31st Day in Lent (Wednesday)
Read 1 Peter 1:18-21
“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Galatians 3:26-27 (NIV) “Grace is Jesus Christ in redeeming action.” ~ Michael Horton Tom carried his new toy boat to the edge of the river. He carefully placed it in the water and slowly let out the string. How smoothly the boat sailed! Tom sat in the warm sunshine, admiring the little boat that he had built. Suddenly a strong current caught the boat. Tom tried to pull it back to the bank, but the string broke. The little boat raced downstream. Tom ran along the sandy bank as fast as he could. But his little boat soon slipped out of sight. All afternoon he searched for the boat. Finally, when it was too dark to look any longer, Tom sadly went home. A few days later, on the way home from school, Tom spotted a boat just like his in a store window. When he got closer, he could see - sure enough - it was his! Tom hurried to the store manager: “Sir, that’s my boat in your window! I made it!” “Sorry, but someone else brought it in this morning. If you want it, you’ll have to buy it for ten dollars.” Tom ran home and counted all his money. Exactly ten dollars! When he reached the store, he rushed to the counter. “Here’s the money for my boat.” As he left the store, Tom hugged his boat and said, “Now you’re twice mine. First, I made you and now I bought you.” This is God’s redeeming love in action. Firstly, He made us in His image, truly beautiful children of God. Due to sin and wanting to get away from God, God’s people went their own way and were lost unable to make up for all their wrongdoings. Jesus came to earth with His redeeming action through His death on a cross when He defeated Satan, then rose again freeing humankind from separation from God. Through Jesus we have been forgiven and have the promise of eternal life. God has now bought us back with the precious and redeeming blood of Jesus Christ. You have been claimed by God – twice!! Prayer: Loving God, you have always loved me, and I know how much you love me in sending your beloved Son to die for me. Thank you for redeeming me. Amen.
30th Day in Lent (Tuesday)
Read Psalm 18:16-19 “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.” Jonah 3:10 (NIV) “[Grace] is God reaching downward to people who are in rebellion against Him.” ~ Jerry Bridges I love the story of Jonah in the Bible. He is so very real in the sense of his humanity. God asked him to go to Ninevah to tell the rebellious and evil people there to repent. Jonah chose to run away instead of doing what God asked, not because he was afraid of the people, but because he knew God was gracious and would forgive them. How very odd – Jonah did not want God to forgive these evil people who rebelled against Him.
I often wondered why Jonah didn’t want them to be forgiven. Maybe he felt they weren’t worthy like he was and didn’t feel they deserved to be warned because then they would be forgiven in God’s sight. Who can understand the nature of God who would choose to send His Son into a rebellious world, a world full of evil and corruption, to bring this world the grace and forgiveness of a loving God? Like Jonah, we were once against God, even running away from God in our sin, until we were brought back and restored through God’s mercy by Jesus in His death and resurrection. Next week is Holy Week when we focus on the suffering and death of a loving Saviour and a God who reaches down to restore a rebellious people. God forgives you and loves all those around you. Consider the person who hurt you with unkind words – God loves and forgives them; the neighbour who is noisy and unhelpful – God wants them to know Him; the council or town planners who won’t allow you to build – they also have a place with Jesus secured. God reaches down to all His people with love, grace, and forgiveness. It is up to us, like Jonah, to do God’s work in allowing them to know about a loving God who sent His Son to bring them life with Him. Don’t run away from God’s work – embrace it to bring others to know Him! Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know that you suffered and endured so much for me. Help me to do your work eagerly to bring all around me to know you. Amen
29th Day in Lent (Monday)
Read 1 Timothy 1:12-17 “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly... God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6, 8 (NIV) ‘Grace is unconditional love toward a person who does not deserve it.’ ~ Paul Zahl During my time with Lutheran Youth Encounter travelling with my East Coast team, we had to develop our skits and puppet shows to tell and witness the grace of God. One of the first dramas our team wrote was set in the 1800s during the Wild West. A cowboy ‘Wompum Stompum’ had one of his cows taken by a rustler. The sheriff went looking through the congregation for the cow and the thief. These he found and then according to the Wild West rules, a cow rustler was hanged for his punishment. Just as the hanging was about to take place in the drama, we froze, and the Christ figure came into the scene and put his head through the noose and the cow thief ran away. It struck me every time how God put His head through the noose (died on the cross) when I least deserve His forgiveness and love. He cares so much for me with such an unconditional love that I can never repay, neither do I deserve it. That is why it is called grace. It is a gift that no one can ever deserve, and so we must rely on the graciousness of God’s love for an undeserving world to enter our eternal home. The bible verse above from Paul's writing to Timothy is striking in the fact that Paul doesn’t build himself up in the eyes of the young Timothy, rather he shares his unworthiness to be called God’s child. “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus may display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” (1 Timothy 1:15-16) Whether deserving or undeserving, God’s grace is given to you! Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, that you died in my place. I could never deserve your grace or love, but through your death and resurrection, my future is assured. I am so thankful. Amen.
5th Sunday during Lent
Read Ephesians 2:1-10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8 (NIV) Grace: “Unmerited divine assistance granted to humans for their regeneration or sanctification” [Webster Dictionary] Co-author of PROOF, a paradigm-shifting book on God’s incredible, irresistible grace, Timothy Paul Jones tells the story of taking his adopted daughter to Disney World. For years she was denied going by her original adoptive parents because she wasn’t part of the family. When the Jones family adopted her, life wasn’t easy until she finally experienced the Magic Kingdom. The 8-year-old girl was overwhelmed and hugged Timothy saying, “Daddy, I finally got to go to Disney World. But it wasn’t because I was good; it is because I’m yours.” Jones continues saying (I couldn’t say it better): “Grace isn’t a favour you can achieve by being good; it’s the gift you receive by being God’s. Grace is God’s goodness that comes looking for you when you have only ignored and rejected God for years. It’s a farmer paying a full day’s wages to a crew of deadbeat day labourers with only an hour punched on their time cards (Matthew 20:1-16). It’s the insanity of a shepherd who puts ninety-nine sheep at risk to rescue the one lamb that’s too stupid to stay with the flock (Luke 15:1-7). It’s the love of a father who hands over his finest rings and robes to a young man who has squandered his inheritance on drunken binges with his fair-weather friends (Luke 15:11-32). It’s a one-way love that calls you into the kingdom not because you’ve been good but because God has chosen you and made you his own. But here’s what’s amazing about God’s grace: This isn’t merely what God the Father would do; it’s what he has done. God could have chosen to save anyone, everyone, or no one from Adam’s fallen race. But God chose you. God in Christ has declared over you, ‘I could have chosen anyone in the whole world as my child, and I chose you. No matter what you say or do, neither my love nor my choice will ever change.’” (PROOF, Pgs. 81-84) That’s God’s gift of grace: truly amazing! Prayer: Lord God, thank you for choosing me to be your child – forgiven and loved. Your gift of grace is incredible and outrageous – I am so thankful for it. Amen.
28th Day in Lent (Saturday)
Read 1 John 4:7-12 “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” 1 John 4:9 (NIV) “In grace, God gives nothing less than Himself.” There is a story about a man named John Griffith, who in 1937 was involved in a horrific accident. He had moved to Mississippi where he took a job as a bridge tender for a railroad trestle. One day his 8-year-old son spent the day with his dad at work. He poked around the bridge tender office and asked a myriad of questions. Then a ship came through and John opened the draw bridge. Looking around John realized his son wasn’t in the office but saw him climbing around on the gears of the draw bridge. He hurried outside to rescue his son but just then he heard what he knew was a fast-approaching passenger train, the Memphis Express, filled with over 400 people. He yelled to his son, but the noise of the now-clearing ship and the oncoming train made it impossible for the boy to hear him. Suddenly John realized his horrible dilemma. If he took the time to rescue his son the train would crash killing all aboard, but if he closed the bridge, he would crush his son within the gears. He made the awful decision, pulled the lever, and closed the bridge. As the train went by, John could see the faces of the passengers— some reading, some even waving, all oblivious to the sacrifice that had just been made on their behalf. So many of us do the same thing to God. We wave as we pass Him by, never giving a second thought to the sacrifice He made on our behalf. Like John Griffith, God allowed the jaws of death to close in on His Son. Unlike the Memphis Express that caught John Griffith by surprise, the sending of Jesus was not a panic move; it wasn’t a spontaneous decision. It was planned. Jesus’ death was not the result of jealous Jews or hard-hearted Romans. It was the result of a loving God, who in His wisdom, said there was no other way. Jesus chose the nails, to demonstrate just how far He was willing to go to win your heart. Give your life to the one who gave His life for you! Prayer: My dear Father, you gave your precious Son to die for me. To save me you gave everything to make me yours, it was a total commitment. Thank you. Amen
27th Day in Lent Hope Beyond Death 27th Day in Lent (Friday)
Read: Romans 5:17-21 “…just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:21 (NIV) ‘Grace is the basis for our hope beyond death’. Franklin D. Roosevelt said: ‘We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world just beyond the horizon.’ That is the hope of a Christian, that beyond this world that we live there is a future in glory with our heavenly Father. I have been to many funerals – some personal, some members of the congregation and others whose family want the person to have a Christian funeral. A funeral of a Christian is surrounded with hope for the person’s future life because of the grace given by their Lord and Saviour. I recently read a Peanuts comic strip, where Snoopy is thinking to himself: “Yesterday I was a dog. Today I’m a dog. Tomorrow I’ll probably still be a dog. Ohh… there’s so little hope for advancement.” This is what the world thinks – there is nothing beyond what I am today so I will live for today. Jesus has given us so much more. He has given us not only hope but a future beyond death. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our sinfulness has been covered by grace and we have been fully forgiven, and with it comes the hope of our eternal life. Romans 5, the above reading for today, is filled with hope, promise, and life in Jesus. Through God’s grace coming to us in our baptism, God comes to us and gives us unconditional love and we are made a child of the Heavenly Father. We have received the inheritance God promised at the beginning of time. Sin came through one person, Adam, when the world was first created, but then also life has come to us through another person, God’s Son, Jesus Christ. We have been made righteous through His precious blood and have the hope of eternal life and salvation when our life has finished on earth. Tell others of this hope beyond death! Prayer: My Lord and Saviour, thank you for the gift of your grace given to me. I am your child and have the inheritance of eternal life with you in heaven. Give me the passion to share this gift. Amen.
26th Day in Lent (Thursday)
Read: Romans 6:1-7 “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:4 (NIV)
‘Grace is the basis for our future’. On 1st November we celebrate ‘All Saints Day’ – a time to remember and thank God for all the saints who have gone before us and died in the faith. We recognise that it is through their faith that we also have come to faith and experience God’s grace and the Word of life, forgiveness and our future hope. Each person who has died in the Lord has completed the task God has set them and they are welcomed into God’s eternal kingdom. I love thinking about this: my father, grandparents, friends and relatives all celebrating with our loving Saviour. But we are also God’s saints here on earth and still have the task set before us to bring more to know Jesus as their Saviour. God’s grace is a free gift, but there are so many who have not been exposed to this gift of life. We can’t give up on them. God’s grace is the key to our future in heaven. If God had not done His work through Jesus, we would not have much of a future. Grace is mentioned 124 times in the NIV New Testament (86 times by Paul). Paul, in his letter to the church of Rome speaks of the grace we have received in our baptism and in it we are also united with Him in His resurrection and are freed from all our sins. The grace of God in Christ is, and always will be, the last word. Grace in Christ is always the last word for us, even as it is also the first word that brought us to faith in and through our baptism. Through faith, grace is the first morning word, the word at midday and the last word at night. God’s grace extends to all people at all times and in all situations throughout the world – it is not exclusive, nor can it ever be extinguished. Our Lord’s grace is our past, present and future! Prayer: Loving Saviour, you have promised me a place with you and all the saints. Grow purpose within me to share your grace and love with all who will listen that they too may have a future with you. Amen.
25th Day in Lent (Wednesday) Read: Acts 11:19-26
“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Acts 20:24 (NIV) ‘Grace is the basis for our participation in God’s Mission’. In BibleSong© (Faith Inkubator programme) this last year, the children have been learning about Paul’s mission work and his courage to speak God’s Word in all and every situation.The part that they have really enjoyed is when they can express what they have earned through drama, playdough, art or building with craft. It is obvious that they understand the strength that this Godly man had when faced with assassins, being imprisoned, travelling in storms and wild weather, being shipwrecked, bitten by a poisonous snake, and so much more. But in all this Paul encouraged the faithful with his letters, sent others to do his work when he couldn’t (Timothy, Barnabas, Aquila) and preached whenever he could. Paul never forgot to testify to the gospel of God’s saving grace. My father was the mission’s director for the LCA for many years (1968-1995) and he supported and preached the saving message of God to all. Missionaries, pastors and teachers in Southeast Asia and beyond were encouraged by my father’s words of God’s love and concern for them, encouraging them to continue in God’s work. God needs us to do His mission out in the world and also in our neighbourhood. We are all missionaries, with our neighbourhoods, schools, sports teams and work being our mission field. As a baptised child of God, we are all followers of Jesus. Australian Lutheran World Service is the service arm of the Lutheran Church and works together with people who are in need. Jonathan Krause shares needs of people throughout the world in his articles in HOPE Spot, which is emailed out to all supporters. As baptised children we firstly pray for those in need and then we do all we can to bring them not just things to support them in their lives but bring hope for their eternal lives. Be that follower of Jesus who shares God’s saving grace! Prayer: Heavenly Father, you need me to be that person to share your love and grace with others. Help me to have the courage and strength of Paul to be your missionary. Amen.
24th Day in Lent (Tuesday)
Read Psalm 22:23-31 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) ‘Grace is the basis for our response to difficulty and suffering’. The beautiful hymn, ‘Amazing Grace,’ was first written by John Newton in 1773. He was a former sea captain who saw firsthand the horrors of slavery and fought heroically to free slaves from servitude and horrific transportation across seas. He saw himself as a ‘wretch’ and the ‘prodigal son’ in his early life, distant both from his father and the heart of God. He considered himself far from God’s love. Later in life, he suffered terribly through a physical infirmary, but he discovered that even in his pain Christ’s deep and abiding love does not give up on anyone. In the lyrics of the hymn, many are reminded of the depth, breadth and height of God’s enduring love and promise. For all who long for God’s grace in the middle of despair, grief, guilt, and shame, this hymn is one of the world’s most hopeful songs. We read in Paul’s writing in the New Testament that he also suffered greatly from what he called a ‘thorn in the flesh’ and prayed that this would be taken from him. Instead, he was called by Christ to trust the grace of God which is enough to overcome any weakness and difficulty. This suffering was a reminder for Paul of the suffering of Christ. Jesus put His weakness and death on public display on the cross – yet the cross is the very power and wisdom of God because we receive mercy and grace through it. In our suffering and difficulties, we also need to be reminded to put our hope in the crucified Jesus who suffered for us and knew what it was to suffer pain and agony. We have the hope of the resurrection by the grace of God. John Newton and Paul trusted and acknowledged their love and hope in their crucified Saviour even though they too suffered. In their weaknesses, they were made strong through their faith in Jesus. Rely on and rest in the one who gave us grace! Prayer: Dear Jesus, in my difficulties and suffering help me to trust that you will fill me with your grace and power to rest in your loving hands knowing you love and care for me. Amen.