Tuesday, April 5

Jeremiah 17:19-27
Psalms 94, 95, 97, 99, 100
Romans 7:13-25
John 6:16-27

John 6:16-27, NIV

It is amazing how God continues to hammer us with the same message sometimes, until it finally hits home. The other night in Bible study we learned that there are 365 instances in the Bible that say not to be afraid. Sure enough, Jesus says to his disciples in v. 20, NIV “It is I. Do not be afraid.” We learned also that God guides us through new and unfamiliar territory. Jesus walking to and joining his disciples on the stormy sea of Galilee is a perfect example of that.

Right now, we are in the season of Lent. Things seem dark and uncertain. It must have seemed that way for the disciples on the boat as well. We can relate, can’t we? They were expecting smooth sailing, and that is what we would like too. Instead, we are faced with our own storms from time to time. People, places and things we were sure would remain in our lives for a while for whatever reason turn out not to be. As Fr. Patrick so eloquently put it, these are “missing pieces.” We cannot fully understand the reason for this here on Earth. However, we can rejoice in the fact that no matter how big the storm, Jesus will somehow bring us safely to the other side.

Though the disciples were fearful, they must have decided they preferred their chances with Jesus rather than on their own. After Jesus tells them not to fear, the very next verse says “So they took him on board.” (v. 21, The Message). Are you ready to trust Jesus, and welcome him into your life today, as the disciples welcomed him into the boat? Maybe for the first time, or maybe as a daily commitment as you walk with him? Will Jesus always stop the storm, or immediately bring us through? We know that is not always the case. But the promise we can take away from this passage is that sooner or later, we will get there.

Susannah Westlake

Monday, April 4

Jeremiah 16:10-21

Psalm 89

Romans 7:1-12

John 6:1-15

Psalm 89

“I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever….” Psalm 89:1

The Lord’s love and faithfulness endure throughout all the generations. His love endures forever. His love always overcomes.

There is no one who compares with our precious Lord. In His omniscience, beauty and joy, He created the universe and everything in it. The tiers of stars, the depth of the seas, created He them.

He created His servant David, the warrior king, a type of Christ. Like all of us, David failed in many ways, but because of the Lord’s love and faithfulness, he endured as a mighty king and lover of God; a man after God’s own heart.

Sometimes in the dark night of the soul, it may seem to us that the Lord has forgotten or forsaken us. Our Father allowed His only Son Jesus to be our propitiation. The Lord was angry with His anointed one, covered Him with the mantle of our shame and let him bear the taunts of all the nations. Sometimes we, like Christ say, where is your great love?

It may have appeared to the world that Christ was rejected and forsaken by His Father ~ this He suffered for us and our sins, past, present and future. Herein is His great love: Jesus died on a wooden cross for you and me. At the end, He still continued to pour out His amazing love to blood, regardless of the treatment He received.

Jesus had power over the grave and was resurrected that beautiful Easter day.

I will maintain my love to him forever. v.28

I will not take my love from him. v.33

I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever. v.1

He loves you truly.

Joyce Westlake

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Sunday, April 3

Jeremiah 14:1-9, 17-22

Psalms 19, 46, 66, 67

Galatians 4:21-5:1

Mark 8:11-21

From The Message…

Meanwhile, the disciples were finding fault with

each other because they had forgotten to bring

bread. Jesus overheard and said, "Why are you

fussing because you forgot bread? Don't you see

the point of all this? Don't you get it at all?

Remember the five loaves I broke for the five thousand? How many baskets of leftovers did

you pick up?" They said, "Twelve." Mark 8:16-19

I think all of us “don’t get it” when we are faced with trauma or sickness (family, friend, ourselves), or panic over money problems. We take it on as our problem to work out ourselves, forgetting we are not in this alone.

I try to pray early every morning (on my knees). I read the scriptures for the day and read our Day by Day (I am so glad our prisoner is coming back in April) and then try to leave all my problems and concerns, prayers for other people and my family with the “Mighty Chessman.”

A friend gave me a sign that hangs on my closet door. It reads, “God answers knee mail.” I need to remember that!!!

In His name,

Lynn Mather

Saturday, April 2

Jeremiah 13:1-11

Psalms 87, 90, 136

Romans 6:12-23

John 8:47-59

O give thanks to the Lord, for his is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Ps 136, verse 1, New RSV

Thank God! He deserves your thanks. His love never quits.

Ps. 136, verse 1, The Message

The Psalms are an excellent and sometimes overlooked source for prayer. In the sixth century Benedict considered them so important that his Rule for Monasteries prescribed that all one hundred and fifty of them be chanted each week as part of daily prayer. They contain prayer for virtually every occasion. Some praise God, some give thanks, some are laments, and some are very angry. Whatever your mood, you can find a Psalm to fit.

Psalm 136 is a litany of thanksgiving for things that God has done for his people, many of which are ancient history to us today. But the mantra “His steadfast love endures forever” or simply “His love never quits” as The Message puts it, is as real for us today as the day it was penned by the psalmist and repeated twenty-six times.

So my suggestion for today is this: right now as you are reading this write down a list of at least five things that you are thankful for today, make it ten if you can, longer is better. Then, as soon as you’re finished, prayerfully read the list and follow each item with either “His steadfast love endures forever” or “His love never quits.” Now you have made a direct connection between those things you are thankful for, those gifts from God, and your thanks to God for them.

So often our prayers are petitions to God for help for ourselves or others and we forget about thanksgiving. Psalm 136 is a wonderful reminder to include prayers of thanksgiving in our daily visits with God.

Bob Lowe

Friday, April 1

Jeremiah 11:1-8, 14-20

Psalms 88, 91, 92

Romans 6:1-11

John 8:33-47

Psalm 92

“Thank You.” Behind “please” it is one of the first manners we teach our children. I would not be able to tell you how many times I have asked my children…”What do you say?” Funny how something we work so hard to engrain in our children’s vocabulary is so rarely used in our own. Sure, we say thank you many times a day…to the cashier at Starbucks to our friend who brought our child home from baseball… it has become a part of our vocabulary. But, how often are we offering true Thanksgiving to God? How often are we beginning our prayers with “Thank You. Thank You God for today?” This truly should be the start of our prayers every day, good or bad. Whether we were met with a day of great happiness or a day of sadness, God made that day, and for that we need to be Thankful. (On the days of great happiness, it is a bit more obvious as to why we should be thankful so let’s concentrate on the days that are not so happy). I can hear my oldest son now, “Mommy, why should we thank God when things are bad?” It is a great question and one that requires a great amount of faith to answer. God has a hand in all that we do; He is our creator and is with us. He shapes who we are. He believes in us more than we believe in ourselves. He is in control of our path and, therefore, we need to trust Him in all that happens to us. Although we can’t and won’t see His reasoning in those difficult situations, we need to be “righteous” and say “Thank You.” The Lord wishes no evil on us and although things may not always go our way, He loves us more than we can ever possibly imagine.

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

~Psalm 92: 12-15

Courtneay and Kevin Odden