NIGHT: Lenten Devotion Day 21

Lenten Devotion Day 21

NIGHT

Then Jesus said to them, 

"You will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written, 

"I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' 

But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee." 

Peter said to him, 

"Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you." 

Jesus said to him, 

"Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." 

Matthew 26:31-34

I wake up each morning with the grand intention of being an obedient disciple of Christ. I pray I will devote my every move to his call and I vow that all my heart, mind and soul will be devoted to him. I have no doubt it is a similar feeling to Peter as he declared to Jesus, "I will never desert you." I am sure it was unfathomable to him, after all he had given up and all he had seen in the last three years, that he could walk away and leave this man he loved so much. I'm sure it was heart-wrenching for him to hear Jesus prediction and think - He doesn't trust me! How can he not trust me after all we've been through.

And then night came.

In the night comes our deepest fears, insecurities and anxieties. As the darkness creeps in so does the second guesses and the weaknesses. Every bump in the basement is a threat, every creak of the stairs a sign of impending terror. Confidence is easy in the light when you can brace yourself for what you see coming your way...

and then comes night...

Reality that we aren't as confident as we had hoped and we aren't as dedicated as we have vowed is what dawns in the darkness. It is the fear of what we can't see and know, the doubt of what we thought we were so sure of. 

In the night it comes and we don't even know it at first...and then the cock crows...and we remember.

We look around at the faces surrounding us and we know - suddenly - we know that we failed to keep the intention of discipleship...we failed to be devoted to his call....we failed to keep the vow of dedication. We hope we can keep our shame hidden in the darkness with us until we remember - Jesus knew - he called it already. You will fail...you will desert...you will scatter...

in the night.

But

Dawn breaks

Sun rises

We remember 

3 days after the darkness

Son rises

New life

begin again

forgiveness

redemption

LOVE

it all comes

after 

NIGHT

HEAR: Lenten Devotion Day 15

Lenten Photo Day 15

HEAR

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers."

John 10:3-5

When I was pregnant with my first child, Katie, my husband and I were all consumed by this miracle growing inside of me. We talked to her often and when a little elbow or foot would become apparent we would stroke it and tickle it and tell her how we couldn't wait to meet her. When she was born she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck and so they let us see her briefly and then whisked her away to be checked out. It was a few hours later before they brought her to me. My husband had gone to run an errand and when he returned I was holding Katie in my arms for the first time. I will never forget it, she was a few hours old but when Tim spoke her little eyes flew open and she began to strain to get her head turned so she could see him. She knew the sound of his voice and when she heard him - she responded by being drawn to him.

As we continue our Lenten journey we must remember the importance of prayer and daily scripture reading for this is how we come to recognize and know the voice of our savior. It is in spending that daily time with Jesus that we get familiar with his voice so that when we hear it - we too will respond by being drawn to him. As Jesus taught, the sheep aren't going to follow a strange voice - only the familiar one.

Is Jesus a familiar voice to you? When he speaks to you recognize him and respond? When he calls will you hear?

HEAR

the voice of Jesus

calling