Lenten Devotional, Day 18: If Only One, Read This One Please

Dear Saints,

The Saturday Scriptures are Psalm 95, Exodus 16:27–35, John 4:1–6.

If you have been on this Lenten journey with me, thank you.  O my! So many of the Revised Common Lectionary texts are hardpack truth.  I committed to 40 days, thought I had something to prove, wanted to be cool, and now I'm tired of plowing.  Then it hit me: I've been approaching Lent with a Martha spirit.  And Martha’s, I love.  But Lent is for a Mary heart.  See Luke 10:38–42.

BE A MARY IN A MARTHA WORLD:

Therefore I thought to go in a new direction with Day 18 and, boom, a bouquet of confirmations came my way at the Next Generations (nGENS) Prayer meeting.  Sometimes life is cacophony, when only "one thing is necessary."  Thick truth can wait.  Maybe like Mary of Bethany and me, only one thing will do: Sitting at the feet of Jesus.  Ah, stretch, breathe, enjoy "the good portion," Jesus is teaching.  Now "Speak, for Your servant hears." (1 Samuel 3:10).

Sure read the Passages.  But then sit and listen for the echos in your heart.

IDENTICAL TRIPLETS:

Just one Verse and a stripped down comment, more of a pointer.  "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker." (Psalm 95:6).  This Verse has a lower-case trinity (very rare in Scripture, think Holy, Holy, Holy).  Their names are "worship," "bow-down," and "kneel."  In Hebrew three different words, but let's just say close enough to be identical triplets.  Yes, you can can tell them apart but barely.

If worship was reduced to just one idea, the closest might be to bow down low before God.  Yes, when done in Spirit & Truth, that is a most worshipful posture.  We think of the deep revere and humility of such an act.

But here is a first-time thought for me: Just maybe part of the worship or glory that God receives in our bow is simply knowing we find it to be "rest" and "peace" and "gladness" before Him!!!

The Only Best in/is Christ,

tIM