With all the noise in the world, do you hear the voice of God? Your calendar tells you what to do, but do you remember who you are? Being comes before doing. This is a call to put first things first. Return to the Lord with this daily pattern of prayer and devotion. Set aside this time as a sanctuary. Find a space free of distraction and follow this pattern.
Invocation
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation
O Lord, your scars are your trophies, proof of your unfailing love for me. I am haunted by the guilt of my past, the sins of my present, and my fear of the future. Lord, at the cross you said, “It is finished.” So I stop my worry. I rest in you. You have done it all. Amen.
Confession
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Lord, forgive my fugitive ways. I turn and run from you. Forgive my criminal acts of hypocrisy and self-righteousness. Forgive my violations of arrogance and selfishness. Forgive me for denying you, ignoring you, and disregarding you. I am the one at fault. I have no other help but to turn my face to you and plead, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Word: Exodus 14:11,12
“‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?…It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert.’”
Meditation: Back to the Wall
Today’s meditation is written by Susan Senechal.
I don’t know what your “hard” is, but I’m sure you’ve got it. Is your marriage hard? Maybe getting or keeping a job is your hard. Becoming parents. Parenting teens. A child or a spouse who died suddenly. A chemical dependency. A long bout with cancer. I’m not talking about run of the mill hard days, but long slogs through the muck and the mire. Times when you question if you’ll make it through. Unbearable times. Impossible times. Times when you cry out in the middle of the night, “Why God? Why this? Why now? Why is everything so hard? Why did you do this to me God?”
When the Israelites face a great sea in front of them and an enemy with chariots and horses behind them, they are terrified. Life seems impossible, the enemy unstoppable. It’s too hard, God. We can’t win God. We’re not up to the task.
But sure enough, back to the wall is exactly where God led them. In Exodus 13:17-18 we are told he didn’t lead them on the road through Philistine country, though it was shorter, because they weren’t yet ready to face that enemy. Instead, he led them to the Red Sea. And when Pharaoh’s army pursued them, God was right there with them. He answered them, through Moses, “Fear not. Stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. The Lord will fight for you; you have only to be silent” (Ex 14:14).
Some of the hardest words to hear, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm.” When your marriage is crumbling, “stand firm.” When your child is in all out rebellion, “stand firm.” When the diagnosis is cancer and the odds are against you, “don’t be afraid.” God tells you to still your heart and trust in him.
He knows the enemy. And he knows the path for you to take, to “move on,” to step forward into the unknown, because it’s only unknowable to you—God knows. He knows the situation you’re facing today may give you the strength to face the enemy of tomorrow. Or the great power he displays in this situation may be just what you need to believe and trust in the Lord for the future.
O Lord, I’m in the middle of it now. An impassable wall in front of me, an inescapable enemy behind me. Help me be still, Lord, to trust in you. Deliver me in your way, so that you get the glory and the praise. I trust in you to deliver me. Amen.
Benediction
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Heb. 13:20-21)