O God who covers the desert with a field of flowers —
Make this barren life bloom in variegated grace,
Bring bubbling water to run in dry channels of the heart,
Cause laughter to be heard in the midst of a mourning world,
Righteousness a flood, and justice the rain to refresh the earth.
Lord of all, spring forth in marveled wonders among your people!
Jesus and me
Father, the lack of zeal in self dismays me. Jesus died for the zeal he felt for your house. Ignite my fervor for your kingdom.
And not only in me, but in others diligence is missing. Jesus did all your will and spoke just as you told him. Give your people that same dedication, that same attention to detail and to the larger picture.
How far I feel from your holy nature! Jesus sanctified himself in order to know and please you. Purge me of all defilement, for I desire to see you after this earthly life has ended.
My love is imperfect, I still judge people by appearance, often sizing them up by what they might could do for me. Jesus loved everyone, offered them acceptance, was willing to give opportunity to all to be a part of his family. Perfect your love in me, so that I might see every person as one of your special creatures.
Our minds are small
Our minds are small, but you, O Lord, know no limits. Expand our horizons.
Our hearts are divided, Father, but you are one. Give us integrity.
Our souls are lost, O God, but you are Finder and Savior. Redeem us from the grave.
Our bodies feel the burden of sin, O Holy Spirit, but you are incorruptible. Give us eternal life.
How close I can get to Jesus’ example
Heavenly Father,
Help me to see how close I can get to Jesus’ example,
Not how close I can get to the edge of sin.
Let the Lord Jesus be my measure of goodness,
Not the failures of those I see around me.
Keep me from feeling superior in the presence of sinners,
But humble and repentant in the presence of Christ.
I pray your Spirit will keep me from falling,
Just as he strengthened the Savior all the way to the Cross.
Even if Someone Rises from the Dead
Nowhere in the text of Luke 16 is “The Rich and Lazarus” called a parable, but even if the characters are fictitious, Jesus doesn’t ever make fantasy out of doctrine.
I. Luke 16:19-31. We cannot change anything after death. The beggar Lazarus, who had a terrible earthly life, received comfort after death while the rich man, who never thought about anyone but himself in life, was in torment. And that was it. There was no changing their situation, no prayers or purgatory-like system to move a loved one from one side of the chasm to the other. Death is final.
II. 2 Corinthians 7:10-11. The time to repent is now. Allow godly sorrow to produce in you the fruit of true repentance while you still have breath. One who procrastinates in obeying the gospel and living a life of repentance and obedience may find that time runs out on him suddenly. We are not guaranteed even one more minute. The rich man certainly would have liked a second chance.
III. 2 Timothy 3:16-17. We have everything we need to repent. The rich man’s brothers had Moses and the Prophets, God’s Word at that time, the same Bible that the resurrected Jesus preached the gospel from on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:25-27). We have the completed Word of God that thoroughly equips the man of God for every good work.
Like the rich man’s brothers, the world today isn’t convinced of the narrow path to eternal life even though Jesus has risen from the dead. They continue searching for spiritual truth when all they need is widely available to them within the pages of Scripture. What will convince you to live repentance now while you still have breath?
We are all Job
O Lord, we are all Job, aren’t we?
The secret things belong to you.
Many things we could not understand, even if you told us.
You want us to learn to trust you.
Our strength is in our faith.
And our faith is so small!
Forgive us and help us in our lack.
We shall not curse or revile.
We believe, O Father, in your goodness.
Show us the future blessing.
Open Heaven’s View
In you, O Lord, we live and move
And breathe, to exist forever more.
From nothing you created me,
For the purest glory that Jesus wore.
The stars, my God, seem far away,
And farther still perfection’s goal.
The flesh is too much present here,
In distant light the eternal soul.
Our Father, open heaven’s view,
That we might know the end of war,
And see, with Christ, the faithful few.
From him let us not wander far.
To find the power that overcomes
God who rules in heaven above,
Keep me from running to people and places that appear to have the resources I’m looking for. The Israelites ran down to Egypt, and it did them no good. They thought the Egyptian military power would save them. Their dependence upon Egypt was exactly their problem. They trusted in man, rather than in the Lord. They used humanly wisdom, rather than yours.
Let me look to you, Holy One of Israel! I seek my help from your hand. You make the enemy fall. You give your people victory. You care for the humble.
You are the fire that consumes the adversary. Purge from my heart everything opposed to your rule!
Isaiah 31
Praise to God
John 1.1-18
Our Father in Heaven,
Praise to you for providing for your people, for Jesus who is for us fullness with grace upon grace.
Praise to you for the message of faith, that allows us the right to become your children, through your own will, and not the will of man.
Praise to you for Jesus, the Special One, who is with you, and become one of us, and showed us your glory.
Praise to you for grace and truth in Christ, that we might receive what we could never achieve, and know the Unknowable.
Praise to you for the light which shines and is never overcome, for the well-marked Path to your throne, for the life began at creation and recreated in your Spirit.
Praise to you for your invisible Spirit, now seen in the flesh of the Son of Man, demonstrating the glory too wonderful to look upon.
Praise to your for the Word, who speaks your mind and reveals your will and declares your purpose for our lives.
Waiting is hard
Father, waiting is hard, for we cannot see ahead.
We wonder if you’ve forgotten us.
Like Sarah, we think you might need an extra hand.
We think we must have it now.
What confusion between wants and needs!
Remind us that you do not fail.
That you often save and help at the last minute.
That you use this interval for our good.
You teach us dependence upon your grace.
Father, help me wait patiently, quietly.
I watch today for your generous hand.
And I will watch tomorrow and the next day, if need be.
As long as you see fit.
This prayer was inspired by a devotional mentioned here.