Thursday, April 13, 2023

 

Thursday, April 13, 2023


Psalm 116

Exodus 13:1-16

John 21:1-15


Observance: Thursday in Easter Week


I love the LORD, because He has heard my voice and my supplication.


There is such a thing as too much humility. When we approach our thrice-holy God, we are always mindful of the fact that the angels singing by the throne are covering their eyes, their hands, and their feet in respect and deference. But at the same time, we remember that Christ came as a human to save humans, and so while our intimacy with God is a great honour (as it is with any creature who would dare approach our Creator), God has asked us to come forth. It is only right that we should respond to God’s gift-giving by accepting the gift.


There is a certain prayer practice that you should try, and you might find it confronting at first. When you are in your prayer closet with your eyes closed, envision yourself actually physically sitting beside the Lord Jesus. Then, when you are speaking with Him, actually look up into His eyes. Don’t just stare at the ground, toeing the dirt, feigning humility. When you speak to our Lord, remember, He is listening: look Him in the eye.


Humility is a good and proper posture to have before God. But the victory of Easter has drawn us so tightly close to God that our relationship has been healed and we can, once again, speak face to face. Stand still, square you shoulders, don’t mumble, look up – because you love the Lord, and He loves you, and He is listening to you.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Monday, September 12, 2022

  Monday, September 12, 2022 Psalm 33 Habakkuk 1:1-11 Ephesians 1:1-14 In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. The lectionary has taken us from the beloved disciple to one of the most beloved of Paul's epistles: Ephesians. Paul must have loved this church very much: we get a sense of his fondness for them and their shared sense of purpose and worship just from the introduction. In what is likely just an introduction to a letter in the style of the ancient Roman world, Paul has managed to squeeze in the entire, wondrous story of God's work of redemption. Paul has framed it the way it ought to be framed: in a pastoral, encouraging tone. He has three main points here (remember, Paul proceeds logically to build up an argument, unlike John who circles around his main point). First: God intended to save us before the world was formed. Think back to the first l
Read more

“Short time or long – I pray to God not only you but all who are listening become like I am, except for these chains.”

  Monday, September 11, 2023 Psalms 28; 29 1 Kings 7:51-8:21 Acts 26:19-32 Observance: Deiniol, bishop (d. 384) “ Short time or long – I pray to God not only you but all who are listening become like I am, except for these chains.” The great many blessings of being under the protection of the blood of the Lamb fill our hearts with joy and peace. To have the Almighty Creator of the universe, the One who sits above the flood, filling the temple of our being with the cloud of His presence is what it truly means to be human. Every day is filled with adventure; every night turns to the rest of the victor. Certainly there are chains: sometimes they are physical chains, the suffering of being a Christian among people who do not love the Lord. Sometimes they are spiritual; the attacks of the powers of the air who try to distract us from the One we love. But they always fall away. Our Rock of Ages always frees us; always brings us out of the pit of despair. A won
Read more

Monday, September 19

  Monday, September 19 Psalm 45 Nahum 1:15-2:9 Ephesians 4:17-28 ...be renewed in the spirit of your minds... It is far too easy to read some of these Pauline lists of virtues and vices and feel like we have gone back to the dark days before the Reformation. The idea that if we behave ourselves then we can call ourselves “good people” is pagan, not Christian. Paul feels very strongly about how Christians behave, he “affirms and insists” upon it. But it is because of what has already happened that we should mind our step, not because of where we are going. Christ's resurrection is many things, but one aspect relevant for Paul's teaching this morning is that it demonstrates to us the radical new reality in which we now live. We too have passed (spiritually) from death to life; therefore, we experience a “renewal of our minds”. Instead of treading water until we die, we live lives. Everything now makes sense: God has spoken, so we have logic. God made us in His im
Read more