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LENTeN DEVOTIONS
How Much God Do You Want
By Jim Hardenbrook
I hate, I despise your religious feasts: I cannot stand your assemblies. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Amos 5:21 and 24
This passage is about repentance not justice. Read all of it (5:21-24) and you will see what I mean.
The people who received this message were religious. They obeyed the prescribed tenets of their faith. Their worship services and prayer meetings were right in line with the tradition they inherited. Everything seemed just fine. Everything, that is, except God. God was not fine.
He hated their worship experiences and their prayers. That’s what it says! A lack of holiness and fair play provoked God’s angry response to these people’s religious traditions.
With penetrating sarcasm Wilbur E. Rees writes: I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don't want enough of Him to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant. I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please.
How much of God would you like? Be careful with your answer. God does not take our commitments, or His, lightly.
Prayer: Lord, I repent of my desire for a comfortable, unchallenging, self-serving faith. Open my eyes to opportunities you place before me. Transform my life so that I will act justly, seek mercy, and walk humbly with you, my God. Amen.
Here I am, Lord
By Sharon Wada
Scripture: That I may know Him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. Philippians 3:10
When I hear the hymn: “Here I am Lord” (United Methodist Hymnal, #593), I can’t get through the song without crying because I have heard You, Lord calling me in the night. Faith, belief, and trust all are interchangeable but although I hear You I don’t know what to do. It is my hope that from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday during this time of reflection and repentance I will have an epiphany. I have heard You more than once and yet I do not hear; open my ears and my eyes and heart that I may be awakened. Although I try to be more pleasing to You, I stay conflicted and unmotivated. I think of many things I could do to be of service but I am paralyzed.
I have experienced the power of prayer during these past months while I recuperated from my accident. Even my surgeon was surprised that the operation was as uncomplicated – after putting my jaw together – since the fracture was in two places. He said, after setting the first break, that it’s unusual for the second break to slide into place. I told him of my faith and all the people praying for me. Maybe just maybe, I heard you calling me onward, “holding your people in my heart.”
Prayer: Lord I know I have your wisdom to guide me and I will go where you lead me. Through your death I know I will have eternal life. Amen
God’s unfathomable peace
By Pam Hardenbrook
Don’t worry about anything. No matter what happens, tell God about everything. Ask and pray, and give thanks to him. Then God’s peace will watch over your hearts and your minds. He will do this because you belong to Christ Jesus. God’s peace can never be completely understood. Philippians 4:6-7
A few years ago I became friends with a woman I quickly grew to love and appreciate. Her story has had a profound influence on my life.
In the 1960s, she and her husband started a manufacturing business that involved using hazardous materials.
In the late 90s, the Environmental Protection Agency filed suit against them, which led to their home and business being condemned and their eventual bankruptcy. Then, her husband developed terminal cancer and died shortly before we met her.
Despite all this, I never met a more joyful person. Her attitude didn’t make sense according to the way the world views such tragedies. The key to her joy was her commitment to prayer and her faith in God.
She told us that while her husband was dying, many of her friends prayed for his healing. She said she appreciated their prayers, but that her requests were different. Instead, she prayed for three things: that she and her husband would have good conversation (about what was happening and what her future would be), that their love would grow, and that she would have no bitterness. My friend was quick to say that her prayers had been answered, and that as a bonus, God gave her unfathomable peace and joy.
When I grow up, I want to be like this faithful follower of Jesus.
Prayer: Gracious and loving God, thank you for the examples of your servants and for their testimonies of your faithfulness. Protect my spirit from anxiety as I bring my needs to you with a grateful heart, and may your unfathomable peace and joy flood my soul. To the praise of your glory, Amen.
OFF TRACK
By Larry Haley
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.
Luke 19:10 NIV
I used to teach Idaho Hunter Education to youth. I also went hunting each year with a small group of friends. One lesson I taught was what to do if you became lost. This included a discussion about how being lost would feel – panic, fear, anxiety. If left unchecked one could make bad decisions and possibly make the problem worse. To counter this I taught them a process to “chill” out. The process: Sit down, build a little campfire, eat and drink something. This would give them time to relax and be able to think and plan what the next step would be.
One hunting trip my friends and I split up with a plan to meet at a certain point in the late afternoon and be picked up by another to drive back to camp. About mid afternoon I realized I wasn’t where I thought I was. Immediately those feelings I had taught about were happening to me! But I knew what to do. This calmed me down and I was able to get back on track and reach the meeting point on time.
We’re always getting off track, lost, even with the best-laid plans. There are many things in life we don’t control. But there is one who is in control, our God, who has laid out a path for us and provided a spiritual guide and a written guide for us. When that “off track” feeling hits us we can immediately go to our spiritual leader and our written guide for help.
Prayer: Lord, we your sheep are always getting lost. Watch over us and give us that push and prod that we need to get back on track. Amen
DAY 6 
Be a Light
By Leslie Ward
In the same way let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16
I grew up in a church with the most amazing, kind, loving, and graceful people. No matter what the circumstance was, someone was always there to help; to show the way. As a kid I didn't understand the time, effort, and sacrifice it took to be the “someone there.” My parents were incredible role models. Church on Sunday, helping with the work days at church, teaching Sunday School and writing devotions to share as a deacon or deaconess, arriving early to prepare communion, and helping with Church Camp in the summers. That took a sacrifice of time and resources to help improve the bigger picture.
Jesus knew the sacrifice. HE KNEW! And yet, he still did it. Even to this day the thought of how much he loves me - how much he sacrifices for me – is overwhelming.
As an adult, I get the time, energy, and resources it takes to be “the someone who is there.” Is it worth it? Yes, I believe so!
We could never be the light that Jesus was but we can be a light. Listen to Thomas Rhett’s “Be a Light’ (Lyric Video) and then go BE a Light.
Dear God, Thank you for your Son, thank you for the Light! Help me to reflect it in any way I can. (Link to Be A Light (Lyric Video) https://youtu.be/8YuWAZmD0aU
Think about excellent things
By Pam Hardenbrook
Finally, my brothers and sisters, always think about what is true. Think about what is noble, right and pure. Think about what is lovely and worthy of respect. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those kinds of things. Philippians 4:8
Jim and I were serving our first full-time pastorate in Bellingham, Washington, and had completed our first year. It was time for the church board to review Jim’s salary package. I think they were paying us $600 a month and a motion was on the table to raise the salary by $50 a month. We really could use the raise. We were renting a dumpy little house with hot and cold running mice, and our first baby was on the way. I wasn’t at the meeting, but Jim told me all about it afterwards.
One of the deacons on the board was a grouchy old miserly fellow. You could always count on this deacon to be negative and argumentative in most situations. Long story short, he convinced the board not to increase our salary.
After that board meeting, Jim came home hurt and angry. He had a fomenting dislike of this man, and I could see that it could ruin his ministry. So we prayed about it and came up with a plan based on Philippians 4:8. We decided to apply that teaching to our attitudes about that deacon. We began to look for any true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, excellent, and praiseworthy characteristics in him. It took some doing, but we came up with some. The deacon was faithful. He attended every worship service and event at the church. He was a hard worker and offered his muscle and expertise whenever something needed moving or fixing. We began to thank God for those attributes, but we also told him what we appreciated about him. I’d like to say that he became sweeter, kinder, and more generous, but that didn’t happen. What did happen was that WE became sweeter, kinder, and more generous toward him. His cantankerousness didn’t steal our joy.
Do you have a cantankerous person in your life? This Lenten season is a good time to examine your thoughts and attitudes. Try applying this passage to that person; focus on things in that person that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent, or worthy of praise. Maybe God can use that troublesome person to transform and purify you.
Holy Lord, open my eyes to the true, noble, right and pure characteristics of people in my life. Instead of dwelling on negative things, help me to think about what is lovely and worthy of respect in the lives of others. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, give me the grace and boldness to speak of those things. To your eternal glory, amen.
Thou art with Me
Written by Doris Homan
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Psalm 23
January 1, 2021 my sister, Mary Ann Crawley of Decaturville, Tennessee died. She was 88 years old and had been in poor health for the past couple of years.
A few months ago she was taken to the hospital and tested positive for Covid. While hospitalized she was having trouble with her memory and was very confused. One day as I was trying to talk to her by phone, she began to recite the Twenty-third Psalm. It was word by word and from beginning to the end. When she got to verse 4 (Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…) she slowed and emphasized every word. I was shocked and pleased.
Mary Ann recovered somewhat but eventually died. My relatives informed me she had recited the psalm to some of her children and grandchildren, as well.
At the end of her graveside service, her pastor ended the service by having everyone recite the Twenty-third Psalm together.
Since that time I have had a copy of the psalm in the front of my Bible so that when I do my devotion each night I can clearly recall her reciting it – especially verse 4.
Loving heavenly Father, I will fear no evil for You are with me. Amen.
How Does Jesus Speak to You?
Written by Letha Essinger
For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes may not die but have eternal life. John 3:16 (Good News Bible)
I can't remember when my love of music wasn't there. My older sisters always sang harmony while doing dishes. In our one room school in Kansas, music was a bright spot every day. I could memorize anything set to music! In that same one room school we had Sunday school, and learned “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so!” I could hardly wait for Sunday! What a wonderful experience!
As an adult, singing in church and in church choirs has blessed my soul. How much I miss singing in church during this COVID shut-down! So I will be singing to myself all the beloved hymns of Lent and Easter. One that I particularly love speaks of Jesus love for each of us. It's one of the hymns that bring me peace. Sometimes I sing it in my mind as I'm going to sleep, or when I'm undergoing a medical procedure.
O How He Loves You and Me
O how He loves you and me! O how he loves you and me!
He gave his life, what more can he give?
O how he loves you; O how he loves me;
O how he loves you and me!
Jesus to Calv'ry did go; His love for sinners to show.
What he did there brought hope from despair.
O how he loves you; O how he loves me;
O how he loves you and me!
Take a deep breath, breathing in God's Spirit and calm,
let the breath out slowly, releasing all that distracts you
Read or sing the words of the song in an attitude of Thanksgiving,
Thank you, Holy Lord, for your wonderful gifts of love and grace and eternal life. Amen
Day 2
A Trip to the Dump
By Jim Hardenbrook
But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips. Colossians 3:8
I do enjoy a trip to the landfill or “the dump,” as we used to call it. As a youngster, I saw those trips as great adventures! I never knew what I would find or whom I would see. Some folks turn up their noses when you mention a landfill, but not me.
However, something about a landfill never changes: a certain odor is part of the experience. Now don’t get me wrong – the folks who operate our local landfill do a great job, but it still has that certain smell. The smell is not as bad as it was in the old days, but it is still there. That is just the price you pay for having garbage around – even for a little while.
It is the same way with moral garbage. It stinks. The longer you keep it around, the more it stinks. Garbage such as “anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language” piles up in our hearts and pollutes the whole environment around us. That kind of garbage not only smells bad, it injures families, neighborhoods, offices, churches and communities.
How do we get rid of moral garbage? Some can be recycled, but that takes special handling. Some should be buried, and some should be destroyed, but the best approach is to haul it off to someone who knows how to deal with it.
As a Christian, I believe that Jesus knows best how to handle the moral garbage of my life – and yours. However, that doesn’t happen automatically. We don’t just “get better.” It starts with seeing garbage for what it is, and then deciding to get rid of it.
How about a trip to dump?
Dear Jesus, take the garbage of my life and haul it away. Recycle my experiences – even the bad ones – and use them to teach me to be a better disciple. Amen.
The Sacrifice
By Kay Haley
And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice of God. Ephesians 5:2 (NIV)
April 8, 2011, I was building two large stage props for a passion play to be performed at our church for Good Friday. To construct the props, I was forming wire mesh into the shape of a life size figure of Jesus, to hang on a tall cross in the church yard. As I was finishing up and was amazed of how lifelike he was, I realized my hand was bleeding. I had cut it on the rough edges of the wire. I wasn’t in pain but I felt at that moment I needed to sit down, not because I was bleeding but because I was profoundly shocked at the realization of the sacrifice that was made for me. It was as if time had stopped. I remember repeating this verse several times throughout the following days of working on this project: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (KJV)
Each year during the time of Lent, 40 days before Easter, I recall this emotional time in my life. Today when I think about the Lenten season I give thanks for this season to focus my walk with Jesus and where I am going with Him this year. It’s a time to look at all the opportunities to grow, to learn, to pray, to sacrifice my “cluttered life” for a more meaningful God centered life.
Lent is our opportunity to contemplate what our Lord really did for us on the cross. The cross is where we can place our faith, our salvation, and our hope fully in God’s hands.
Loving God, Help me to open my heart and let everything I do come from you. Help me to be aware and thankful for the many ways you reach out to me to help me each day. Lead me think beyond my own wants and fill me with the desire to do your will, Amen.
