If you know me - you would know my family would go crazy if I decided to fast for 40 days. Lent is that time of giving something up - sacrifice. I have decided to do Margaret Feinberg's Lent bible reading plan in place of fasting. I'll be reading the books of Luke and Acts for the next 40 days. Easy right?! Part of this is to share what I am learning. I haven't blogged in a LONG time - so I thought I'll give it a go. Now no promises I'll manage an article every day, but I am going to try and share what the Lord puts on my heart as often as possible over the next 40 days (46 right Sunday's don't count).
ASH WEDNESDAY - 2/10/2016
LUKE 1
The stories of Zachariah, Elizabeth and Mary are so wonderful. Who doesn't like to hear about babies? I love babies. What spoke to me today from this scripture is how the Holy Spirit shows up. Not the miraculous angel visits or how the story unfolds. Its the scripture you probably skim over - Elizabeth's greeting to Mary (v. 39-45); Mary Response or Song (v. 46-56) and Zechariah's Song once his tongue is loosed (v. 67-79).
Elizabeth's greeting: the baby leaped for joy in her womb. When I was pregnant my babies leaped only when I had Mexican food. And then Elizabeth says "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear." The Holy Spirit greets Mary at the door with a blessing. When have you been nervous? Surely Mary was nervous, worried, pregnant before the wedding and it isn't Joseph's baby. You know the people had to be talking about it. But the Holy Spirit just comes out and tells her through Elizabeth - YOU ARE BLESSED. Our God shows up, doesn't abandon, pours into Mary a deposit of love.
Mary's response to Elizabeth's greeting is profound. Remember Mary is a child in today's word - a teenager. Her first words, "My soul glorifies the Lord." and then she goes on to say:
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name. (Luke 1: 47-48)
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name. (Luke 1: 47-48)
I don't know about you but the best I get from my teenagers is:
God is good
All the time
All the time
God is good
God is mindful of me. God is mindful of you. He knows what state you are in right this minute. He is waiting for us to call out to Him and say: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. How many times do we go to the Lord with our list of needs, wants, desires? How many times do we go to the Lord and just praise Him? He is so worthy of our praise. Praise the Lord oh my soul.
Then we come to the naming of a baby. I find it funny that everyone there has an opinion about what the baby should be named. I guess that tradition has carried on to today. As soon as Zechariah writes his name is John his speech returns. This is the amazing part - he doesn't complain, he doesn't tell the story how he lost his voice, he praised God. And his words are a blessing over Israel.
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. (Luke 1:68-75)
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. (Luke 1:68-75)
Again, praising God. All three are not focused on themselves. They are focused on God. When was the last time I spent an hour not focused on my stuff, my family, me, me, me? Praising God what a concept - one I plan to do more of.
This Lent season - a time of repentance and for me a time of letting go my self-absorption and embracing my Savior and Lord - Jesus Christ. I praise you Lord for you are worthy of all my time and all my praise. Without you I am lost and dead. Holy is the name Jesus.
Come join me - read and praise God together
2/11 - Luke 2
2/12 Luke 3-4
2/13 Luke 5
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