Lenten Devotion for Thursday, March 25

Today's lessons:

Psalm 31:9-16

Isaiah 53:10-12

Hebrews 2:1-9

Author:

Mary Lasits, Diaconal Minister

Director of Youth & Outreach, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, DeKalb

NIS Youth Coordinator

Theme verses:

Hebrews 2:1–9 - Therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the message declared through angels was valid, and every transgression or disobedience received a just penalty, how can we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? It was declared at first through the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him, while God added his testimony by signs and wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, distributed according to his will. ;Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere, ‘What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honour, subjecting all things under their feet.’ Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Meditation:

“Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda!”

It’s one of my favorite sayings to help me handle life when it doesn’t go my way. I use it when something is out of my control but most of the time I use it when I don’t live up to my own expectations or I know I’ve done something disappointing, for myself or somebody else. Another word that expresses that same sentiment for me is, “Whatever!”

I hate thinking deeply about my mistakes or the things I’ve done wrong. This past summer I celebrated my 20th high school reunion with my old classmates and realized that life happens to all of us and sometimes we fall short of what we hoped we could become or life doesn’t turn out the way we expect. We are reminded of how we fall short!

Today’s lesson in Hebrews also begins by reminding us that God has great expectations for us, we are made a little lower than the angels but we know that we don’t always live up to God’s expectations as much as our own human expectations.

It doesn’t take much to slip down a path we were not intending to go and we can easily slip away from God by making one small decision at a time.

Fortunately, we are also reminded that God knows this and through Jesus’ death and resurrection we can never slip away completely. Even if we move ahead blindly and unthinking God is still there, we are never left alone.

As this Lenten season comes to a close and we look forward to Spring, we are reminded of the new beginning given to us through Christ.

Life doesn’t always turn out the way we hoped but through our faith in God we can move forward confidently, trusting in a new beginning today and forevermore.

There is no such thing as “Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda.” We all get another chance!

Prayer:

Dear Lord, We easily get caught up in life and not see or care where we are headed. Use this time of Lent to wake us up out of unconsciousness and guide us. Open our hearts to where you would like us to be and help us to share the Good News of your constant presence with those around us.