Like King David. we all have times when we love, worship and rejoice in God AND we have seasons when we would rather live on our own seeking joy and pleasure apart from God and His ways. On this 5th Sunday of Lent we discover that Psalm 51 is so much more than a prayer for guilty sinners whose transgressions have been exposed. Psalm 51 is a prayer of intimacy and honesty with God who loves us, knows us and remains with us both when we worship and when we wander.
Often we cry to God in distress and either glance His way or neglect Him altogether when life is good. In Psalm 107 we are summoned to always consider the steadfast love of the Lord and to give Him thanks both privately and in the congregation of the people. On this 4th Sunday of Lent we unite to recall our God’s love and to give Him thanks.
We were made to live with God. Yet, like David, we wander, breaking the Divine’s laws and heart. Fortunately, God pursues His people in many ways. On this 3rd Sunday of Lent we see in Psalm 19 that God reveals Himself to His wayward king through His creation and His written Word. This was a gift to David and, for those of us who live after the first coming of Jesus, we have the clearest demonstration of God’s love and grace. In Christ, we can be restored and reconciled to our God-given purpose – the blessed life with God.
We were designed to experience God while living in His presence daily. Yet suffering can cause us to turn from God. On this 2nd day of Lent we meditate on David’s response to suffering. He felt forsaken by God and he questioned God, yet he continued to cry out and come to God. A thousand years later the Gospels report that one of David’s descendants fulfilled the suffering and joy originally penned by David. As He hung on a Roman cross atoning for the sins of the world, Jesus expressed words from Psalm 22 to the Father identifying with David and all of us when we are afflicted with suffering.
This first week of Lent, David’s prayer in Psalm 25 reveals that shame, hurt, confusion, loneliness, guilt, concerns for others and many other afflictions are a part of our humanity. Rather than figuring these things out before we come to God, these are the very things our Heavenly Father, whose love is steadfast, is calling us to bring to Him just as we are.
We believe disciples follow Jesus, are changed by Jesus, and join Jesus in His mission of love. But when we are working in His mission, we often find that loving God and loving one another is easier than loving our neighbors, especially when fishing for people. Perceived failure in sharing the gospel well, both past and present, can be discouraging, but we trust that Jesus is not done with us. Just like Peter, we trust that the more we follow Jesus, the more He will change us to become effective fishers of people, giving us immense purpose and hope.
Since the beginning, God has wanted to have close intimate relationships with His people. Even on Mt. Sinai, He was calling His people to a marriage-like covenant with Him. God is calling, but He allows the closeness of relationship with Him to be up to us. What type of relationship will you choose?
Today we finish our 4-week series entitled, Be Still My Soul in which we are looking to Jesus who lived in communion with the Father, faithfully fulfilled His divine assignments, evaded people’s expectations, loved the right people and sustained a soul at rest. Throughout these first weeks of 2018 we are reminded that God envisions followers of Jesus doing the same. Today’s message emerges from the final 2 verses in Mark 1:35-39 in which we see Jesus faithfully fulfilling God’s priorities. Here He shows us how to do the same.
God made you to commune with Him while fulfilling His call to love the right people. Once you discern what this unique kind of life looks like for you, get ready because distractions are coming. Jesus’ friends requested that He serve more people in Capernaum, yet He was so clear on His Father’s priorities that He evaded their seemingly good suggestion in order to stay the course with His Father’s will. Good news – all followers of Jesus must, and can, learn to do the same.
People matter to God and so, as followers of Jesus, people matter to us. Yet, sometimes the needs of people can be overwhelming. Jesus came to love people and at times people’s expectations were different than the Father’s plans for Jesus. As we begin this new year we look to Christ who perfectly discerned the Father’s relational priorities and seek wisdom from God to help us do the same.