Remembering Jesus

To orthodox churches and some protestant congregations, today is known as Ash Wednesday, a day marking a forty day period before Easter Sunday known as Lent.  During this time, congregants are asked to pray and fast in remembrance of Jesus’ forty days of fasting in the desert while being tempted by Satan; they are to dwell on Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection.  You won’t find the term Lent in the Bible, but we do find much about fasting and repentance!

No matter our beliefs, it is always good to focus on Jesus—His life, ministry, sacrifice, burial, death, and resurrection.  It is also always good for us to set aside a time to examine ourselves, asking God to reveal to us any sinful thoughts, words, or actions from which we can repent.  Jesus paid too great a price for our salvation to never give thought to all He did for us and to ask His forgiveness of our sins.

Today may be a good day for all of us to once again meditate on our Savior’s life—how He grew as a child in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and all the people (Luke 2:52); how He grew to be a man who loved with compassion, mercy, and grace the crowds who came to Him for healing and instruction; and how He confronted with passion false leaders who attempted to lead people away from the truth of who He was and the Good News of the Gospel—that we are saved by faith, not by works.
 
Today is a very good day to focus on the meaning of true love, the love of our Savior, who died for us while we were yet sinners.  It is a good day to pray, “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.  Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice.  Don’t keep looking at my sins.  Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.”  Psalm 51:7-10

VERSES

Romans 5:8   “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

Ephesians 2:8-9   “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.   Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

1 John 1:9   “But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

PRAYER:  Jesus, as the song says, “You are my all in all!”  It is hard to realize that You love me--yes ME—so much that You suffered ignorance, abuse, pain, abandonment, torture, and death—more than I can ever imagine—to save me…to say, “Come, believe in Me and become your Father God’s child.  Let Him hold you in His presence and in His LOVE, both now and forever.”  I can never have words enough or correct enough or elaborate enough or songs or melodies enough to express my thanks.  What do I have? I have YOU!!  I would therefore ask You to help my every heartbeat be Yours; I would ask You to live in me completely, each and every moment, so I may live for You!  May Your holy name be praised and blessed forever, my God!

SONG:  “You Are My All in All” by Nichole Nordeman

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I'd be a fool
You are my all in all
Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
Rising again I bless Your name
You are my all in all
When I fall down You pick me up
When I am dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I'd be a fool
You are my all in all
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Worthy is Your name
 
DISCLAIMER:   I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since.  How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?!

These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him.  However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word.  Therein lies the source of all truth!