a blessing!

 

Prayer of the day: Great Giver, thank you for all our blessings. Your font never stops flowing. In Jesus we pray. Amen.  

Deliver me from bloodshed, O God. – Psalm 51:14a

The pleas turn from a forgiveness of sin to protection from the battlefield. Can one be saved so differently? In Christ Jesus, absolutely! 

 

The Christology that John Calvin (and also Martin Luther) developed identified from a biblical perspective Jesus’ role as Prophet, Priest, and King as one person. For me, this three-fold Christological understanding is also of a reminder of how we are saved by Jesus. If Jesus is our Savior, then Christology and soteriology (doctrine of salvation) cannot be separated. A priest goes before us, a prophet is our exemplar, and a king fights our battles and is victorious for us. The classic, more refined, theological understandings of atonement mirror these images. It’s important to understand that at different times of the year and in different situations of our lives, we look to Jesus as the One who can show us, the One who died for us, and the One who goes for us. Prophet, Priest and King. Salvation comes not by just one understanding; but by all three. Such peace is only found in the friend we know as Jesus!  

 

Prayer of the day: God of Salvation, thank you sending the only One who is Prophet, Priest, and King. Thank you for the many ways Christ Jesus enters our lives and goes for us, with us, and before us in his saving act. In his precious name we pray. Amen.  

And sinners will return to you. – Psalm 51:13b

                 

The psalmist says after he teaches transgressors of God’s way, sinners will return to God. It’s important for us to properly understand the psalmist’s role.

 

Such a “return” to God is thought by some today as a human act of saving and describe the return by giving a day, hour, minute and second they felt they were saved either by their own volition or by the saving act of someone else. Yet Scripture is clear, salvation comes not from us, but from Christ Jesus.  “God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.” (Ephesians 1:4). However, through the power and communion of the Holy Spirit, God does use us in the transformation process. God speaks through us in our words and our actions to connect with others. The lost return to experience God’s amazing grace through a conduit of God’s love. Knowing that I was saved before there was ever a day, hour, minute and second is comforting. Knowing that God sanctions me as an agent is a blessing.

 

Prayer of the day: God of Grace, thank you for choosing me in Christ before the foundation of the earth. Now use me to help teach your ways and witness to others of your grace. In Christ Jesus we pray. Amen.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, – Psalm 51:13a

 

Have you ever seen a voice? Heard a voice, yes; seen one, no!

 

One of my favorite benedictions is to charge our congregation at Central Presbyterian to “Go in peace. Serve the Lord. And preach the Gospel...and if necessary, use words.” The preaching quote is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi; so for almost millennium we’ve heard this wisdom. Isn’t it interesting though that what we’ve learned from this great teaching theologian is spoken, not acted. 

 

How then, should we teach: words or actions? 

 

As poignant as the Assisi quote is, I think God gave us a voice not only to preach, but to teach as well. Some of us are gifted teachers and can easily teach with words. Others though, through their actions are stellar teachers. Both are necessary.

 

However you are comfortable; emulate the psalmist in teaching transgressors God’s ways. Jesus taught us in his actions and commanded it in his words. 

 

Prayer of the day: God of Creation, Your Word is a lamp unto our feet. Let us take that Word and bring light to the darkness of the world. Give us the words, show us the way. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

And sustain in me a willing spirit, – Psalm 51:12b

                 

The plea is for God to uphold and sustain the spirit within the psalmist in order that he can be made willing to obey God. In previous verses, the psalmist longs to be rid of sin through the creation of a new nature; and now that it has been restored, the fear of losing the gift surfaces. This is something that the psalmist knows he can’t sustain by himself, but needs the continuing favor of God for the constancy.

 

One way that God sustains a willing spirit within us is through prayer. Without prayer, the spirit within can easily become an unwilling spirit. But through prayer we respond willingly. It seems pretty straightforward. It’s time to engage in that willingness.

 

Prayer of the day: Gracious God. Thank you for the gift of the spirit. Thank you for recharging the spirit within me through our daily talks. Amen. 

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, – Psalm 51:12a

 

There is an interesting nuance in this verse. The verb restore stems from the commonly used “turn” or “re-turn”. The Old Testament is rich in such idioms describing humanity’s responsibility in the process of repentance. Such phrases of turning express humanity’s penitential activity of the two requisites of repentance: to turn from evil and to turn to the good.  However, the psalmist – certainly repenting throughout this petition – asks God to “re-turn” or “restore”. Restore what?  Salvation?

 

I don’t believe the psalmist was praying for God to restore salvation, but to recreate the joy of that deliverance. Sin can wear us down. Guilt is painful, sorrowful, and depressing. God never intended us to be in such a condition. Therefore, that’s why we confess our sin, not to please God but to have God erase the guilt of the sin. 

 

In today’s Revised Common Lectionary reading for the Fourth Sunday in Lent - Psalm 32 – you’ll see this theme visited. Throughout the psalm, with an ascription “of David”, a kind of spiritual depression is described that results from unforgiven sin and the joy that comes when we confess our sin. Take a moment this morning to read these comforting words of Psalm 32. 

And do not take your holy spirit from me. – Psalm 51:11b

 

This is a scary thought. Would God ever take the very gift that God gives us to connect us with the Almighty. Without the Holy Spirit, we’d no longer be connected, but short-circuited.

 

I don’t know how the Spirit works, but it’s definitely a question in my “God Box”. My “God Box” used to be figurative language for the many questions I want to take to the Almighty when we meet; but recently my wife Lynda gave me a real “God Box”, a little desk ornament in my study which has a small scroll imbedded in a secret cavity. “Holy Spirit” is at the top of the list. 

 

In reality, I really don’t have to know how the Spirit works. Like the wireless network that I’m presently connected to the Internet, I don’t have to know how it works to have an appreciation for the connection. I’m also in the same camp as the psalmist: God, do not unplug me.

 

Prayer of the day:  O God, your Holy Spirit is a mysterious gift of incredible joy. Thank You. In Christ we pray. Amen.

   

Do not cast me away from your presence, – Psalm 51:11a

 

I read this verse and can’t help but to think of the present sign outside our church which says, “Open between Christmas and Easter.” Although comical, there’s a corollary to God’s continued presence. First, we recognize at Christmas the reality that God came to us – Immanuel – God with us. Then, at Easter this same Immanuel, Christ Jesus, met with his disciples after the Resurrection, and said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” At Christmas, at Easter, and in between, God is with us.   

 

During Lent as we journey with Christ to the cross, do we cast him away? Do we dare leave him.

 

Prayer of the day:  Immanuel, God with us, we give thanks for your ever presence. Be near us and walk with us in our trials; sing with us in our joys; help us as we help others. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

And put a new and rightspirit within me. – Psalm 51:10b     

 

When learning Hebrew, there was one word which was easy for me to remember and identify: Ruach. Let me help you say it. Rooooo-aaach!  I loved saying it with its heavy Hebrew emphasis on the “ch” syllable. Rooo-aaach. As a word, it seemed incredibly strong and powerful. 

 

The word ruach, or “spirit”, occurs over 200 times in the Hebrew Scriptures. I’ve always equated “spirit” as “wind”, mainly due to Jesus’ teaching to the Pharisee Nicodemus in John 3. You may remember that Jesus says, “the wind (or spirit) blows where the wind will.” However, I also love the visualization of spirit as “breath”; as in God’s breath—since spirit therefore would be the source of all human life. In the creation of humankind (Gen 2:7) God breathed life-giving breath into a clay model and it became a living being. So God’s ruach - or breath, or spirit, - is the source of life, not only of physical existence but, in a higher sense, of meaningful life, life in fellowship with and dependent upon God, life that is dedicated to God. 

 

I think this is what the psalmist is asking for: God’s breath to breathe a new life within him. New and energizing. Life giving. A breath that can only stem from the Almighty. 

 

Haven’t you often asked for God to breathe a new life into you, to re-energize you. God does so through the power of the Holy Ruach, or Holy Spirit. God loves to breathe into Creation, not just from the beginning, but now and ever be.

 

Prayer of the day:  Breath of God, enter into our lives and give us a new life despite our sinfulness. In Christ our Savior we pray. Amen.   

Create in me a clean heart, O God  – Psalm 51:10a  

 

The Second Act of this incredible psalm opens with the desire of the psalmist: a clean heart. The petition is bold, to the point, and directed to God for a complete spiritual renewal.

 

This verse is the backdrop to this entire Lenten devotion series. It’s a powerful verse and reveals an understanding of the Almighty that is extremely comforting: Creator God is still creating. God created the heavens and the earth, an act far beyond human capacity to duplicate. And it is God who, in extending forgiveness, transforms the inner personality of the believer.

 

Our translation says “in me”, but literally the verse translates as “for me” or “to me”. Therefore, I think a clean heart is as much a heart free of impurity as a heart with complete devotion to God. We were born into sin, but through transformative reconstruction from above, we are reborn with a pure heart. Such transformation is a gift from God “for” or “to” us; transformation can’t happen by our own will. 

 

Prayer of the day:  Creator God, who created in the beginning the heavens and earth, create in me now a new heart to become “pure” to carry out your will. In the name of Jesus. Amen. 

And blot out all my iniquities.   – Psalm 51:9b           

                

Like a repeated song before the intermission of a musical, this verse is a reprise of an earlier verse where the psalmist cried out to God to blot transgressions and cleanse iniquities. The repeated words seem to indicate that the psalmist questions whether or not God has forgiven. Can you see this final song before the curtain falls. There’s anguish, a crying sinner on his/her knees begging for a pardon.

 

The curtain drops. Act II is coming.   

 

As Christians, we know the New Act that is coming is the fulfillment of the psalmist’s cry. God sends a Savior to wipe away all tears. There’s a New Song. A New Testament. A New Beginning. Christ comes to create in each of us a clean heart.  

 

Prayer of the day:  God of Mercy, you answered the cries of ancient Hebrews with the gift of your Son. Thank you! In the name of Jesus. Amen.  

Hide your face from my sins.  – Psalm 51:9a              

 

The psalmist cries for God’s face to be veiled from the sins. Scripture speaks often of veils. The first as the final “curtain to be hung to separate the holy place from the most holy.” (Exodus 26:33) Entry to the Holy of Holies was forbidden to all except one, the high priest, and his access was not free: he was permitted entry once only per year, on the Day of Atonement.

 

Another veil is recorded on the ultimate Day of Atonement in the Gospel of Matthew. When Jesus died on the cross to hide God’s face from our sin, Scripture says the earth shook and the veil or “curtain of the Temple tore in two and came down.” (Matthew 27:51).   

 

Lastly, is the portrayal of Jesus as our Veil, as it recorded in the book of Hebrews. “Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:19-22)

 

Our petition today is for God to create in us a veil. God has: Christ Jesus!

 

Prayer of the day:  O God, thank you for the High Priest in Christ Jesus who goes before us to hide your face from our sin. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.  Psalm 51:8B

 

It’s a dramatic shift that the psalmist expounds in this verse. At the beginning, it was against God alone that the psalmist sinned against. Now it seems as if the psalmist felt a crushing blow from the Almighty for the sin. I don’t think so, although yesterday, I may have been in the camp of the psalmist.  

 

It’s unusual in Central Texas not to have had a nice spring-like day in February. Usually the redbuds and the pear trees have already bloomed and my urge to get outside and enjoy Creation also blooms. But this year, yesterday was really the first day of such pleasant weather. Usually on a Saturday when working in the yard, Sunday’s sermon is replayed in my mind. Yesterday, as my bones were being crushed, I instead thought of Genesis 3, the story of the Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden. We have a garden at our home which received no weed prevention last fall and as a result needed significant attention this spring. I normally marvel at Creation, but I have to admit I had some words yesterday with the Almighty. Chickweed, Henbit, even dandelions I believe certainly could have been in Eden. But I can’t fathom that God had anything to do with winter clump ryegrass! Certainly this bone crusher must have come after the Fall.

In all seriousness, the psalmist reflects a view of God that many still hold: God punishes. Not so! God doesn’t punish. God is patient. God transforms. God forgives. Jesus came to take care of the weeds produced in Eden. He even preached a sermon about weeds in the Gospel of Matthew (13:26-43). After pulling up tares and ryegrass in my Garden, I came in and reread the parable. Even though I might have waited until harvest, my crushed bones rejoiced with the Gospel message.

 

Prayer of the day: Creator God, your Created Order is beyond our understanding. Thank you for the warmth of a Spring day and the promise of new life. Our Lenten journey is far from over; but we know Easter is but four weeks away. Give us the patience which you have. Use these four weeks to transform us. Thank you for your forgiveness in restoring our crushed bones. In Christ we rejoice and pray. Amen.

Let me hear joy and gladness;  Psalm 51:8a

 

Suddenly in this verse the psalmist’s cry of lament shifts to a petition to hear joy and gladness. Whose joy and whose gladness? The psalmist’s or God? Or maybe, both.  

 

First, I believe that the psalmist desires to hear God’s loving and joyful acceptance of the confession. It reminds me of how at Central in our Prayers of Petition that at the end of particular petition when I say, “Lord in your mercy,” we now have a congregational response, “Speak to our prayers,” rather than the traditional “hear our prayers.” I’ve always believed that God hears each of our prayers. What I believe we really yearn for is an answer to our prayers, even if God answers “no”. The silence of God is troubling to us by testing our patience and our faith. So from that point of view, I believe the psalmist is as to hear the voice of God. 

 

But the psalmist may also want himself to hear the sounds of his own joy and gladness. How often it is when we sin, although we know we’ve been forgiven, we continue to grieve and lament. It isn’t healthy and God wants us to move on with our life just as Jesus said to the adulterous woman, “go and sin no more.” (John 8:11).  

 

Prayer of the day: O God, Jesus said, “anyone with ears to hear, let them hear.” Let us then hear You in our hearts, mind and soul. Speak to us as you have spoken to the prophets before us. We ask this in the name of the Greatest Voice the world has seen and heard, Christ Jesus. Amen.

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.Psalm 51:7B

 

As the psalmist continues the journey of lament, we recognize a reoccurring yearning to be pure. Such a desire is to be in complete harmony with the Pure One. The psalmist desires to be washed, brighter than snow, thereby being restored to the created image of God.

 

Over the past month, those of us in Texas have experienced the phenomenon of snow. Snow isn’t uncommon in Texas, but this winter we’ve seen larger-than-normal amounts which provided deep coverings. There is a huge difference between snow in the South and snow which blankets the Midwest and northern states. Snow in the South is usually gone the next day; up north the snow stays for days, weeks, even months. After a while snow in the North becomes anything but white. The rigors of daily life, with all its impurity, cling to the snow to make what was once pristine anything but white.

 

Our daily lives also become blemished, especially when we see only the soiled outside rather than the pure inside of life. If we strive to be washed daily by God in devotion and prayer, we can live a life of purity closer to what God originally created. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”  It doesn’t seem to me that if we have soiled heart we’ll ever be able to see God in any of Creation. The psalmist’s plea is right.

 

Prayer of the day: O God, who can cleanse us. Do so, in order that we may be witness to your wisdom. In Jesus we pray. Amen.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;  Psalm 51:7a

 

Therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Psalm 51:6B

 

The mention of wisdom is not uncommon in the Bible. Biblical wisdom is both religious and practical and basically stems from what is often reflected in Scripture: fear of the Lord. By gaining wisdom, we take insights gained from the knowledge of God’s way and apply these insights in life’s journey. What then do you make of the desire to have God’s wisdom taught in the psalmist’s secret heart? 

 

I write this morning without the aid of my library of scholarly commentary, but I believe the psalmist while desiring God’s wisdom, feels it can only be received in an unknown chamber far different than the heart the psalmist knows as the one which manifested sinfulness and brokenness. This is a contrite, heartfelt, plea; a plea for transformation.

 

While there is need for transformation in all our hearts and an acceptance of God’s wisdom, I don’t believe there is any secret heart; nor a secret to salvation. God uncovered the mystery in sending us the Son. We receive Jesus in our regular, everyday heart, not some mysterious secret cavity.  

 

Prayer of the day: O God of wisdom, teach us your ways so that we may go and bring glory to your name. In Jesus we pray. Amen.

You desire truth in the inward being; Psalm 51:6a

 

“So now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you?” Moses continues in Deuteronomy 10:12-13, “Only to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD your God and his decrees...” Fearing the Lord and obeying the commandments was the essence of ancient Judaism and often the “all heart and with all soul” aspect was ignored. The psalmist knows this and Jesus proclaimed it often in his ministry. It’s not just our conformity in our outward appearance that God desires, but ‘‘truth in the inward being.” In short, God wants us to “walk in the truth”, not only with our feet, but also with our heart.

 

How do we walk with our heart?  

 

The author of 2John sums it up, “let us love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment just as you have heard it from the beginning—you must walk in it.” Such truth stems from the heart, our innermost being. Therefore, in truth, love God and love neighbors. That’s what’s really desired by God, walking with God in not only obedience, but in truth and love.

 

Prayer of the day: O God, Author of truth, Font of love, we strive to be obedient to your commandments which free us to love as you love us. Create in us truth and love so that others may experience your truth and love. In Christ we pray, Amen.

A sinner when my mother conceived me.  Psalm 51:5

 

Following up on yesterday’s devotion that the psalmist accepted the Scriptural account of the Fall of Humanity as recorded in Genesis 3, the second half of verse 5 reiterates such understanding of our sinfulness. One senses that the psalmist fully understands “original sin.” Do you? Do I? 

 

Throughout my Christian journey, even now as an ordained minister, I’ve accepted the doctrine of Original Sin, but certainly haven’t fully understood it. However, such tension is healthy for us. Anyway, that’s what St. Anselm professed a thousand years after Jesus walked this earth. Anselm said “through our faith we seek an understanding.”

 

Today, one can get a whole lot of “understanding” by surfing the web. Google “doctrine of original sin” and you’ll get about a million hits. In doing so, you’ll get a whole lot of attempts to know about God. Take five minutes today and pray to the Almighty for an understanding and the Spirit will respond as different totally type of Search Engine to help you come to know God. Both are vitally necessary for truly harmonious journey with the Divine.

 

Prayer of the day: Gracious God, who calls us to know you, we give thanks for those before us who have tried to know about you and attempt to understand your divine mystery. Create in us a harmony in doctrines, books, websites, and in our hearts. In Christ we pray, Amen.

Indeed, I was born guilty,   Psalm 51:5a

 

The psalmist certainly accepted the Scriptural account of the Fall of Humanity as recorded in Genesis 3. The doctrine of Original Sin and whether or not we are born as sinners has been sharply debated by theologians for centuries and it still goes on today. I’ve had discussions with people who deny the dogma of Paul, Augustine, and the Reformers; many who strangely even accept Jesus as Lord. I’m polite and accept their well-argued views, but under my breath, I echo words similar to Oz’s Dorothy, “This isn’t Eden, Toto.” 

 

And in so many words – not under his breath - Jesus had to remind the Pharisee Nicodemus in John 3 of Genesis 3. Both chapters speak of birthing; one from a descendent of our earthly mother Eve, the other a re-birth from above from a God who loves as a hen to her chicks. Nicodemus had trouble with Jesus’ image of being re-born. Jesus explained, “What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Although we were an active participant in our earthly birth, we were certainly not the initiator. And so it is in becoming born from above, we participate, but must rely on the Spirit to initiate.    

 

There’s not enough space here to properly defend the doctrine of Original Sin. But in short, it has always seemed to me that as we petition the Creator each day in the Lord’s Prayer for God’s “kingdom on earth”, we also ask God to “lead us not into temptation.” Therefore, as confessing Christians, we readily don’t deny the sinful nature of humanity. We confess our world isn’t Eden. Somewhere along the way, despite that God created us in God’s image, we fell. Gratefully though, in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God wants to transform us back to Garden in Genesis 2. God’s the Initiator. Participate, and allow God to create in you a re-birth.

 

Prayer of the day: Creator God, gather us in your love as a mother gathers her chicks and transform us into the person you want us to be. In Christ we pray. Amen.

And blameless when you pass judgment.  Psalm 51:4c

 

Scripture says, “When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.” There are a number of figures in the Bible who are said to be “blameless.” Noah, Job, even David who as we’ve reflected over these first days of Lent was anything but perfect; a word often used for “blameless” in translation. The only Perfect One, Jesus, commanded us in his Sermon on the Mount just after speaking about not retaliating against the one who sins against us and loving our neighbors, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) A tall order for all of us!  

 

How can we be blameless? The only way I know is to ask God to transform us from childish ways. Our deeper devotion to God during Lent helps us to do that. Eugene Peterson translates the above command of Christ in The Message, this way: “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

 

God is blameless. God the Creator created us in God’s own blameless image.  God the Redeemer in Christ Jesus came to walk with fallen Creation to show us a blameless life. God the Sustainer resides in us as the Holy Spirit to help transform us towards a blameless life. A Blameless Trinity.  

 

Prayer of the day: Perfect God, help us to grow in the image of Christ to live out your blameless nature.

In Jesus we pray. Amen.

So that you are justified in your sentence,Psalm 51:4c

 

The psalmist acknowledges to Yahweh that whatever the punishment, there’s no reason to quarrel, no excuses, God’s justification is merited. You can almost hear, “I sinned against you God big time and in your sovereignty you have the right to throw the book at me...punish me.” But God is not a punishing God. God promised Noah after the Flood to never take vengeance on Creation again. Disappointed? Yes. A Retaliator? No!

 

I’m reminded of mischievous behavior when I was a kid. Friends of mine would say, “God’s gonna get ya.” The Old Testament speaks frequently of “the fear of God”, and I trust I had a bit of that trepidation as a kid. But then I learned about the saving grace of Christ Jesus who took upon himself all that guilt of mine. I certainly didn’t know it then but the justification that the psalmist speaks of became the cardinal doctrine of the sixteenth century Reformation. Martin Luther rediscovered that the "righteousness of God" in Romans 1:17 was not a quality in God but the gift of righteousness which God gives to those who trust Jesus. Such righteousness is legally imputed to the sinner and is always outside of the sinner. We cling to Jesus! His righteousness causes us to become acceptable to God. No punishment. A true gift from God! Do we dare accept it without deep thanksgiving?  

 

Prayer of the day: O God, you will never forsake us. Strengthen us so that we can come to know the One, Christ Jesus, and truly accept his love for us. Amen.  

And done what is evil in your sight,Psalm 51:4b

 

A year ago when our congregation read the Bible in 90 Days, there was significant discussion of Judaic laws, specifically those found in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. I remember one person saying something to the effect, “Just about everything seems to be ‘detestable’ in the eyes of God.” It’s true, evil is abominable to God. I also remember our discussing Proverbs 6:16-19 which says there are six things God hates, seven of which are abominable: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that hurry to run to evil, a lying witness who testifies falsely, and one who sows discord in a family.

 

If the psalmist who pleads with God in Psalm 51 is indeed David, then it looks like the king hit on all cylinders in falling prey to temptation. David most certainly knew Levitican laws and knew that a contrite heart would be pleasing to God. Why? Because God wants us to be holy! As recorded in the same book which lists detestable action, God also commanded, “I am the LORD your God; sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:44)

 

But how do we sanctify ourselves? 

 

We don’t by ourselves. Sanctification is the process by which the Holy Spirit makes us more like Christ in all that we do, think, and desire. True sanctification is impossible apart from the atoning work of Christ on the cross because only after our sins are forgiven can we begin to lead a holy life. We need the help of God through the power of the Holy Spirit to become sanctified. We must depend on God and ask for guidance, strength, and courage. The good news is that God wants to sanctify us! That’s why Christ came, ministered, died, and rose.

 

Prayer of the day: O God, as much as we try ourselves to lead a pure and holy life, only the Spirit can guide us. Thank you for this gift of sanctification. Create in me a life pleasing to your eyes. In the saving name of Jesus, Amen.

Against you, you alone, have I sinned. Psalm 51:4a

 

There is an ascription in the Hebrew Bible for Psalm 51: A Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Most certainly by having relations with Bathsheba David broke the 7^th commandment of committing adultery. But he also committed the sin of coveting a neighbor’s wife (10^th) and eventually the horrendous act of murdering (6^th) Bathsheba’s husband Uriah. 

 

Undeniably, David has sinned against God, but I wrestle in his desire to become whole with God, David doesn’t seem to get the whole picture.  What about Bathsheba? What about Uriah? What about everyone else that is affected? 

 

When we confess our sin in worship we do so to publicly, not only to God, but to our neighbor as it is written in James 5:16 – “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.”  

 

In confessing our sin to God, we must include our neighbor in order to get the wholeness we desire.

 

Prayer of the day: O God, help me confront those who I sin against. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

And my sin is ever before me. Psalm 51:3b

 

When the psalmist says that the sin is ever present, there are no ifs about it; a sad life exists. In our call to confession from 1John 1:8 that I mentioned yesterday, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” the following verse (v.9) addresses the psalmist’s lament: “If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

 

This call to confession is my favorite, but it wasn’t always. Before studying biblical Greek, I wrestled with this call, especially with the word “if”. It seemed conditional, sort of a toll to pay to pass through sin’s roadblock. To me the call contradicted the Gospel message that God sent Jesus as the Gate (John 10:7); a Gate of Salvation wide open for us to reconcile with God. Unconditionally! Without tolls! No ifs about it! 

 

Exploring the original Greek helps sort through this theological dilemma. Our English “if” is translated from “ean” in biblical Greek. Recently, I again wrestled with this same “if” when at a funeral I recited these words of Jesus, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:3) Is Jesus saying the place might not be prepared for us? No not at all! The usage of the Greek word ean or “if”- especially in the works of John - can also reflect a fact regarded as true, or settled such as “whenever” or “as”.

 

I’ve come to no longer question “if”. Now whenever I see this tiny word in Scripture, I also see a huge acronym “IF”- the essence of Jesus the Gate who tears down sin’s roadblock saying, “I Forgive.” And so shall we, “whenever” and “as”, without any conditional “if”.  

 

Prayer of the day: O God, Author of the Word, we give you thanks for your written Word. We give thanks for your Word that became flesh in Christ Jesus. Help us this week to proclaim your Word whenever or as we strive to live according to your will with a big “IF”. In Christ Jesus we pray. Amen.  

For I know my transgressions. Psalm 51:3

 

In our call to confession we often recite the words of 1John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Knowledge of our sin and confession is critical for us to properly receive the unmerited grace we receive from God in and through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

In his classic book, The Cost of Discipleship, theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer speaks of sin without repentance as "cheap grace”.  He further declares that cheap grace is grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ. When Bonhoeffer wrote his book in 1937, he did so because he felt the world was becoming too secular and failing to recognize our sinful nature. Seventy-three years later, inflation has riveted every nation’s economic system but the ever increasingly secular world seems to receive God’s grace more cheaply than Bonhoeffer could imagine. For the most part, the world just doesn’t understand.

 

The psalmist says, “I know my transgressions.” No denial, no deceit, a full understanding.

 

Prayer of the Day: God of grace, because of the costly gift of forgiveness that has been freely given to me, create in me a full understanding of my sinful nature in order that I may come before you in true repentance. In the name of Jesus, Amen. 

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Psalm 51:2

  

Yesterday, we focused on this same verse and reflected how God answered the psalmist’s plea with the gift of Christ Jesus. Later in the psalm, (v.7) the psalmist asks God to cleanse with hyssop, a fragrant plant whose twigs were used to sprinkle water in Hebrew religious ceremonies. Maybe the psalmist is crying for cleansing because most ancient Hebrew ceremonies, especially sacrificial, were not exactly the cleanest. Sacrificing a lamb for covering one’s sin was common, especially during Passover. 

 

Early Christians likened the death of Christ as a sacrificial lamb and marked these forty days of Lent as a remembrance of the time Jesus spent in the wilderness prior to the Crucifixion. When reading this verse and thinking about the Jesus as the Paschal Lamb, I can’t help but remember my first seminary theology course where my professor in explained such “atonement theology”. To help us differentiate different views of the saving grace of Jesus, our professor burst out singing that old gospel hymn (long removed from the Presbyterian Hymnal), “Are you washed in the blood, In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?”  Not exactly what the psalmist was singing, but was what the psalmist was asking for: God, wash me from my sin.

 

Prior to that seminary class, I never considered that we are saved by Jesus in any way other than through the washing of our sins by Christ’s blood. As my faith continues to seek a deeper understanding, I’ve since come to believe that we are saved in other ways – especially in different times of the year and different circumstances (a whole different devotional series for a different time of the year). However, during Lent, my focus is deeply centered on this Christological aspect of Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. I am humbled. I am grateful. Thank you Lord Jesus.   

 

Prayer of the Day: Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, thank you for your sacrifice. Send your Spirit to remind me of my frailty so that I can humbly come before God each morning in reverence.  Amen. 

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Psalm 51:2

 

Last Wednesday, I had the pastoral privilege of imposing ashes on foreheads of Christians. We had a nice Ash Wednesday service and to my delight we had many children and youth come forward to be marked with the sign of the cross. Hours earlier these same youth dirtied their hands by burning palm leaves which were saved from last year’s Palm Sunday service. Then the ashes were used for our Service of Ashes. When marked with ashes and told by their pastor, “from dust you have come, dust you will return; ashes to ashes,” I began wondering how many of them really understood what was taking place in this ancient Christian ritual. For that matter, do any of us? How long would each of us humbly wear the soot? How quickly would it be before we’d clean our faces?

 

One thing is certain about the marking of ashes: it is anything but a neat and clean ceremony. I sense many who came forward couldn’t help but to notice how black my forefinger had become. Over the past couple days I’ve been trying to scrub away the black without much success. It looks like I’ll be preaching this Sunday with fingernails of soot. The psalmist is begging to be washed thoroughly of sin, but as I look at my hands, the grime vividly reminds me my sin and brings me back to Ash Wednesday.

 

After we worship on Ash Wednesday, I think we all-too readily wash away our forehead ashes and then go about our hectic lives leaving no visible reminder for the rest of our Lenten journey. To me, such cleansing washes away a special marking of our deepened, seasonal connection with God. Looking at my forefinger today, I’m now actually kind of glad that I still have some reminder and am not in much of a hurry to scrub up. 

 

As our Lenten journey progresses and as you wash your face each morning, try and remember the once marking of ashes. Be thankful for such a washing with soot. Then remember the dirt and soot Christ endured in the wilderness for his forty days and his eventual ultimate act to cleanse of all our sin. Unfortunately, our foreheads have no reminder of the cross; the gift that the psalmist is begging God to deliver. So throughout Lent, as you wash your face and gaze in the mirror, imagine a cross on your forehead. It’s there. In your baptism you were eternally marked and cleansed. Ash Wednesday just helps us to see it more clearly. It’s amazing isn’t it, in Christ, God answered the psalmist for you and for me.

 

In closing, maybe it’s best that our humble, sooty cross has been washed away. After all, Christ calls us to live a life of love to God and our neighbor and to do so not to be noticed by others (Matthew 6:1; 6:5; 6:17).   

  

Prayer of the Day: Gracious God, who answered the psalmist’s prayer by sending Jesus as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world, we give you thanks for this gift and sacrifice. Let me not forget the sign of the cross and lead me to lead a life Christ calls me to. In His name, Amen.

According to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Psalm 51:1b

 

When in school years and years ago, we still had a small cutout hole in our wooden desks to hold an ink well. Writing with “real” ink was messy...especially if the fountain pen leaked. Such brokenness was not uncommon. To clean up, especially on our created work, one needed an ink blotter which allowed us to soak up the mess. After a while, the blotter would exhibit scores of absorbed impressions and eventually be discarded without much thought or appreciation for its utility. 

 

The psalmist petitions God to “blot” our transgressions. “Please God, absorb our wrong doings; soak them up”, the psalmist seems to beg, “cleanse us; neat and clean!” Later in the psalm the prayer requests that God create a clean heart in order to be restored to the image which God first created. But in a world which would become broken and messy beyond any fountain pen, God would need a huge Blotter. Such was the gift in Jesus Christ.

 

Through the saving act of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus as the Abundant Ink Blotter, God wipes clean our transgressions (a rather euphemistic way of saying sin). What Jesus has soaked up must be quite a mess! But the act was done not for just for “utility” sake, but by God with loving mercy. As the world spins, I wonder if we’ve come to accept God’s response to the psalmist as easily as we accept the unappreciated utility of an ink blotter. Do we really realize this act as a gift...a gift of God’s love? Lent gives us the opportunity to reflect and reaffirm our deep appreciation.

 

Here’s one more thought to soak up. This gift of Jesus is much more than as the Abundant Blotter. God’s gift is everlasting, an eternal ink well of love and grace which despite our brokenness, we as mere mortal blotters get to gratefully soak up. The best part is that we will never be tossed away. Give thanks for a mess made beautiful! 

 

Prayer of the Day: O God, in Christ our sin is transferred as easily as ink to a blotter. We take this for granted all too often. Send your Spirit to create in me a deeper appreciation for this gift and the gift of your everlasting grace through Christ Jesus. Amen. 

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; Psalm 51:1a

 

Mercy.  It’s a word used often in our prayers and liturgies. God’s mercy is one of the most essential qualities of God;  a gift that we have been assured through God’s covenant that our relationship will be everlasting despite our unworthiness and unfaithfulness. The theological importance is obvious as at the heart of the concept of mercy is the love of God, which is freely given to us in the saving act of Christ Jesus. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus shows mercy on the needy and the poor. Therefore, by the call of Christ, we too are to exhibit such mercy on the needy and the poor.  The psalmist says, have mercy on me but Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” In our Lenten journey let us then petition the Almighty to guide us as instruments of God’s loving mercy to the merciful.

 

Prayer of the Day:  God of Mercy, indeed, do have mercy upon our brokenness, but send your Spirit to strengthen us as agents of your unending mercy. In Christ we pray. Amen.