LENTEN DEVOTIONS
2005

To read the Lenten Devotion, just click on the DATE below.
An index is also provided.

Wednesday—February 9, 2005 Ash Wednesday

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (NIV)

As a Presbyterian minister’s daughter, I grew up familiar with the word Lent. Lent and Easter were the times in our home which were too busy. As the only pastor, Daddy preached three sermons a week plus an extra on Good Friday afternoon. I knew the Catholic children with whom I played had to give up candy and dessert for Lent, and I was glad I did not have to give up anything. I would always receive a new outfit each year to wear on Easter.

After growing up and becoming a Christian, I grew in knowledge and understanding of the 40 days as a time set aside for penitence and re-examination of my personal relationship with God and others. I also grew to realize what Jesus has personally done for me. However, it was just last year when the truth of His love and sacrifice hit me in a new way. I saw Mel Gibson’s movie during Lent–The Passion of the Christ. A friend said, “It’s the greatest love story ever told!” That is the truth stated in Romans 5:8.

In a recent letter, Marty Guise, the resource director for Lay Renewal Ministries wrote, “I was attempting to get my daughter ready for church. In order to get my daughter’s attention, I put my wet head on her belly. She began giggling, and I suddenly realized I could hear her gentle little heart beat. As I heard her heartbeat, I remembered, “He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart.” Isaiah 40:11 (NIV) Consider the concept of God carrying us close to His heart and imagine being in God’s arms, quietly listening to His heartbeat. Realize that He loves each of us so much that the following verse is true: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)

We love Him because He first loved us. Lent is a time to re-examine our love—for God and others.
—Leigh Fopma Ismael

Thursday—February 10, 2005

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8 (NIV)

As I have learned to cope with the reality of my son, Dan, being in Iraq, the Lord has revealed many truths about the precious gift of life here on this earth and the blessings of loving relationships with friends and family members.

As we read of Abraham’s faith, we see that it is possible to live each day not knowing what that day will hold in store for us, trusting in one thing alone—that God knows what He is doing. Each morning we can wake up and “go” without knowing, building in confidence on God. Our church terminology calls it trusting in the “sovereignty of God.” It seems God communicates with us on a “need to know basis.” He reveals a lot more of Himself than He does His plan.

“. . . Do not worry about your life . . .” Luke 12:22 (NIV) If our lives are a continual “going” in dependence upon God, there will be something special about us that will cause people to ask us how we do it. When I was a young girl, I was deeply motivated by I Peter 3:15. It was my desire to live a life that would cause people to ask “the reason for the hope” that was in me. That is what it is all about—living our lives in a manner that will glorify God. I want to be able to “go” without knowing. God is faithful.
—Mary Ann Simpson

Friday—February 11, 2005

Saturday—February 12, 2005

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” I Peter 2:9 (NIV)

It is so easy to go to church on Sunday, hear a wonderful message, soak it all up and get all the warm and fuzzy feelings. The difficult part is going back to our normal routines the rest of the week and taking action on what we have learned. As I have gotten older and realize how precious life really is, I have such a desire to change all of that for myself. I prayed that I could find a way to really put some feet on what I take away from a Sunday morning message. Watch out for what you pray!

In his end-of-the-year sermon last December, Rick Schatz challenged all of us to stretch ourselves, come out of our comfort zones, and do something that required us to grow in our faith. Well here I am, stepping out of that comfort zone and attempting to write a devotional . . .

As we approach the Easter season and walk through the 40 days of Lent, I am constantly reminded, and stand in awe, of the sacrifice Christ made for each of us. I am grateful for the opportunity to ponder over this event to write something meaningful. As anyone who has ever taught a lesson knows, the teacher (or writer in this case) learns far more by study and preparation for the lesson (or devotion) than the student (or reader).

Obviously, Easter is not about the Easter Bunny, Peeps marshmallows, and candy. However, I have a memory in my mind that does involve a pink plastic egg. One Easter Sunday when I was about six, we had an Easter egg hunt in my grandmother’s backyard in White Oak. One of the eggs rolled into a very deep old fence-post hole. She did not want us to get dirty or thought it was too dangerous to try and retrieve the egg. So it had to remain in the hole.

There is not an Easter that goes by that I do not think of that pink egg. I would love to go and try to find it today. It will be there for many years before it eventually disintegrates. It remains in darkness. I am so grateful that the real meaning of Easter is not about candy, eggs, and bunnies. I am so grateful that we, unlike the pink plastic egg, have been called out of darkness into His marvelous light.
—Don Troescher

Sunday—February 13, 2005 1st Sunday during Lent

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)

This verse is SO familiar. We often fail to really read it and reflect on what it means, but it is both Christmas and Easter—the gospel in a nutshell.

As I am writing this in preparation for Lent (it is mid January), we have just finished celebrating this great gift . . . as a matter of fact, I still have some of the decorations about the house. This year, I attained a better picture of just how great the gift was.

The evening we returned from New York, just before Christmas, we received one of those really bad late night phone calls. It was a dear friend who had just heard that her only son had been in a terrible car accident, was gravely injured, and would probably not survive the night. Dan and I went to be with them. We cried together and prayed together. We were there when the doctors called with the results of the second round of tests for neurological activity. They were negative.

I cannot describe the grief. I saw in that grief just a tiny hint of the pain our Heavenly Father must have experienced the very day He sent His beloved son to this earth . . . KNOWING everything that would happen, not to mention the intense grief as He watched His truly PERFECT and only beloved son be rejected and tortured, all because of OUR sin!!

Yet, even knowing all of this would happen, He DID give His son; He DID allow the crucifixion to occur so that WE could be forgiven and join them in heaven.

Heavenly Father, how can we understand what You have done for us? Help us to live our lives in ways that will truly please you and be evidence to the world around us that we are redeemed.
—Jodee McCabe

Monday—February 14, 2005

“. . . indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalm 121:4 (NIV)

Esther fascinates me. She became queen, an enviable position. She was married to a tyrant. When Haman orchestrated a plan to annihilate the Jews, would you not expect that the wife of the king could at least give her opinion? Can you imagine saying to your husband that, if he had wanted to sell your people as slaves, you would not have bothered him? What had happened that she asked her servants and the Jewish people to fast for three days before she risked her life to appear before her husband unannounced? What was it that gave her the courage to confront evil Haman alone?

First, she sought and took seriously the advice of righteous Mordecai. Mordecai was a wise guardian and counselor. Note he recognizes that God is sovereign over all and that God can rescue His people any way He chooses. “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish.” Esther 4:14a (NIV)

Second, she chose to let God fight her spiritual battle. Her response was to ask Mordecai to gather the Shushan Jews and hold a three day fast. She would do the same with her maids. Is it not interesting that her maids were to fast with her? Were they Jewish also, or had her life and witness had life-changing impact on those around her? What would they tell God and ask of God? Genesis 12:3 is one of several references that God intended to bless all the nations of the earth through Abraham’s line. Haman wanted to wipe out all the Jewish people for his own selfish reasons; but in this effort became Satan's tool, attempting to thwart God’s redemptive plan. Just as Jesus prayed to the Father, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done,” I believe Esther and the rest prayed that God’s purposes would be victorious. They also probably prayed similar thoughts to Psalm 79:9. Imagine how God’s mighty intervention affirmed commitment and faith in God throughout the empire! An annual holiday, Purim, was begun to commemorate the Jewish victory orchestrated clearly by their living God.

What do we learn from Esther? We are reminded that, no matter how awful or scary our situation is, God is sovereign over all and we are wise to love and obey Him. We are wise to seek godly counsel, take it seriously, bring our burdens to Him, cooperate with what He is doing, and remember and celebrate what He has done. We have a God who neither slumbers nor sleeps. Finding courage comes from trusting a strong, loving God.
—Ruth Cload

Tuesday—February 15, 2005

“¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

The world has recently been shocked by a tragedy of colossal proportions when an underocean earthquake created a mind-shattering tsunami. We see pictures and hear reports of people who had barely enough to sustain them and had even that meager existence taken away along with family. We four men from ECC walked among these people in India a little over two years ago. We were witnesses to extremes of poverty which we could not have imagined.

Having been associated with the City Gospel Mission for over thirty-five years and as a child, seeing the utter despair of the Great Depression, I saw people who had lost everything and had no place to turn, just as those decimated by the tsunami. We grieve for these people and try to assuage their hunger, hurts, and fears; but in a certain sense, the tsunami with loss of possessions and family, the destitution of the homeless, and the trials of the depression are not the greatest tragedy that can befall mankind.

As I look back on our visit to India, I see a far greater tragedy. The Hindus worship over three million gods all needing to be placated and sacrifices made to them in order to prevent offending these gods—gods of anger and punishment—followed in death by even worse punishment.

We Christians, on the other hand, worship a God who is loving, forgiving, merciful, and full of grace, who requires us only to love one another and to love, serve, obey, and honor Him to the best of our abilities. On the other hand, if we fail to some degree (as we all do), He forgives us if we confess our shortcoming to Him. For this, He has promised us a place with Him including joy and happiness far beyond anything we could even imagine. What a wonderful God we serve! How terribly tragic that we cannot convince others of the joy that awaits them if they only turn their lives over to Him! That is the reason we have missions. Can we do any greater thing in our lifetime on earth than help spread the word of God’s redeeming love to the unreached, so that they, too, may share in His heavenly home?
—Ed Blanken

Wednesday—February 16, 2005

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.’” Mark 10:27 (NIV)

Total trust in God is something we have to make ourselves stop and do sometimes. There are things constantly around us that could only have happened by the moving of God’s hand. Still, we worry and fret.

My daughter, Lane, and I went to New York to enjoy the Christmas lights and to dine at the Four Seasons and the Tavern On the Green. We had a wonderful 72 hours spending quality time with each other.

All too soon, it was time to return home. We arranged for transportation to pick us up at 3:00 to catch our 6:30 plane. It did not arrive until 3:30 and had to make another stop before heading for the airport. As we were sitting in traffic on the expressway, I looked at my watch; and it was 5:10. Remembering the long security lines to catch the plane three days earlier, I thought, “We will miss our plane.” I looked out the window and up at the beautiful sky. I prayed silently, “God, I thank you that Lane and I had a wonderful time in New York, but sitting here in traffic I can’t see how we can make that plane. I will put complete trust in you that you will get us on the 6:30 plane to go home.” I then continued to talk with the lady sitting next to me from England. I do not understand God’s timetable, but we arrived at the airport with time to spare.

I will continually trust in God because, with God, all things are possible.
—Gustonia Benford

Thursday—February 17, 2005

“However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.’” I Corinthians 2:9 (NIV)

I doubt that anyone who knows and loves God would deny that God’s handiwork is evident everywhere around us. I still marvel at a glorious sunset, a clear night sky with stars and planets innumerable, or something as simple and beautiful as the fog that hovers on the river as I ride to work on a cool morning. These are just fleeting glimpses of what God has prepared for us.

Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, reminds them of the words Isaiah wrote centuries before (See Isaiah 64:4). Paul goes on to add that God has revealed to us by the Holy Spirit what we cannot otherwise know. God has given us eternal life in Jesus; but even in this short life on Earth, we have the ability to understand, in a small way, just how much He loves us.

Some wise person once said that the more we know, the more we realize how much we do not know. How true that is! The more we meditate on God’s love for us, the more we realize that we can comprehend only the slightest bit of it in our human state.

Take a little time today to look around and truly thank God for some of the “little things” in life—reminders of what He has prepared for those who love Him. I dare say that, after just a short time, the “You’re welcome, beloved one” you receive will make your day!
—Terry Eshom

Friday—February 18, 2005

“. . . I will bless you; . . . and you will be a blessing.” Genesis 12:2 (NIV)

Understanding what Christ's death on the cross means for me has been a life-long process. When the Holy Spirit prompted me to declare Jesus as my Savior and Lord at the age of nine, I understood that I was blessed. Jesus paid for all of my sins and gave me the gift of eternal life. I knew that God loved me. I was one of His chosen. At that time and for many years, my focus was on how much God had blessed me. I memorized the Bethel concept “Blessed to be a blessing.” I understood the first part about being “blessed” without much of an idea of the meaning of the second part “to be a blessing.” Although I experienced an awareness of the value of others because they are made in the image of God, the focus was still on me. I served others for my blessing.

When Ken Myers came to ECC, he said something that was very profound. He taught that Christ died to free me so that I could serve others. God blessed me so that I could bless others. Now, I have a clearer understanding of why Christ died for me. The focus is not on me. I am free to be God’s servant to others. An experience such as this gives me an insatiable desire to press on, to seek Christ above all, to learn more about Him and to serve others.
—Sharon Schatz

Saturday—February 19, 2005

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16 (NIV)

Hyena was hungry and was looking for his favorite meal, a dog. Dog knew this and saw Hyena sneaking up on him from a distance. Just as Hyena came within earshot, Dog pulled out the old bone he usually gnawed on and said, “That was a great hyena. Now, where can I get another one?” The hyena heard this, became frightened, and ran away.

Monkey, who was sitting in a tree just above, saw all this. Monkey and Dog were not on friendly terms. So Monkey went to tell Hyena how he had been tricked by Dog. Hyena became angry and said to Monkey, “Get on my back. We’ll go back right now, and we’ll both have a great feast with Dog as the main course.”

Dog again saw Hyena approaching, this time with Monkey on his back. Just as they came within earshot, Dog said aloud, “Now, where is that monkey? I sent him off over an hour ago to get me another hyena, and he hasn’t come back yet.”

We have been serving in Africa for sixteen years, the last seven in a country that is 98% Muslim. It is not unusual to occasionally detect a sense of animosity toward what we are doing and toward the great redeeming message of Easter. Please pray with us that the Lord will continue to provide His wisdom and His protection as we seek to make Him known.
—Rudy Klaas, Wycliffe Bible Translators—Dakar, Senegal

Sunday—February 20, 2005 2nd Sunday during Lent

“¹⁵Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶making the most of every opportunity . . . ¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Ephesians 5:15-17 (NIV)

We see through the events of Lent and Easter that God had a very definite plan for His Son, and He carried out that plan perfectly. During this season, it seems appropriate to look back at how God has brought me to where I am now. I have become aware that God has placed many opportunities before me throughout my life that I have tried to “make the most of.”

These particular verses became very real to me several years ago while we were away on sabbatical. I sensed very strongly that God had some plan to use me in an unexpected way (unexpected to me at least); and this would take me out of my “comfort zone.” That year in particular was a time of refreshment and renewal. Of course, as we returned to Cincinnati at the end of that sabbatical in the summer of 2002, I was ready for God to show me what the plan was and to get on with it!

God still had more lessons to teach me about being careful how I lived. He had things to show me about our life as a family and how He wanted us to slow down and make the most of every opportunity to enjoy time together. He had things to teach me about patience, perseverance, and pride—lessons that I am still learning. Mostly He showed me that I need to wait on His timing. I wanted to hurry things along, to get on with whatever He was preparing me to do, sort of like Abraham and Hagar.

Now that I see how He led me to this point in my life, the process makes sense. If you had told me a year ago what I would be doing now, I would probably have laughed. God, in His wisdom, led me to a point where I was willing to be dependent on Him before He showed me that the plan that He had in mind was to lead ECC’s Children’s Ministries. It truly is a “God thing” that I am doing what I am doing. He prepared the way in my personal life, my spiritual life, and my family life to bring me to this point. I think I am beginning to understand that it is foolish to try to hurry along God’s plans. His timing is perfect, His preparations are perfect, and His will is perfect.
—Colleen Grogan

Monday—February 21, 2005

“12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’” Matthew 13:12-13 (NIV)

During one of my early trips to Singapore, I was invited to attend a conference on domestic abuse. After the leaders spoke, there was a nice Asian buffet with many exotic looking foods, so I wanted to stay and see what local diet was like. One of my practices while visiting a new place is to ask God for some unbeliever to meet and bless. As I scanned the crowded room, one stood out from the rest. She was a young woman with dark skin almost totally covered with a beautiful yellow silk outfit and a scarf to match.

Up to this point, I had not met a Muslim with whom to talk, so this seemed to be the right person. I asked her some questions. Thirty minutes later, I knew her name was Hamidah; and she was the head of a training school for lay counselors. This made me smile. I knew God had something wonderful in store for us. I have a doctorate and 20 years experience in lay counselor training. When Hamidah discovered I was training counselors a few blocks from her office, she asked me to encourage her students.

This led us to a strong friendship and many times of teaching counseling skills to her students. I quoted the Bible using parables. Instead of “The Bible says . . .” I would say, “I do not know about your tradition; but my tradition says, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” One time a Muslim cleric said, “Oh, that is from the New Testament. I studied comparative religions.”

God impressed them so much that I was voted “Teacher of the Year,” and they held a big celebration to honor us as friends and supporters. During the ceremony, as they spoke in Malay, I prayed and thanked God for His amazing grace for taking me out of a tiny village in the hills of Illinois to touch Muslims in Asia. While praying and rejoicing in the midst of 500 Muslims, heaven opened and the figure of Mrs. Mae Toney, my third grade Sunday school teacher, appeared. She seemed to say, “Well done, Gary;” and I remembered her passion for missions.
—Gary Sweeten, LifeWay Ministries

Tuesday—February 22, 2005

“⁴For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by . . .” “¹²Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:4, 12 (NIV)

This past Thanksgiving, Jill and I invited the entire family to our home for dinner. We were excited because it was the first time we were hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and we were going to tell the whole family that Jill was pregnant. It was a great day. We shared the good news, and everyone had a lot of fun being together.

As I watched my family, I could not take my eyes off of Grandma. She was playing with our daughter Taylor, and you could tell how happy she was to be with her. Each hug and kiss Taylor gave her seemed to bring Grandma to tears. She was so happy.

It made me wonder what Grandma was thinking. I imagined she was thinking about many things—her family, how it has grown, how it is still growing, her husband (who died ten years ago) and how he would have loved to play with Taylor, her sons, how it seemed like only yesterday they were boys and now they are grandfathers, her life, and how it did not seem long ago that she was a young lady. Whatever she was thinking, you could tell she appreciated the time with her family—more than any of us.

As she left our house that Thursday night, she paused and spoke with all of her grandchildren. She gave us each a list of reasons why she was proud of us and explained how great it was to be with us. Then, she hugged us all and said goodbye.

Those were the last words I heard from Grandma. She died three days later from a severe stroke.

I am so grateful for the time with Grandma and the lesson I learned watching her be so appreciative of the time she had with us. It was a harsh reminder of how quickly our lives go by and how quickly they can come to an end. “For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by . . .” Psalm 90:4 (NIV)

I pray that we all hear the words of verse 12, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” I now realize that the time the Lord has given me is currency, and I need to spend it wisely. The Lord spent His time on earth serving us; I pray we spend the time He gives us serving Him.
—Mike Ritzi

Wednesday—February 23, 2005

“¹²As you enter the home, give it your greeting. ¹³If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.” Matthew 10:12-13 (NIV)

The Bible often speaks of peace. In Isaiah, Jesus is the Prince of Peace. In Romans and Hebrews, the Father is the God of peace. In Romans, the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. In John, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 (NIV)

For me, some of the reality and magnitude of these scriptures have been markedly strengthened by experience. Some time ago, our home became a house church, with as many as 30 people meeting every Tuesday evening. Many of the regular attendees were skilled musicians. We had five people competing for the piano. A number had highly trained voices. For an hour, we would worship. It was gorgeous.

Then one day, a friend of mine from work came to our door. Bob’s world had collapsed. He had left P&G to start his own business, and this had just failed. His wife had left him. He came in the door very drunk. As he relayed to us his world of woe, a miracle happened. Within 30 minutes and without any intervention on our part, he became sober—no sign of drunkenness.

Prior to this time, people had often mentioned how peaceful our house was. We had counseled many of them and found troubled lives. However, it was only on the day which Bob became sober that we realized the peace spoken of in Matthew was here in our house; and it had produced a profound effect in my friend.

Bob eventually became a successful artist. An original painting by Bob of a winter snow scene hangs in our dining room. Growing up in snow country, I know well how still and peaceful a winter morning may be. Nearly each time I gaze at this work of art, I am reminded of a work of peace.
—Maurie Loomans

Thursday—February 24, 2005

“The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” Psalm 126:3 (NIV)

In the fall of 1991, the Lord began a revival of sorts in my heart. He called me by name to come back to Him, away from my life of blatant sin. It was so strong, I could only respond with, “Yes!” Since that time, I have been overwhelmed by His unfailing love and where He has brought me today. When I read the following verse, I take it very personally when He says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned . . .” Isaiah 43:1b-2 (NIV)

About three years ago, I was diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease, a balance disorder of the ears. It caused a lot of lightheadedness and dizziness. It literally knocked me off my feet. Life, as I knew it, drastically changed. I could not drive or go to work. I became very anxious. You get the point. I was afraid of what would become of my future.

Jesus says we are not to worry about our tomorrows. That is easier said than done! Then, I remembered again, Isaiah 43 and His promises. I had a choice—to believe or not believe. I chose to believe Him. I took a leave of absence (without pay!) and focused on my options for treatment. Through a generous gift from teachers at my job and an adoption subsidy for my daughters, I could fully meet my monthly expenses without using my savings. The girls actually were able to wear the previous year’s summer clothes. His provision was an awesome expression of His love. He even provided a stable environment for them as they adjusted to an “unstable” mom. Praise God for the body of Christ and the extended family He provided. Needless to say, we felt protected and cared for.

After going through many procedures and surgeries, a new procedure was introduced and I had hope for a somewhat modified, normal life. The procedure did work! I can honestly claim the verse, “The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”

When you find yourself facing any hardship, remember, He has done great things, especially laying down His life for us. Then, go forward in faith, trust in Him, and be filled with joy.
—Jennie Baumgartner

Friday—February 25, 2005

“. . . give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

Have you ever looked back at a particular experience in your life and wished you could have made different choices that, in hindsight, seem like they might lead to a better outcome? Sometimes in life, you might actually have the chance: take a mulligan on the back nine, re-kick a field goal, or fight off a fastball by getting just enough of it to send it hurling into the stands.

As inviting as a “do-over” might seem, I Thessalonians 5:18 advises us to be thankful for the way our lives unfold even if we are unhappy with the results in the here and now. If this initially sounds foreign to every fiber of your being, take heart in knowing you are not alone; however, I would challenge you to make a valiant effort in changing your way of thinking. I have only lived 25 years on this Earth thus far; but if you have ever talked with me at length about one subject or another, you know that I have my fair share of stories to tell.

After graduating from Anderson University in May 2002 with a BA in Music Business and a minor in Broadcast Production, I was ready to take on a career in the Entertainment/Media realm. After much prayer and consideration, moving to Nashville, Tennessee seemed like the best way to begin my journey as a working member of society. After seven months of rejection and getting the run-around from multiple recording studios, I decided to return to my beloved hometown of Cincinnati and “fall back” on my broadcasting minor. Unfortunately, this path did not unfold in storybook fashion—Media Giant, mistreating/devaluing of employees, awful hours, low pay. Result—change course!

Although God has gifted me with musical talent and I would enjoy a career in that field, those industries are not conducive to my ultimate goal of raising and supporting a family someday. Could I be angry with God because neither music nor radio worked out perfectly? Of course I could be angry, but the anger is not warranted. Conversely, the course of my life is working out perfectly according to His plan, not necessarily that of my own.

Grace and peace to you this Lenten season as you strive to listen to God’s voice and live your life according to His will.
—Steve Doughman

Saturday—February 26, 2005

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

Have you ever gotten soap in your eye? It is painful, and your vision is often blurred for a short time. This is the case when our life focus becomes blurry or we lose our Godly perspective on life. To achieve such perspective takes time, good teaching, study, persistence, dedication, and a heart available to be molded and shaped by the Almighty God.

A number of things occur in our daily lives that may cause us to lose our focus—some trivial and some of great significance. Many times before we even realize it, we are distracted from our focus. What does the Father want your focus to be in the sanctuary, at home, or at work?

The things that distract me most often are work, news, noise, or other trivial things—before I even realize it! I must continually remind myself to keep my focus in the right place so that I may glorify the Lord in all I say and do. When we keep our focus on Jesus and what the Father’s will is for us, everything in our lives falls into place.

Jesus kept His focus. Knowing that He would have to endure horrible pain, suffering, desertion, and persecution, He pressed on to His goal—the “joy set before Him.” He kept His focus on the Father’s will. This Lenten season, examine yourselves: What is the goal for which I am striving? What is the Father’s will for my life? What better example to follow than that of Jesus? Make a decision today to spend quiet time asking the Father’s will for your life and fixing your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
—Jim Kinderman

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Sunday—February 27, 2005 3rd Sunday during Lent

“‘You shall have no other gods before me.’” Exodus 20:3 (NIV)

Just what constitutes a “god”? I would simply define a god as anything in which we put our full trust or hope. As Americans, we are presented with many things that could qualify as gods using this definition. It could be your stock portfolio, your spouse, your parent, or your child. It could be that lottery ticket, an education, or a job. Perhaps for you, it is an automobile, a house, or even a doctor. There seems to be a nearly endless list of things that could become gods. In fact, John Calvin once described men as “idol factories.”

You could assume that the term “before me” is positional, meaning that, as long as God is number one, we can have other secondary gods. As long as God is first in our hearts, other gods can be tolerated. However, I think a better interpretation of “before me” would be “in my presence.” Thus, by rephrasing the commandment, it would read: “You shall have no other gods in my presence.” Considering that God is omnipresent (everywhere), this leaves no room for other gods. This commandment is foundational. Out of it flows all other commandments. We are to place our trust in Christ alone. When Jesus was asked which is the most important command, he replied that we are to, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind . . .” Mark 12:28-31 (NIV). If we are seeking security in anything or anyone besides Christ, we have violated this commandment.

The Lenten season would be a good time to do some house cleaning and get rid of any idols that may have a hold on you. Take time to reflect upon those people or things that you may be looking to for security. Confess them to God, and ask for His forgiveness. Ask Him to provide you with an extra measure of faith, knowing that Jesus has promised, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:14 (NIV)
—Harvey Landhlom

LIFTING the LORD

LIVING the WORD

LOVING the PEOPLE

Monday—February 28, 2005

“¹My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. ²But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.” Psalm 131:1-2 (NIV)

In 1985, I was in deep depression. I had been caring for my invalid mother for five years, and my girls were in their teenage years. I was putting effort into ensuring my girls’ lives were as normal as possible, at the same time being very much tied down at home with my mother. My depression was not that I did not want to care for my wonderful mother but was triggered by the feeling that my career was over. My nurses’ training was centered on working toward that goal. In 1956, I graduated from nursing school and became a registered nurse. It was 1985, and I was no longer a professional nurse. I was at home doing (in my mind) dull, routine, unskilled work and isolated day after day, unable to leave the house except for quick trips of necessity. I had the wrong attitude toward my assignment and forced myself through my daily tasks.

One day while ironing, I received a very clear message from God. The scripture, Psalm 131, kept coming into my thoughts. Psalm 131 was not at all familiar to me, so I knew it was a word from God. When I got my Bible and looked it up, there in the title for the Psalm was a message for me. I have a Harper Study Bible. God knew the Bible translation I had and knew my need at the moment. The Psalm title is Song of a Humble and Quiet Heart. I was humble, but my heart was not quiet. I needed to find peace with my role in life.

It is my hope that anyone who is feeling they are insignificant and the work they do is not important will be lifted up by these words as I was. Any work done in the name of the Lord is a good work. We can be at peace with ourselves because we are God’s children and He loves us no matter what our station in life may be. He can use all our gifts. All our acts should be done in love. We can always lean on the Lord for He is our strength, and He speaks to us if we listen.
—Mary Goff

Tuesday—March 1, 2005

Genesis 3:8.
“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden . . .” Genesis 3:8 (NIV)

Picture the Lord God, going for late afternoon walks in His garden, “in the cool of the day,” as it is recorded in this verse. That is a sad passage, in one way, because His walking partners were not interested on that terrible afternoon; but it is encouraging in another way. Is it not exciting to think that God is so interested as to take the initiative to spend some time with His created ones? I like that.

It must be that God started a walking club of sorts, back then; for if you look down through Bible history, there were some outstanding club members. Enoch, for instance, put in a few good years, and then . . . well, it appears that he just kept on walking (Genesis 5:24). Amidst a sad litany of sinful people, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD . . . and Noah walked with God.” Genesis 6:8-9 (NIV)

God told Abraham, “Leave your country . . . and go to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1 (NIV) I like that—God saying, in effect, “Let’s go! I will show you the way.” That was some walk, all the way from somewhere in present-day Iraq down to present-day Israel. They apparently had a great time together because they are still talking about it (Matthew 22:32).

Moses was quite a club member too. He was always taking walks with God, up and down mountains, over the sands, round and round, forty years of it. Those two were really the Bible’s mountain-climbers, right up to the very last day when God said, “It’s time, my friend; let’s climb Mt. Nebo” (Deuteronomy 34:1, 5).

Club membership seemed to have dwindled for a time; but then, John the Baptist saw Someone walking toward him one day, and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 (NIV) “Like Father, like Son,” the old expression goes. The One started out in the original Garden, keeping His appointment when sin first became a problem; the Other, when it came time . . . time to revisit the old, weed-overgrown, spoiled garden once again. He, too, kept His appointment on the hill.

The best part is that He is still out there, if you listen, quietly saying, “Follow Me.”

Anyone for a Walking Partner?
—David Bliss, African Enterprise, Durbanville, South Africa

“Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” Matthew 26:39 (NIV)

As I have traveled through my Christian life, it seems similar to my secular life when I went through phases or stages. When the scripture says “to test the spirits,” it may include the ideas one picks up during these phases. One thing I heard and decided to latch onto was the “name it and claim it” idea. That sounded good to me!

There were indeed some scriptures that seemed to support that mind set. Ending your prayer with “Thy will be done” was just a cop out—a good excuse if you did not get that for which you prayed. Well, I tried this for a time; and after many apparent failures, I began to question God. In fact, I was really quite miffed and decided, “God’s going to do what God wants to do when God wants to do it.” At times, it was difficult to pray because I thought there was little use. As I have grown through the years, I have seen a different side of prayer. The main thing I see is that it is a command. We are told to “pray without ceasing.”

In many ways, I still believe that “God’s going to do what God wants to do when God wants to do it,” but now that is okay. (I think we call it the sovereignty of God.) I can trust Him to give me what is best for me. I have heard it said we should pray for God’s best (or His will) because if we pray for what we want, He might just give it to us; and we would be in big trouble!

When Jesus, in His darkest hour, could fully rely upon the Heavenly Father and pray, “Not my will, but Thine be done,” why should I think that I can command the God of the universe to do what I want Him to do! I am learning to submit to the will of the Father and no longer see that submission as a cop out.
—Becky Powell

Thursday—March 3, 2005

“Jesus wept.” John 11:35 (NIV)

What an incredible truth and comfort it is to know that our Lord understands the hardships and trials of life. When life is too difficult to bear according to our strength, we seek help from others to assist in carrying our burdens and to console us. It is only those who understand our trials who can empathize and console. Our Lord, who is the most able to empathize and console, also fully understands our trials. John 11:35 confirms this truth.

As we know, being a Christian does not guarantee a trial-free life. Indeed, living the life of a faithful Christian may add trials. However, as Christians, we know that Jesus also experienced trials. He also wept, as we do when life overwhelms. Thus, our Lord is more than qualified to understand our pain and console us in our times of need. What an incredible truth and comfort!

However, this is not the end of the story. We are called to empathize with others, just as Jesus did. Accordingly, your heart should go out to others when they are in need or are hurting. If you have a close relationship with our Lord, then this empathy will come automatically. So will your willingness to do what it takes to help, even at your own expense. May this be so for all of us at ECC. Each of us will be blessed accordingly.
—Brett Schatz

Friday—March 4, 2005

“‘²⁶In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷and do not give the devil a foothold.” Ephesians 4:26-27 (NIV)

What does anger have to do with Lent? Lent is a time to get rid of the obstacles that keep our hearts from drawing closer to God and each other; and anger is one of those obstacles. This verse tells us that not all anger is sin. In fact, the initial angry feelings are a God-given warning signal that a boundary (real or perceived) has been crossed and we need to deal with it. This verse also shows us that our anger can lead us into sin. Scripture tells us to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (II Corinthians 10:5). When we refuse to deal with our anger in the thought stage, it then takes the form of words or actions that are sinful. How do we do this? It is important to realize that you cannot make anger go away by yourself, so ask God to take it away before it spills over into sin. If you do not learn to first take the log (anger) out of your own eye, you will never be able to see clearly what to do next (Matthew 7:5).

There are two biblically appropriate ways to handle anger: let it go or confront it. When the situation is one where you cannot confront, like being cut off in traffic, or God shows you it is not necessary to confront, you can choose to let it go by asking God to take away your anger. Then you choose to forgive. Stuffing your anger or ignoring it is not biblical. Forgiving is.

Sometimes you will need to confront someone. First, ask God to take away your anger, so you can “see clearly” to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) rather than speaking the truth in anger. Then forgive. Forgiveness is not something you can do by yourself, but God is always there to help you when you ask.

Notice the verse tells us to deal with our anger the same day. The longer anger hangs around, the more it festers, grows, and is more likely to spill over into sin. You may not be able to confront the same day, but be sure to take the “log” out immediately.

Onto how much anger can we hold? Ephesians 4:31 tells us to get rid of all anger. Anger is a relationship-breaker; and it pleases God when we try to live in peace and unity with each other, for we are all members of one body (Ephesians 4:25).
—Wendy Detroy

Saturday—March 5, 2005

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)

The glory of the Lord shone around the shepherds on the night that baby Jesus was born, and a new radiant light began to shine on earth. The darkness of spiritual ignorance, and of sin and despair, was changed by that new and radiant light. “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” John 8:12 (NIV) John wrote, “the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.” I John 2:8 (NIV) When Jesus the Savior entered this world, it was like the sunrise breaking radiantly over the horizon of human history.

Jesus is our healing light. We continue to come to Him as the Great Physician in our prayers of intercession. There are numerous wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum that have a healing quality. Adjacent to the wavelength of natural light are ultraviolet and infrared rays, and they have a healing potential. The electromagnetic rays of gamma radiation, radium, X-ray, and laser beams are utilized by modern scientific instruments to treat certain diseases. Agnes Sanford in The Healing Light wrote, “Beyond those rays there is a kind of radiation that has a healing power, a high intensity and fine wavelength picked up by the human spirit, mind, and body.” God does the work; Christ “The Light of the World” has connected us with the healing power through the Holy Spirit within us. By His stripes, we are healed!

In His grace, God allowed His Son to die on the cross to save us from eternal darkness and to be our continued channel of healing as the healing light of the world. What an encouraging message during this Lenten season, and every day of the year!

The Healer by John Greenleaf Whittier

So stood of old the holy Christ
Amidst the suffering throng;
With whom His lightest touch sufficed
To make the weakest strong.
The Good Physician liveth yet
Thy friend and guide to be;
The Healer by Gennesaret
Shall walk the rounds with thee.

—William J. Gerhardt

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