Week 1: Attending to God's Presence

contributed by Joshua Fletcher

Monday 2/4

Reading: Luke 10:38-42
“…you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed…”

Martha was an active character. She is the busy host who prepared the home and the meal for Jesus. Jesus received the blessings produced by her hands. The work of an active servant is a visible and valued if not appreciated part of the faith community. But in this story Martha’s work leads to worry and distraction. Jesus gives a gentle rebuke. Mary, on the other hand, was the passive character. She sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to his every word. Mary received from Jesus all that he had prepared for her. The work of a passive contemplative is often misunderstood. All of us have a little bit of the active and a little bit of the passive in us. Part of us wants to do something for Jesus and receive appreciation and encouragement while a quieter and deeper side of us realizes that “only one thing is needed.” If we are courageous enough we will choose the “better part” despite the risk of being misunderstood.

If you had an open invitation to sit at Jesus’ feet what would you do?

Lent is a call to reflection. It is a time when we are reminded that by many drops of blood Jesus Christ has bought for us an open invitation to sit at His feet. We do not need to accept His invitation or to reflect upon the cross, His suffering, and our own pervasive sin. It would be much easier to be busy through lent, preparing things for Easter, preparing things for the celebration, anticipating Easter eggs filled with candy and Spring Break activities. But perhaps the more difficult road, the road of misunderstanding, the road of passive contemplation, the road of self-denial is the way that we are prepared by Jesus. He wants us ready to receive Easter’s gift… the resurrection! Will you be busy preparing things for the holiday or will you allow Jesus to prepare you for His resurrection?

Tuesday 2/5

Reading: Luke 2:25-38
“…for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

It is usually around Christmas time that we talk about Simeon- the old guy who noticed the baby Jesus at the Temple and prophesied over him. But Simeon is significant, not just because he saw the baby Jesus but because he listened attentively to the Lord and believed. The name Simeon means “hearing.” Simeon was a man who heard. He gave attention to the Lord. As a result, he saw the Lord and the glory of God.

We also mention Anna at Christmas because she is a part of this story as well. But we may sometimes miss why she is significant. Anna was a prophet of “great age.”

Anna and Simeon lived lives of holy expectation. Filled with the Spirit of God, they looked expectantly for the Messiah. They believed the promise of God. They obeyed the Spirit’s leading for many years and were known as “righteous” and “devout” people. During Lent we want to learn to be attentive to the voice of God. We learn by leaning into our heavenly Father’s love for us, believing in Jesus the son who wants to teach us to pray, expecting that the Holy Spirit will lead us and dwell richly in our souls. Lean in, believe, expect.

Wednesday 2/6

Reading: Psalm 27:17-18
What if I had not believed that I should see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! O tarry and await the Lord’s pleasure; be strong, and he shall comfort your heart; wait patiently for the Lord.

The end of Psalm 27 is strangely encouraging. I am rarely encouraged when I am told to wait. I do not like waiting. Long lines at the supermarket are sure to get a sigh out of me. I don’t like to wait for payday to get something that I want, or worse my birthday! I want my problems or the tasks I have to get done taken care of as soon as possible. So I go about things my way according to my schedule and effort. Unfortunately, I have missed the goodness of the Lord many times because of my impatience. Could it be that I am unwilling to believe that God will show Himself faithful if I wait on Him? Could it be that my impatience stems from greed, or my own desire to be seen as competent and useful?
Have you believed? Or are you in the land of the dead where unbelief reigns? What are the root desires at the core of your being that motivate your thoughts and actions? Lent is a long journey and so is life. If we are to see God we must believe and we must wait. God makes us wait because He is strengthening our faith and refining our character. When we wait on God’s goodness we will value it more when it comes and we will be different people as a result. In what way is God asking you to wait on Him this season? Give him your heart to be comforted and be strong. God is always faithful!

Thursday 2/7

Reading: 1 Samuel 3:10-11
Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening” Then the Lord said to Samuel, “See I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle”

One of the amazing things about the calling of Samuel is the persistence of the Lord in calling him. Four times the Lord calls his name. Three times little Samuel thinks that it is his mentor Eli who is calling him. It wasn’t until Eli’s blind eyes saw what was happening that Samuel was given the instruction to listen in response to God’s voice. Another amazing thing about this story is the obedience of young Samuel to the voice. He came running after being sent away several times and he followed the instructions given him each time. God can do amazing things with that kind of listening obedience.

If we heard God’s voice would we know what to do? If God were speaking would we come running? What would happen if we had the listening obedience of Samuel in our souls? What might God choose to do through a people with attentive hearts? May our ears tingle with attentiveness in this season and may we be attentive to the voice of God.

Friday 2/8

Reading: Luke 23: 50-53
“Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph…and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God…”

Joseph of Arimathea is a biblical character that we usually discuss on Good Friday because of his role in obtaining the body of Jesus and laying it in the unused rock-hewn tomb. But what Joseph did in the story may not be as significant as why he did it. Joseph was “waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God” and his actions suggest that even after the Jesus was crucified he was still waiting expectantly for the kingdom! Imagine the faith of the man, that he would carry the dead body of the Jesus, the man upon whose shoulders you are patiently awaiting the kingdom of God to be made manifest. Imagine the grief associated with the loss of such a core value of your soul. Perhaps Joseph placed Jesus in the tomb not because his hope for the coming kingdom of God had died, but because his love for the coming king was so great that even death could not overcome it.

What motivates you to devotion? What helps you focus on the coming kingdom? As we wait patiently for Resurrection Sunday, let us love Jesus well. Like Joseph, let us keep our hope for the Kingdom of God alive and well while we contemplate the meaning of the cross and life together in a fallen world. Even if God seems limp and silent to you right now, choose to love Him well. The cross and the tomb of Joseph looked like places of death for a short season, but in the fullness of time they became the ultimate symbols of life. The same can happen to us if we love Him well and believe.