SCRIPTURE
Ash Wednesday
Psalm 51:1-17 (NRSV)
Plea for mercy
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
and blameless when you pass judgment.
Indeed, I was born guilty,
a sinner when my mother conceived me.
You desire truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
For you have no delight in sacrifice;
if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
DEVOTION
Today is Ash Wednesday and the start of the 40 days (plus Sundays) of the Lenten Season. Christians around the world will take the time to remember and understand that our sin is “ever before us.” As we go into churches throughout the day, the pastor will place ashes upon our heads as a sign of our confession and repentance of our sin.
And then, s/he will speak words of truth over us, “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. From ash you came, to the dust you will return. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Blessed be the name of the Lord…
See, during the Lenten Season, we practice the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. We make the long and painful journey with Jesus to the Good Friday cross. We meditate constantly on the “why” of Jesus’ sacrifice and sing with all those before us, “It’s me, it’s me, its me oh lord, standing in the need of prayer.”
This is why I love this time of year. It is an invitation to keep it real with God. Today’s psalmist said, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.”
During the next 40-days I will be praying that I will look, speak, act, and think a lot more like Jesus. I will be asking God to use my hands, feet, mouth, heart, and brain to “declare God’s praise.” As I fast, pray, and do charitable good works, I will be meditating on God’s good news message which is for all people—God loves us and gave Jesus to die on the cross for us, to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life!
During Lent, it is very important for us to practice spiritual disciplines, but today’s scripture reading also affirms the importance of having a truly repentant heart and a zeal for sharing the good news!
Let us enter into this season together.
Please pray with me:
Gracious God, against you and you only have I sinned and done wrong, have mercy upon me. Please forgive me of all of my sin and fill me with the Holy Spirit. Please give me the wisdom, courage, and humility to make amends with the people I have wronged. Please help me to practice the spiritual disciples of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving over the next 40 days that I might draw closer to you. I love you and I promise to share our love with others. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
INVITATION
If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @http://bit.ly/JVhaL
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