God For Us - 2016 Lent Devotion Guide

Copyright © 2016 by Highland Park Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.

3821 University Blvd, Dallas, TX 75205 ⋅ 214-526-7457 ∙ hppc.org

Dear Friend, It is often when we are powerless that we struggle to believe. Nothing that we possess will solve a problem, restore our health or heal our broken hearts.

Money, power, intellect, hard work, creative thinking, the right people or anything else will do. It is in these times that we begin to see and feel what we truly are–powerless. In these times it can be hard to believe God. Hard to believe his mercy, his provision, his care, his presence and his love for us.

can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”

When we are acutely aware of our powerlessness, it becomes clear what we believe ... and what we don’t. If we are honest with ourselves, we recognize that we have a mixed bag when it comes to believing God. Some things are easier to believe than others. In times of desperation and powerlessness, our beliefs become clear, and it is in these times that we have the opportunity to ask for help.

My prayer for you this Lenten season is for renewed and strengthened belief, even new belief. That as you sit with Jesus in the Scriptures, your mind and heart would be so transformed that your life would overflow in mercy, love, care and compassion to those around you. In our powerlessness, may we believe the unbelievable through the power of the Holy Spirit, trusting that God is with us and for us.

In the Gospel of Mark, a desperate father was acutely aware of his powerlessness, because his boy had been demon possessed since childhood. This demon had tormented his son and his loving father was desperate for any help that Jesus could offer. The father asked Jesus, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” Jesus responded, “‘If You

With you and for you,

This Lent guide was born out of powerlessness. It was born out of a time when I was crying out to God, “I believe; help my unbelief.” I do not know why God wanted it written from this posture of powerlessness and dependence, but he did. And I trust he was faithful.

Laura Murray Pastor of Spiritual Formation

Full details at hppc.org/attend

ASH WEDNESDAY Wednesday, Feb. 10 12 pm, Wynne Chapel & 6:30 pm, Sanctuary

PALM SUNDAY Sunday, March 20 9:30 & 11 am

HOLY WEEK PRAYER GATHERING March 21–24, 12 pm, Wynne Chapel

MAUNDY THURSDAY Thursday, March 24 7 pm, Sanctuary

GOOD FRIDAY REQUIEM Friday, March 25 12 pm, Sanctuary

EASTER Sunday, March 27 6:30, 8, 9:30 & 11 am

Join the conversation at hppc.org/lent

1

2

3

4

Believing God’s

Believing God’s

Believing God’s

Believing God’s

pages 6–13

pages 14–23

pages 24–33

pages 34–43

mercy

5

provision

care

posture

6

7

8

Believing God in the darkness

Believing Jesus’

suffering

Believing God in the silence

Believing the

pages 44–53

pages 54–63

pages 64–73

pages 74–79

unbelievable

6

W EEK O N E | F E BR UA RY 10–13 luke 18:9–14

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

7

february 10 | ash wednesday

Two people. Two perspectives. One believes he has everything he needs for life. The other knows he has nothing. It is often in our scarcity that we see our need for God. In such moments, we see that truly we cannot help ourselves, and we cry out to God for mercy. We have nothing to remove our sin, but Jesus offers us everything we need for salvation.

and his perspective to see it. His examination is not to condemn us or bring shame, but to cleanse and restore.

For in Jesus Christ we are forgiven, sanctified and perfected. He shows us our sin so that we will continue to turn to him, recognizing our need for grace and mercy and our great dependence on him as we live the life to which he has called us.

Yet we often cannot see our scarcity or need. We have a hard time recognizing our sin. We need God’s examination

Today, as you reflect on your humanity and your sin: In what ways have you tried to save yourself? Do you depend on your “good works” for mercy or do you depend on the good work of Jesus? Consider praying for humility and God’s perspective of your sin as you enter this Lenten season.

8

week one | luke 18:9–14

february 11

Do you find yourself approaching God with apprehension, fear or uncertainty?

Maybe you find yourself approaching him in comfort, security and hope?

Our belief about God influences our approach to him.

This is clear in the story this week. The Pharisee believed God was impersonal, disconnected and only concerned with good deeds. His low view of God led

to a high view of himself. He prayed to God for his personal gain. His disdain for the man next to him and his inflated view of his own righteousness reveal his belief that he can take care of himself, including his salvation. In contrast, the tax collector sees God as holy and his only hope for salvation. Two vastly different approaches to the same God. Two vastly different outcomes.

Consider how you approach God. Start by paying attention to what you say when you approach him. What words come out of your mouth? Who are your words focused on? Pay attention to how you feel when you connect with him–is he approachable or do you keep yourself at a distance? Ask God to strengthen your trust in him and to help you see him as he is. Meditate on this week’s Scripture and ask him to show you who he is, that you might grow in your trust and faith in him.

Maybe you have never approached God in prayer. If so, consider trying it by just beginning to talk to him. Ask him about the passage of Scripture you have read and heard this week and what he wants you to learn from it. It doesn’t have to be a long prayer. Try it this week and see what happens.

believing God’s mercy 9

february 12

Our spiritual vision is limited. Our sin and selfishness limits us from seeing God as well as from seeing others in the way that God sees them. It takes a sight check, an adjustment and then the expansion of our vision to see beyond ourselves and our own desires. We have a constant need for an eye exam.

The Pharisee spent a lot of his time focused on himself. Did you notice that the word “I” occurred frequently in his prayer to God? As the Pharisee looked around, he saw others only in terms of how they related to him and how they could be used as measuring sticks

for his own self-exaltation. The tax collector could not even lift his eyes to heaven but cried out for mercy.

Jesus offers a vision check as he contrasts the eyes of the Pharisee and the eyes of the tax collector. He redirects our sight line to himself. As our focus centers on Jesus and who he is, we see our need for mercy and grace, but also the extent to which he freely offers it to us. As we receive his grace, our eyes are opened, allowing us to see others differently and to extend grace and mercy to them.

Reflect on the two prayers in the passage. Throughout the day, ask God to show you the times when your prayers are like those of the Pharisee. These are when times you offer gratitude to God at the expense of another or when you put someone else down in order to raise yourself up. If you find yourself identifying with the Pharisee during your day, ask God to expand your sight line, that you might grow in compassion and humility.

If you are praying the prayer of the tax collector, begging for mercy, unable to lift up your head, reflect on the extent of God’s grace and mercy revealed in the cross. Also, be encouraged by these words from Psalm 3:3: But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head.

10 week one | luke 18:9–14

february 13

So often we evaluate how well we are doing in our lives by comparing ourselves to others. We rank ourselves higher or lower compared to certain people around us. In either situation, the game of righteousness becomes a competitive sport where we base our worth on how far ahead (or behind) we are compared to others.

power and so he cried for God’s mercy because he knew it was only hope.

We are also drawn into this game of righteousness. We compete for our credibility before God. Yet over and over again God tells us that our credibility rests in Jesus. His righteousness was won for us through his life, death and resurrection. Salvation comes The Pharisee’s prayer shows that through grace, not through works. he played the competitive game of Receiving righteousness as a gift is righteousness and believed he had won. counterintuitive to our hardworking In contrast, the tax collector did not even culture, yet the righteousness of Christ enter the game. He did not look around is a gift given and then received with and he could not even bring himself humility, because we know we cannot to look up at God. He knew he had no earn it ourselves.

Consider how you have been pulled into the game of righteousness. How do you put others down in order to raise yourself up? When are you more likely to “do it yourself” rather than rely on God’s mercy, grace and strength? How can you turn to Jesus today? How can you be reminded again of his mercy extended to you through his sacrifice? As you consider these things, be on the lookout for how God might change your heart towards others who cannot do it themselves and who are crying for mercy.

believing God’s mercy

11

notes 12 week one | luke 18:9–14

notes believing God’s mercy

13

14

W E E K TWO | F E BR UA RY 14–20 luke 20:45–21:4

And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

15

february 14

Generosity is often defined by the amount that is given or offered. People get greater recognition for giving large amounts of money to a school or organization. We are amazed by amounts and numbers. Yet in this week’s passage, Jesus redefines generosity. He does not define it by the amount given, but by the heart. He intertwines generosity with trust. The widow gave everything she had, saving nothing to live on. She believed God was worth it and trusted him with her life. What would it take to live by this definition of generosity?

It is difficult to imagine this level of generosity unless you have been there.

Unexpected health diagnoses cause us to hold our money a little closer rather than give it away. Higher tuition costs that come with college education cause us to redistribute our giving. We give excuses to people who are building their careers, telling them they can give away their money later. Again, generosity is not about the amount itself, but the heart behind the amount.

When we keep our money closer than we keep God, we see that our trust rests in ourselves and in the love of money rather than in the love of God.

Upon an initial reading of this passage (Luke 20:45–21:4), what are your thoughts?

What questions do you have? Is there an instinctive push-back in your heart and mind? Does this passage stir you or are you apathetic about it?

You may have never experienced the desperation of the poor widow, but have you had an unexpected expense that has caused you to reevaluate your generosity?

Has there been a time when your generosity grew? How and why?

Consider the picture of generosity Jesus provides through the poor widow’s giving.

Ask God to show you how he wants to use this story this week to transform your heart.

16 week two | luke 20:45–21:4

The invisible ones in our culture do not get the same affection and admiration– they remain unseen. These are men, women, boys and girls who have no power, who have layers upon layers of struggles rather than riches. They are invisible to us because they do not bring us anything we find useful.

Invisible because we choose to look the other way. Invisible because we cannot see their worth. Invisible because we believe we have risen above them.

february 15

Every culture seems to be enamored by celebrities. We are prone to being mesmerized, intrigued and curious about those who are popular, powerful and influential. We give them our time and attention.

Yet Jesus sees the invisible, the overlooked and the ignored. He sees the poor widow and raises her up. In contrast, the scribes do everything they can to be seen and lauded only to be brought low by Jesus’ penetrating insight into their hearts. Jesus sees what we cannot see. He sees the invisible and calls us to see them as well.

Notice who you pay attention to today. Who do you choose to spend time getting to know or learning more about? How often do you take the opportunity to see those who are typically unseen? Spend time in prayer today asking God to make visible to you those who are invisible.

believing God’s provision

17

february 16

Sometimes we find ourselves stripped of things that give us life. These are not bad things, but when they are stripped from us, we struggle. Maybe it is a bit of our independence that has been taken away. Maybe a job we have lost.

Perhaps a hopeful relationship that has been cut off.

the support structure of a husband that was stripped from their lives.

When the things that we use to build our identities are stripped away, we are left in a crisis of identity. Our tendency in these times is to grab hold of anything we can control because so much is out of our control. It is difficult to trust that God is still with us and that he is the We have no idea what it was really like giver of good gifts. This is one of the to be the poor widow in the story. By reasons the actions of the widow are digging deeper into the culture and profound, risky and commended by context of her time, we do learn of the Jesus–she trusted God more than she powerlessness of widows, the lack of help they received from their community, relied on herself.

How do you respond when something you love or have depended on is taken from you? What do you do? What are your thoughts? How about your emotions? What are your conversations with God like during such times? When you are stripped, do you find it difficult to be generous? If so, why? Spend time in prayer and talk to God honestly about any struggles or hindrances to generosity you may have.

18 week two | luke 20:45–21:4

february 17

Poverty–most of us do not know what it really looks like. We live with plenty and then some. It is difficult for us to imagine what it is like to give from a place of poverty because we do not really understand what it is to be poor.

And so we are hard pressed to see our giving as worth anything, especially after reading this story. The point of the story is not to make the rich feel guilty and the poor feel better. The story is about trust.

Ultimately, what do you trust in?

The rich in this story gave out of their surplus; they did not actually need this money to live on. The poor widow put in all she had to live on, her very livelihood. It was a great act of trust. Jesus recognizes these acts for what they are.

The rich gave out of personal ability, and without any great sacrifice or cost. The poor widow gave out of recognition of great dependence and need, with great personal sacrifice and cost.

Make a list of what you need to live. After making this list, start crossing off things that might be wants rather than needs. Try to get down to what you actually need. If all you had was this list, what would be difficult about giving these things up? Why? What can these difficulties show you about your heart and where you place your trust?

believing God’s provision 19

february 18

Do you ever find yourself needing just one more thing? One more project to take on, one more achievement to reach or even one more thing to buy. If you could just have one more.

The scribes loved everything they had and even that was not enough; they wanted more. They wanted more so badly that they exploited and devoured the weak and the helpless. Nothing would stop them from getting more.

In our plenty, we believe we still do not have enough. We believe that more will be better, that more will bring joy and more will bring contentment. In fact, this is the constant chorus of advertisements

in our consumeristic culture. Yet, the pursuit of more leaves us empty and unsatisfied. It does not matter what the more is; in each instance we are seeking our satisfaction in something other than God himself. We forget that he promises to be our satisfaction, our fulfillment and all we need. God longs to meet us in our every hope, desire and dream. He longs to be our fulfillment and complete contentment. He invites us to let go of more so that we might be content in him with enough. Sometimes it is difficult to believe that less is truly more. God gives the best and fullest gifts, the greatest one being a relationship with him through Jesus.

What do you find you cannot have enough of? What do you want more of? Write down the things you have a propensity to accumulate, which in and of themselves can be good things. The question is, are you using them to bring you a sense of fulfillment rather than trusting God to satisfy?

20 week two | luke 20:45–21:4

Jesus delivers a warning in this passage to those who look to receive, who love the applause, who crave recognition and even demand it. There is nothing wrong with receiving gifts, recognition or even encouragement. However, the scribes sought it, even if it meant staging a spectacle to secure it. Without realizing it, we can find ourselves expecting to be treated a certain way, to be respected or even praised. One

indicator is our thoughts and actions when we have not received attention or applause. What happens when we have done something good, something that was difficult or beneficial for another, and do not receive appreciation? How do we feel when we expect that we will be seated with certain people and we get placed elsewhere? Sometimes this attitude sneaks up on us and we are surprised by it. Other times we might not even notice it.

february 19

“Tis better to give and receive.” A few years ago, this was a popular coffee chain’s Christmas slogan. Sound familiar? It almost quotes Scripture found in Acts 20:35. The difference is in one word: “and.” Jesus says, “It is more blessed to give than receive.”

A difference of one word and the meaning completely changes.

During these times, we are not far from the people that Jesus warned about. He warns us to watch out for these people and to guard against becoming these people. We need the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and insight into ourselves and others so that we might heed his warning to beware.

Spend some time today in prayer and confession. Ask God to show you where you make demands to receive recognition or praise. Ask him to show you what your heart is wrapped around. What might God want to unwrap in you so that you might wrap your trust in him? Ask God to lead you through this process, and free you to love him and love others generously.

believing God’s provision 21

february 20

Giving our whole life to God is a daily surrender. The poor widow gives a picture of surrender that captures the heart of generosity. It is not the amount she gave, or the amount the rich people gave, but that she gave all she had.

She gave everything she had to live on, trusting that God would take care of her life.

God. Each day there are opportunities for our generosity to deepen and our trust to deepen. These actions go hand in hand. Dying to self is a daily movement. The more we move, the deeper our lives become. The deeper our lives become, the richer our faith and the greater our trust that God is with and for us.

This picture of generosity is a picture of dying to self for the sake of following

Spend some time today reflecting on this story. As much as you can try, to imagine living life as the poor widow and giving everything. What would a daily movement of dying to self look like? Ask God what this picture of generosity means in your life. What could it look like?

22 week two | luke 20:45–21:4

notes believing God’s provision 23

24

W EEK THR E E | F E BR UA RY 21–27 luke 22:1–23 (verses 1–13 below)

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.

Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.”

And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

25

february 21

We have all experienced times when people have been generously attentive to us. They were prepared to serve us, anticipated our needs and cared for us with great patience. They brought us a meal when we were too tired to cook, they have run errands for us and even simply sat with us when we have been lonely. Receiving this care was likely a gift in a difficult time, when we needed help and could not take care of ourselves.

Jesus offers his disciples incredible attentiveness during their last meal together. He gives the disciples specific instructions for preparation, he is proactive during the meal as he shares with them his heart and hope for the future, and he also anticipates

their needs of nourishment to come through his body and blood. Jesus’ attentiveness is a mark of great care and hospitality.

The hospitality we offer begins with attentiveness. Attentiveness requires intentionality, slowing down and noticing those around us. Attentive hospitality considers what others might need in the moment, and honors their needs above our preferences. It takes the sensitivity and compassion of the Holy Spirit working in and through us to share the love of Christ with others through hospitality. This discipline of attentiveness takes practice and time to build. The more we practice it, the better we get at caring for others.

This week, take time to slow down, pay attention and consider someone else’s needs. It could be the waiter at lunch, a family member, a co-worker, a classmate or even a stranger. Pray for the wisdom to see those around you and how you can meet them wherever they are and care for them, even if it is just for a moment.

26

week three | luke 22:1–23

Jesus showed his caring through his hospitality and anticipation of the needs of his disciples. He acted on his care taking the posture of a servant, consistently sacrificing position and power for the sake of others. He healed hearts and bodies, he fed children and the spiritually hungry and he asked piercing questions to allow truth to rise to the surface. His care was consistent.

Sometimes it is difficult for us to admit that we need care and to receive it. Often it takes being in a place of weakness for us to recognize how much we need and are dependent on God.

february 22

Preparing ourselves to care for others begins with learning to receive care from God. We follow the ways Jesus cared for others, and, in doing so, we are able to learn how Jesus cares for us. He is our consistent caretaker.

God’s heart is always as a caretaker.

Learning to receive his care, to see how he is attentive to us, helps his love deepen within us and reminds us that he sees and cares. Noticing the God of the universe and his care for us helps us to care and minister to others.

Realizing his hospitality, attentiveness and love lead us to seek to pattern our lives after the Great Caretaker.

Spend time today reflecting on how God has cared for you. How were you ministered to during times of weakness, doubts or need? When you didn’t know where to go and which direction to turn, how did God meet you? How can you take the same approach and love others around you?

Maybe you are disappointed today. It has been difficult to see how God cares for you or how people have not ministered to you. Maybe you are experiencing abandonment rather than hospitality. Talk to God about this today–express your true thoughts and feelings. Allow him to minister to you today and bring people into your life to care for you. God is for you and so are we.

believing God’s care 27

february 23

Jesus “earnestly desired” to eat with his disciples before he suffered. Jesus had an incredible longing to be with those he loved, those closest to him. Notice that Judas–the man who would betray him in the coming hours–was among those he longed to be with. He loved Judas and did not exclude him from this meal. Moreover, it was not only Judas who would fail him. Every one of the other men around the table would abandon him before the night was over.

Yet he ministered to them, knowing that each would deeply hurt him. He shared the depths of his heart and served them

in the most intimate way. His betrayal was coming, yet Jesus loved with his whole heart, caring for his friends and giving all of himself to them.

Being in relationship with others can demand vulnerability. Getting close to others requires that we give of ourselves, that we willingly share parts of ourselves with the risk that we might get hurt. Jesus’ love for his disciples and for the world was greater than his fear of hurt. Love trumped pain and he chose to love.

Reflect on Jesus’ willingness to let love trump pain. Explore your willingness to be vulnerable, to be hurt, for the sake of loving relationships. What holds you back?

How can love compel you to jump in? Do you have close friends that you share your struggles and failures with, as well as your joys and celebrations? Are there previous hurts or experiences that cause you to keep your distance from others?

Ask God how he wants you to trust him, to receive his love and rest more fully in it, so that you might risk loving others.* *To risk loving others does not mean to enter into or stay in an abusive relationship. If you are in this situation, please seek help immediately.

28

week three | luke 22:1–23

We spend our energy protecting ourselves and taking care of ourselves

because we do not want to experience pain again. Maybe we even hold ourselves back from others or from God. How might we be able to trust God to care for us? How can we let go of the need to manage and control in order to protect? Will we trust him to heal us when we are wounded? This is so hard and goes against our very nature, but he wants us to trust him and rest in his care.

february 24

All of us have been wounded. For some, these wounds turn us into incredibly self-protective people, believing that we have to look out for ourselves or no one else will. These wounds have led us to trust in ourselves rather than trusting God to heal us and to meet us when we are wounded again.

Spend some time today in quiet prayer and reflection. Ask God to show you if there is a hurt or disappointment in your life that is hindering your relationship with him or with others. Pray that he would reveal the sin that is intertwined with these wounds and spend time in confession, being met by his grace. As God raises these things, ask for his healing, even if it is hard to imagine. You may have no idea how he is going to do it, but he’s got this! Just ask and then trust.

believing God’s care 29

february 25

Believing in God’s care is easy in good times–when we receive a promotion, when the doctors report the cancer is gone, when we are given our first child. Believing he loves us, is with us, and is for us is difficult when we are pummeled by life. When we receive a health diagnosis that unsettles us, when we face obstacles that derail our plans, when we have to re-envision the future because something (or someone) is taken out of our lives, it is difficult to believe that God is truly caring for us in those moments.

When it is hard to believe in God’s hand of care, we are given the gift of stories. We find examples of God’s love and faithfulness and reminders of his goodness and care throughout the Bible. We also find these stories as we listen to the lives of others. We can find these stories as we reflect back on our own lives and see how God has cared for us. These stories should encourage us, providing hope and light when at times it is difficult to believe in his care.

Spend some time today reading the passage again. Use a highlighter to mark where you see Jesus’ care and his faithfulness in the story. Take time to observe Jesus’ actions that express care for his disciples. Offer gratitude to God for his care. Ask for his guidance so that you can see more deeply his care for you.

30

week three | luke 22:1–23

february 26

Sometimes we wish God would give us specific instructions, like the instructions he gave Peter and John in this passage of Scripture. He told them exactly what to do in preparation for the Passover dinner. Even with these specific instructions, Peter and John still had to trust and obey. They still had to go to the city, meet a man carrying a pitcher of water, follow him to a specific house, and ask the owner of the house to use the guest room.

They had to trust, obey and go.

Jesus may not necessarily give us specific instructions, as he did for the disciples, but his Word does give us all the instruction we need for life. He tells us to love God first and love others next. He tells us to show mercy, to be compassionate and to trust him. He tells us to make disciples. He tells us to trust, obey and go…and he meets us with his faithfulness. Peter and John found everything just as Jesus had told them.

His faithfulness to them also provided to us as we trust, obey and go.

This past week, what have you been thinking about? What has been stirring in you? Are there people who God has brought to mind repeatedly or someone’s experience that has moved your heart? God calls us to love others and trust him in his call. Step out in faith today. Go and love others.

believing God’s care

31

february 27

When someone is prepared for your arrival, they have anticipated your needs. They have gone to the grocery store to buy favorite foods, washed sheets and cleaned the house and sacrificed time to be present with you during your stay. When you leave, you might even be sent with food for the road or an encouraging word. This person sets aside personal preferences, time and resources to care for you, nourishing you and sending you back on your way refreshed.

the moment and the needs they would have when he was gone. He gave all of himself through his body and his blood.

He prepared the disciples for all they would need to live a life of faith by giving all of himself. He gave them salvation through his blood and sustaining nourishment through his body.

He provides this radical hospitality for us as well; that we would remember his sacrifice of body and blood, so that we can live as he calls us.

In this Passover, Jesus was ready for his disciples. He anticipated their needs in

When you think about your life, is there something that is difficult to sacrifice?

What are the preferences or routines you have a hard time giving up in order to welcome another person? How do Jesus’ actions encourage you to give of yourself in order to welcome another? Spend time in prayer asking God to loosen your grip on preferences, time and resources. Then notice as these things loosen, and intentionally practice hospitality toward someone else.

32

week three | luke 22:1–23

notes believing God’s care 33

34

W EEK F O UR F EB R UA RY 2 8 – MA R CH 5 luke 22:24–30

A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors.

But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table?

But I am among you as the one who serves.

“You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

35

february 28

When was the last time you had an argument with a friend about which one of you was better? Maybe it was just yesterday, but it is hard to believe grown adults would be fighting with one another about such a thing. It is laughable!

As much as we would like to laugh and speculate on the maturity of the disciples, how often do we fight for position, honor and a place at the table? We linger to remain part of the

important conversations. We befriend those close to others in power so that we might siphon a bit of influence or opportunity.

We might be more subtle about it, but we are not very different from the disciples. We all clamor for power and influence. Why do we desire to be close to power, to know the popular people and to be part of the “in” Crowd?

Spend some time in silent prayer today. Ask God to search you and to show you anything that is against his will. Specifically ask him to show you instances in which you try to position yourself for power and influence. Ask him to reveal how you manipulate situations for your own gain, as opposed to serving others. Be aware of these tendencies this week and ask God to help you serve.

36 week four | luke 22:24–30

february 29

Well-meaning people have told us to “fake it ‘til we make it.” We want to demonstrate a competency beyond our abilities, rather than admit that we still have things to learn. We attempt to appear able or pretend we know what we are doing in order to prove that we are worthy of some position. Such wisdom may work in this world, but it does not work in the kingdom of God.

struggle to pray, to understand the Bible, or to serve others, we believe we will be looked down upon and judged. We strive for the appearance of maturity when we are really just “faking it ‘til we make it.”

God’s invitation is to be who we are before him, as well as others. It requires that we take the humble posture of a learner. This posture frees us from the Jesus’ definition of leadership requires pressure of performance and from the that you to begin with exactly who judgments of others as well. We can you are, not more than you are. The then walk together, learn together and temptation is so strong to present grow together in the Christian faith, in ourselves as more than we are, even in our service and in our leadership. our spiritual lives. If we admit that we

Are there areas of your life in which you are “faking it ‘til you make it?” What is that like? What areas of your spiritual life are you tempted to fake? Why? Be honest with God in prayer today. Consider the friends who you can be honest with as well. If you do not have a community, consider joining a small group of people who you can be real with and walk alongside in honesty.

believing God’s posture

37

march 1

True service is the great equalizer. Social status and hierarchy are equalized as we consider every Christian’s call to be a servant. No matter what our gifts, capabilities and positions, we are all called to the posture of a servant. There is no room for boasting or thinking of ourselves as above or below another.

Sometimes we think too highly of what we have to offer, as if everything would fall apart without us. Other times we

think not enough of what we have to offer, comparing ourselves and envying others with more. In either case, we are thinking of ourselves first rather than God. We are focusing on the gifts rather than the gift giver. Perspective comes as we focus our thoughts and affections on the gift giver rather than the gifts.

With the posture of a servant, we rely on God to continue to empower us to live the life to which he has called us.

When have you thought too often of yourself and your part in life? When have you thought too little of yourself? How can you spend your day in worship of God, adoring him, rather than focusing on yourself and your life? Spend time in prayer asking God to help you to see him first, rather than yourself.

38 week four | luke 22:24–30

march 2

Each of us have been granted positions of power, which are vast and varied. A business executive has power over a team, company and product. Parents have power over the welfare of their children. A teacher has the power to influence and educate students. A health care provider has the power to give comfort and healing. A wife and husband have the power to encourage or discourage each other. Students have the power to include or exclude another student from their group.

We all have positions of power and we all have opportunities to use that power to lift up, to encourage, to make better, to speak truth in love and to care. These positions are gifts given to us to bless, help, heal and grow others. They are not given so that we can exploit and take advantage, but rather so that we can serve. Leadership in the kingdom of God is about using our positions in life not so that we might gain more, but so that another might gain good through us.

Can you recall a time when you been on the receiving end of a leader’s act of service? How did that shape you? List positions of power you have been given.

Pray today about how you can use your positions to serve others.

believing God’s posture 39

march 3

Some people welcome direction and like being told what to do. However, most people are inclined to give direction and tell others what to do. Our tendencies lean toward being the boss. This could be in just one area of life or in all of them. We like being in charge. We enjoy executing great ideas and influencing courses of action. We enjoy having people do what we ask, when we ask them. We get upset when they don’t.

Being the boss is something we settle comfortably into, whether we are the boss of a kitchen, a committee, a home, a company or a camping trip.

Yet being the boss is not the call of the Christian. The call of the Christian is one of servitude. Even more remarkable, the One that has every right to be the boss and call all the shots called himself “the servant of all.”

The contrast Jesus provides to the world around us is challenging. As we are given positions of being the boss, Jesus asks us to take on the posture of a servant. This does not mean we do not give direction or provide leadership; it means we do so as servants under the Great Servant himself, Jesus.

Spend time reflecting today on the Kingdom order–Jesus our Master and Servant and we his servants. Ask God to transform the places in your heart, mind and body that need to be shaped by Jesus’ posture of servitude. Take on that same posture today, asking God to transform you wherever he has placed you.

40 week four | luke 22:24–30

march 4

When parents eagerly anticipate the arrival of a second child, the question often asked is, “How can I love another child as much as I love my first? I do not know how it is possible!” And then the baby arrives and they realize that love is not a limited resource. Love is limitless, as are the gifts given in the kingdom of God. We live with the illusion of scarcity, that there is only so much to give away.

With this mentality of scarcity, we keep, hoard and even strategize about when and what we will give away. There is nothing wrong with wisdom, but sometimes we use our own wisdom rather than asking God for his. How

does he want us to serve? Where does he want us to serve? Wherever he calls us, he promises to provide everything.

We don’t run out of resources when it comes to following God’s call.

That’s the kicker–doing what he calls us to do. So often we run dry because we have invested in places of our own choosing, rather than God’s choosing.

We have spent time on good things but not the best things. Our call to be servants involves constant conversation with the Great Servant who leads and directs our lives. As we follow him, may we trust that he will empower and equip us to serve and not run dry.

Have you found yourself worn out from serving? Reflect back on that time and those circumstances. Were you resting in your own power or God’s power?

Was it clear that this was what you were supposed to do or were you just doing something because you thought you should? Spend time in prayer asking God to lead your life regarding service. Be willing to hear what he has to say and step out in faith, trusting he will give you all you need.

believing God’s posture

41

march 5

With everything we have been given, we have incredible opportunities to give to one another. Every good gift given has the opportunity to overflow into the life of another. Jesus says that greatness does not come through power and control, but through service– the opportunity to give and share.

A life of service is one that means continually giving out from the gifts we have received. It means giving even when it costs us something. It means giving away when we would prefer to keep our safety, our security, our

comforts and our preferences. Serving means giving ourselves away for the sake of God and others.

How is it possible that we can give away everything and yet live? Even though things might give us temporary joy or pleasure, fullness of life is not found in these things. Life is found in Jesus, who gives us the greatest joy through salvation. The life of Jesus tells us that we can give everything, even our own lives, and live. It is in giving away ourselves that we find life.

What might God want you to give away? In what areas of your life is God calling you to trust him? Spend time in prayer, expressing any fears or anxieties of giving away these things. Then do it! Give what God wants you to give. As you do, watch for the joy that will come as you give!

42 week four | luke 22:24–30

notes believing God’s posture 43

44

W EEK F IV E | M A RCH 6 –12 luke 22:39–53

(verses 39–49 below)

And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”

45

march 6

Like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, we all have places where we have approached God and asked him to do something, to prevent something, or to change a situation or outcome. In such moments, it is difficult to see or hear God. These gardens look and feel like deserts, with souls that are like the dry and parched land thirsting for water.

We long for green and lush days.

The Garden of Gethsemane feels nothing like a garden, and in our “gardens” we are at the end of ourselves, desperate for any movement of God’s hand. We are raw and exposed, bone-tired and without strength.

In these times, God seems quiet, even aloof. This perceived abandonment tempts us to stop talking to him. We want to disconnect rather than stay near.

Even as we are tempted to keep our distance, God longs for us to talk with him and be honest with him, to keep the communication line open even though his response is not obvious or audible.

Our ways are not his ways and even though God’s inaction might lead us to believe that he is not listening or does not care, we need to keep talking to him.

Spend time in quiet, still prayer today reflecting on your garden(s). As you pray, ask God to give you faith where you lack it. Ask him to meet you where you are, to help you to surrender and to trust, to provide people who are in step with the Holy Spirit and living out their faith. Ask them to hold onto faith for you when you are struggling to hold onto it yourself. Be encouraged by the honest prayers of Jesus. Find rest in his faithfulness and goodness as you pray in the same way.

46 week five | luke 22:39–53

march 7

In prayer there is space for honesty and open hands. These characteristics are evident in Jesus’ prayers on the night of his betrayal. He was honest as he asked the Father to take the cup from him, to take away the suffering and death that was to come. He held open hands as he surrendered his will to his Father’s.

In the same way, God invites us to come before him honestly with our feelings, thoughts and desires. He wants us to authentically express our emotions.

Although he is not surprised by our thoughts or feelings, in prayer we have the opportunity to voice them for ourselves and know that he hears us.

At the same time, he wants us to trust his will. With open hands we are invited to surrender our will to his will, knowing that he is good and sovereign. A true relationship with God involves this daily practice of honesty and open hands.

Think about what posture you take in your prayer life. Do you express your thoughts and feelings openly? What is it like to surrender and say, “God, your will be done?” As you pray today, talk to God about the idea of honesty and open hands and how your prayers can reflect these elements. Ask him for the courage and trust to do both.

believing God in the darkness 47

march 8

What are we to do with Jesus’ vulnerability? His vulnerability, evident in the Garden of Gethsemane, looks so weak and frail. He does not look like the God of the universe as he gives himself into the hands of the darkness and evil that looms. He is capable of stopping it all, but chooses not to. He even elects to heal an enemy in the midst of the darkness.

seems powerless, yet this moment offers a glimpse into a deeper power and peace that is unfamiliar to us. Jesus was free to be vulnerable and powerless because he knew his Father was good and powerful. Jesus trusted his Father and this trust led to the freedom to live out his call… even as it led to pain, humiliation and ultimately death.

Jesus’ words and actions are in stark contrast to our human nature. Jesus

How do you respond to the idea of vulnerability? To powerlessness? Is it scary? Are you okay with it? Spend time in prayer and in this passage of Scripture. What will you do with Jesus’ vulnerability? Will you ignore it or pay attention to it? Ask God for the courage to consider what vulnerability can look like in your life.

48 week five | luke 22:39–53

march 9

It is often in darkness that we doubt God’s goodness and love–we wonder where he is, whether he cares or not.

So many people are walking through darkness, doubting God. They tell us their doubts and we do not know how to respond. We so often want to help them out of the darkness or fix it.

Sometimes our help is truly required and we can do something, but many times we cannot. Walking with others in darkness is just that, walking with them.

They have wounds we cannot mend and hurts we cannot heal.

We meet their doubt of God’s goodness and love through our presence. We meet their doubt with God’s love and hold onto hope for them, allowing them to lean on our faith.

When someone is doubting in the darkness, may we be attentive and provide the light to remind them of God’s love and goodness as we walk together.

Ask God to show you if there is someone in your life walking in darkness, unable to see him. How can your presence be a light for that person? Pray for the strength and perseverance to walk alongside him or her.

You might be the one walking in darkness today, doubting or struggling to believe God. Reach out to God through prayer, ask him to show you what you truly need, reach out to others and ask for help, ask them to walk with you. This is such a humble ask, yet God gives us the Holy Spirit to comfort and help us and he has also given us others to lean on. It’s okay to lean on their faith and use their light to walk in the darkness.

believing God in the darkness 49

march 10

Life overwhelms. It demands more than we can give. Frustrations arise, deadlines loom and those we love require all of us and more. Our habits of escape rise when we are overwhelmed. We escape by diving deeper into work. We escape to the comforts of food and drink. We escape by numbing through binges of television or medicine. These escapes are self-created comforts that we believe will help us through whatever is threatening to overwhelm us.

disciples escaped their sorrow through sleep. They wanted to shut it out and not have to think about it.

Jesus invites us to run to him anytime– all the time–to meet in the thick of life to talk and pray. Yet we run the other way from our realities, using selfsoothing escapes. It is no easy task to run to Jesus, because it means that we surrender our perceived power to take care of ourselves.

Like us, the disciples were escape artists. Overwhelmed by sadness, the

Spend time in prayer today asking God how you self-soothe. How do you run away from reality rather than run to Jesus with your reality? Ask him to reveal, throughout the coming days, how you self-comfort and ask him to meet you in it.

Practice running towards Jesus through Scripture, through prayer and through talking with trusted friends.

50 week five | luke 22:39–53

march 11

When was the last time you heard someone boasting about their weakness?

It is not often we admit or hear others admit their weaknesses, let alone be proud of them!

God’s strength. Our lives are to be ones of radical dependence. How hard this is to realize and accept! Jesus chose weakness so that he might know our weaknesses. In his moment of trial in the garden, he too needed strength The Christian life is marked by weakness and was ministered to by an angel. rather than strength, yet we regularly pretend we are strong. We look for ways If Jesus in his perfect humanity needed to show our competency, abilities and to be strengthened, then so do we. So strength. We want others to notice that do others. The needs of others are not we handled something well. Sometimes always obvious, yet though the power we do not even know we are proud of of the Holy Spirit, God can show us our strength. those needs and encourage us to offer people strength in their times of trial.

The Christian life is made distinctive not only by our weakness, but more so by

Ask God to reveal to you someone who has a need. Ask him to help you pay attention, recognize and meet the needs of another. Pray for boldness and a way to reach out in love to this person.

believing God in the darkness

51

march 12

Pain is a driver to prayer. As the angel appeared and strengthened Jesus, this strength did not take Jesus’ agony away. What it did was give him what he needed to pray more deeply, to the point of sweating blood on the ground.

In pain we often lose hope and strength. It is exhausting and blinding.

Our minds, hearts and bodies grow

weary. Our minds are blinded to what truly is and what could be. We need strength that is not from ourselves. It needs to be supernatural and able to carry us and give us hope.

Just as Jesus received the strength to go more deeply to the Father in prayer, God offers us this same gift. We need strength. We need hope. We need God.

Has there been a time when you asked God to take away your pain and he did not? What was that like? Have you ever considered the strength that comes when God does not take away our pain but helps us walk through it? Meditate on this portion of the Scripture today and then write down your reflections.

52 week five | luke 22:39–53

notes believing God in the darkness 53

54

W E E K S IX | M A R CH 13 –19 luke 23:1–46

(verses 32–46 below) Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

55

march 13

It is one thing to be stripped of power and another thing to willingly surrender it. Jesus surrendered the power to save himself that day. Even as he was mocked, he chose to surrender for a greater purpose. Jesus did not have to swallow pride when he did this because he was without sin.

It is often our pride that prevents our readiness to surrender, our willingness to be wronged or to be misunderstood.

Whether we are in a conflict with a five-year-old or a fifty-year-old, there are times to hold firm and times to surrender. We do not have to engage every invitation to fight.

God asks that we trust him to fight for us in the right time and the right way. To surrender a situation to God requires humility and trust. It requires knowing ourselves and knowing our God.

Spend time today reflecting on this week’s Scripture. Imagine being able to trust the Father as Jesus did. What would this take in your life? Pray that God examine your heart and show you areas of sin. Take time to confess and ask for God’s wisdom to help you to distinguish between when to surrender and when to hold firm. Ask for his help in the moments when all you want to do is win. Ask him to help you in the daily opportunities to surrender.

56 week six | luke 23:1–46

march 14

We cringe at the thought of being wronged and misunderstood. We are a culture grounded in justice and so much of it is good and needed. Yet when it comes to our personal sense of justice, the life of Jesus challenges us to reconsider how we see ourselves.

Jesus was knowingly wronged and misunderstood. He did not stop and correct the leaders who were falsely accusing him. He did not fight for his honor. His disciples tried to fight for it and he stopped them. He willingly suffered humiliation and mocking to the point of death. He surrendered his life, his reputation, and the right to

correct and set his accusers straight, on purpose. For those of us with a strong passion for justice, so many things seem to be wrong with this!

Why? Why was he willing to endure, to be misunderstood and to surrender his will? For love. Because of his great love for us, he willingly surrendered all so that we would live. Jesus had a greater joy before him, and that was reconciliation with the creation he loves so much. Love is why he surrendered, love is why he died and love is why he gave all.

As you spend time reflecting on this week’s Scripture, why is it difficult to understand what Jesus was willing to do? What would it take for you to have a similar posture of surrender and humility? Spend time in prayer asking God if there are fights you need to let go. Ask for the insight to know when to step up and when to step back.

believing Jesus’ suffering 57

march 15

The number of voices clamoring for our attention and authority over our lives is limitless. The prevailing voices of culture, advertisers, colleagues and friends are fighting for our focus and affections. These influences quietly invade, muddling and drowning out the voice that leads to life, joy, hope and peace.

the pressure of the audible persuaders.

We believe following these voices will lead to what is right, what is good and what will bring us life. It is not easy to go against the voices that teach us to look out for ourselves, to seek our personal gain, and try to have whatever we want.

Yet among all the voices, God’s voice can rise up above them. His voice is The voices of the crowd began to heard clearly through the Scriptures, prevail and Pontius Pilate gave in to through prayer and in community with these voices and to the pressures that others who seek him. came from the masses. Many of us feel

Ask God to reveal the prevailing voices in your life. Maybe they are the voices of what it takes to be popular or whispers of what it takes to be successful in your career. Maybe these voices are shaming you and you are living in doubt about who you are and who God has called you to be. Ask God to show you how the prevailing voices are not in line with his voice and how you might be able to hear God’s voice more clearly. Write down any Scriptures that speak the truth to you today. Commit to reading these Scriptures daily and memorize them so that they come to mind when you are tempted to follow other voices.

58 week six | luke 23:1–46

march 16

A heart of compassion is cultivated in weakness. Powerlessness reminds us that we do not have it all together, that we need help, and that the saving power of Jesus is deeper, richer and stronger than can ever be imagined.

Compassion is easy to give and express when we feel good or when life is going well. However, it is in our struggles that true compassion is cultivated and grown.

As this compassion is deepened, it depends on a love beyond ourselves.

It depends on the love from Jesus that we receive. As we receive love and compassion from Jesus, we are able to do the same, even when we are suffering or in anguish. How can that be? Because it is not from us.

Compassion becomes the work and

movement of God in our hearts and our minds, forming our character.

Compassion is stirred from deep within, and as we rely more on Jesus, our compassion grows.

In the midst of his crucifixion, Jesus called out in compassion to his Father for the sake of those crucifying him.

He was praying for the very ones who were killing him. He had compassion as he asked his Father to forgive them.

This compassion goes beyond a onetime extension of grace or help. It came from a deep love and relationship with his Father and a deep love for people.

Compassion means extending the love, grace and mercy first extended to us through Jesus.

How has God deepened your compassion through weakness and struggles?

How has your heart softened as a result of struggles? Can you list some opportunities you have had to extend compassion toward others? Are there people in your life to whom you have a difficult time showing compassion? If so, why? Ask God how he wants you to grow in compassion and to whom he wants you to extend compassion.

believing Jesus’ suffering 59

march 17

The number of gifts, capabilities and capacity of those around us is incredible.

We are multi-talented, sharp, competent and hard-working. We are incredibly capable, which makes it difficult to recognize our need. If we can help ourselves, we will do it ourselves. If we can save ourselves, then we will do so.

Yet, the Christian faith relies on the fact that we cannot save ourselves, that there is nothing we can do to give ourselves eternal life. The only person who can and does save us is Jesus.

And even Jesus, given the opportunity to save himself physically, set aside this right. He set it aside because this was his Father’s will. He set it aside

because there was a greater purpose to his suffering than to save himself. His ability to save would not come through his power, but through suffering. So often we depend on our strengths, abilities and gifts. We rely on being able to give ourselves all we need and yet even Jesus shows us what dependence looks like, to the point of death. When we choose suffering and weakness, God’s power rises and breaks through, saving us from death and giving us life.

So often we believe our power to save is through strength, but Jesus shows us here that it actually comes from suffering and weakness. Oh that we would believe this!

How has God shown his power through your suffering and weakness? When have you bulldozed through with your own power rather than relying on God’s power?

Spend time in prayer today and consider in what areas of your life God is calling you to put down your power and trust his.

60 week six | luke 23:1–46

march 18

Just as there are times of chosen surrender, there are times of demanded surrender. We have no choice in the matter, we have to surrender. For a woman to bear a child, she has to surrender her body to the growth of that child. For a person to fight cancer, he or she has to surrender to the effects of medicine on the body. For peace to settle and take residence in one’s soul, one has to surrender one's life to Jesus.

and direct us to remember of a world and a God bigger than ourselves.

Sometimes we fight these demanded surrenders and other times we go with them. Demanded surrenders will often take us to places we do not want to go and would not have chosen for ourselves. In these places, there is the opportunity for our hearts and minds to be transformed in ways they could not have been before.

These demanded surrenders take away any notion that we have power or control

When have you experienced a demanded surrender? Did you fight or submit?

How have you seen transformation in your life as a result of surrender? What are you being asked to surrender at this time? Ask God to help you surrender and to meet you in that place of surrender.

believing Jesus’ suffering 61

march 19

We are willing to deny ourselves for those we love, but it is a bit more of a struggle when it comes to those who we do not believe deserve it. Without realizing it, we calculate for whom we will serve and sacrifice. We sacrifice more for someone from whom we stand to gain something than we do for someone who has nothing to offer us. We sacrifice with personal return in mind rather than simply sacrificing and letting God take care of any gift that we might receive back.

Everything in us needs transformation; even our acts of self-denial and sacrifice need the touch of God’s transforming grace and truth. We need minds that are not concerned with what we will gain from our sacrifice and hearts that are not motivated to fulfill our own needs.

We need the transforming work of the Holy Spirit to shape, mold, lead and guide us as we serve God in the world.

Have there been times when you have sacrificed in order to gain something personally? Did your sacrifice make you look good or help you to gain a better standing in the community? Have you sacrificed in order to fulfill a personal need or insecurity about being wanted/needed? Our motives might be mixed in every case, yet we have a God who takes us with our mixed motives and shapes us to serve with a pure mind and heart.

62 week six | luke 23:1–46

notes believing Jesus’ suffering 63

64

W E E K S EV E N | MA R CH 20–26 luke 23:47–56

Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.

And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.

On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

65

march 20

Hopes and dreams fill our minds and hearts. We hope for a relationship.

We dream of a family. We imagine being freed from a situation. We long for comfort and ease. To hope and to dream is part of what makes us human.

We have longings and desires, whether healthy or not, whether aligned with God’s desires or not. In this life we all experience the death of certain hopes and dreams. Not all of them come true.

As the women at the cross watched Jesus die, their hopes and dreams died with him. Their longing for salvation and

freedom was cut short on the cross.

These women sat, waited and watched until Jesus took his last breath.

What do we do when our dreams do not come true, when our hopes die? How do we respond? Do we run from the pain, fill up our time with insignificant to-dos, trying to avoid the reality of loss? What do we do with the anger that rises within us, the disappointment, the sadness? Or like the women, do we choose to watch and grieve?

As you read over the Scripture for this week, try to imagine what it would have been like for the women who stayed with Jesus to watch their hopes and dreams die. What hopes, dreams and desires have died this past year for you? How have you responded? Have you watched another person’s dreams and desires die?

How could you walk alongside that person as he or she grieves that loss?

66 week seven | luke 23:47–56

Yet we see silence in Scripture, in the lives of individuals and of entire groups of people. The entire period from the end of the Old Testament to the New Testament is a period of silence from God of more than 400 years. Just because there was silence though, does not mean that nothing was happening. In fact, sometimes it is in the silence that some of the greatest movement and work happens.

Redemption can call for silence, such as the silence of the tomb and the quietness of God. The mystery of redemption requires that we sometimes be left in the dark. God’s work in the world remains a mystery and in this mystery, and in this silence, we wait for God.

march 21

We are a loud, active and noisy culture. Silence is not the norm, nor is it welcome. Lack of movement, lack of noise and inaction are foreign to us. Silence seems unproductive and unnecessary. Who needs silence?

Holy Saturday is a day of silence that captures the redemptive work of Christ. It was on this Sabbath day that the women rested as commanded in Scripture. The day in between the death and resurrection of Jesus was a day of unknown, of silence, and of rest.

And in this silence and rest, God was preparing for the greatest miracle the world would ever know.

Have you experienced times of God’s silence? Was this frustrating or were you content with this silence? Are you comfortable with God remaining mysterious or do you try to figure him out, believing you should have an answer? What would it look like to rest when God is quiet? Look for a place to be in silence today and even for the rest of this week. This could be a cozy spot in your house, your favorite park or even sitting in your car. Be intentional about using some of your time to rest in silence with God.

believing God in the silence 67

march 22

When Jesus died, things became uncertain in the lives of Jesus’ disciples.

They did not know what to do when their hope disappeared, so they ran away. We can only speculate about what we would do in the same situation.

We do not truly know what they were thinking or feeling. What would they do now? Would they return to their previous work? Would they wait for something else to happen? Jesus had told them he would rise again on the third day, yet would he? And what did that even mean? It was challenging enough believing Jesus in his presence and now it was even more challenging in his absence.

There are times when God seems so alive and active. We can clearly see him at work, not just in our own lives, but in the lives of others. There are other times when we wonder where he has gone. We cannot see his movement, we cannot feel his presence and we wonder if he is near.

And at the same time, the promises in Scripture are that God is always with us and never absent. In these times, we are barely holding onto our faith. This is when the gift of the community of faith can come around us, encourage us and help us to walk by faith and not by sight.

Ask God to show you if there is anyone around you who could use your encouragement. Is there someone who needs a friend to walk with them, to encourage them and to be someone who is there and who does believe God? Are you someone who needs this help? Have you struggled to believe God in the darkness? Who around you has offered to help? How can you receive the encouragement and help of the community in this time?

68 week seven | luke 23:47–56

march 23

In the short hours between Jesus’ death and the beginning of the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea asks for Jesus’ messy, bloody and still warm body. As the day of rest approaches, Joseph sets Jesus’ body to rest with honor in his own tomb. There is no mention of the disciples being there.

The women in the story go home and begin preparing spices to care for Jesus’ body. They are planning to go back to Jesus and face the cold reality and stiffness of death.

The disciples chose to run from the realities and pains of their world, while the women and Joseph chose to engage

them. Each person in this story had his or her hopes and dreams dashed, yet responded in different ways.

We are no different as we face the pains, struggles and realities of our worlds. Often we want to run and pretend that everything is okay. Other times we find the courage to face the realities. The promise of Scripture is that God is with us and walks with us. As Christians, we have been given the Holy Spirit who works in and through us, who is our Counselor, our Help and our Comforter. God has not left us alone.

Are there times when you have run from difficult circumstances? Why? What would it look like to run towards these difficulties? How do these people from Scripture encourage you to engage Jesus, even if it’s messy? What encouragement does it give you to be reminded that the Holy Spirit is in you and with you as you face pain and difficulty?

believing God God in in the the silence silence 69 69

march 24 | maundy thursday

In the middle of disorder, we long for order. In the middle of pain, we long for relief. We move into action, finding ways to numb the pain; we take our minds off the anxiety by tackling to-do lists, cleaning, organizing and pursuing goals. Before the women returned to where Jesus was laid, they rested in obedience to the commandment of the Sabbath.

They rested. These women’s world had been turned upside down and yet they rested.

Resting in the middle of pain, confusion and the unknown is not common. Typically our responses include hyper-activity, wanting to take care or fix things we believe we have

control over, paralysis and even totally shutting down. Resting is not a natural response; it involves trust in God, because you have to rely on and in him to do his work. It is neither overworking, nor apathy; it is trust and resting in the promises of a faithful God. This can be so hard!

When our world is disordered, we long for order to be restored. Sometimes it is in our hands to re-order and sometimes it is not. Sometimes we are supposed to help “fix it” and sometimes we are not. God may call us to stop and rest, rather than to re-order, organize or fix something. These are opportunities to stop, trust and rest, allowing him to do a deeper work in us.

What is your temptation when your world is disordered? What do you do when you are faced with pain or chaos in your life or the life of another? Do you jump in to fix things knowing that God is calling you to rest? If so, ask God to help you to be still, to trust him and to rest.

Or do you shut down and let apathy take over–afraid to face reality? May you have the courage to face and enter your circumstances while trusting that God is with and for you. Lean on him and his strength.

70 week seven | luke 23:47–56

We wonder: if God is capable of resurrecting anything and everything, then why doesn’t he? Why does he let these Holy Saturdays linger? Why

prolong the pain and suffering in the world? He welcomes these honest questions, hearing our hearts and our concerns. He also meets us with his Scriptures that call us to trust him even when we do not understand him.

When we have a hard time trusting and believing, he is there to help. He invites us to cry out for help even in our unbelief of his goodness and sovereignty.

march 25 | good friday

Over 2,000 years ago, Holy Saturday only lasted one day, for which we are all grateful. Yet many of us are living in a Holy Saturday that has lasted much longer than a day. When God chooses not to resurrect or fully heal something in our lives, we live with the pain and weight of a very long Holy Saturday. In truth, we all live in an extended Holy Saturday between Jesus’ first and second coming. We are waiting for the completed resurrection and redemption that will only come when Jesus returns and makes all things new. Do you ever wonder what is taking him so long?

These Holy Saturdays are not easy; however, we are not left alone in them.

The Holy Spirit is a comfort, Jesus is our hope and peace, and the Father is good and true. We have the ultimate promise that one day, these Holy Saturdays will end and just as Jesus rose from the dead, all things will be made new!

Is there something you are waiting for that needs to be made new? Something or someone you are waiting to have healed? As you wait, what truths will you rest in today? How will you allow the Holy Spirit to comfort you as you anticipate that all things will be made new?

believing God in the silence

71

march 26 | holy saturday

Holy Saturday is the day of waiting, of unknowns, of grieving, of resting, of repeating the death scene in our minds and hearts. It is the day of uncertainty, questions and fuzzy hope. It is a day of blindness to the future and possibility.

It is a day of shock, pain, confusion and great weight. A day of chaos.

Our Holy Saturdays are often more than a day and they come in limitless forms.

They can come in the form or a job loss or loss of a child, in the burden of physical disability or mental struggles, in the weight of sadness and sorrow.

Sometimes these Holy Saturdays end here on Earth as a new job is found,

medicine helps heal, the sorrow is lifted and joy permeates. Other Holy Saturdays do not end on Earth as the loss of a loved one cannot be fully mended this side of heaven. Chronic mental or physical illness resides with you until your full healing comes when Jesus makes all things new. There are many other examples, and the fact is that Holy Saturday can look different and last for different lengths of time for each person, each family and even each community.

In the midst of such times, may we be people who extend hope and grace to others.

What Holy Saturdays have you experienced or are you experiencing? How can you wait in hope even though you are hurting? How can you wait with another and hope on that person’s behalf when he or she is experiencing a Holy Saturday?

May God open our eyes to see and hear those who need us to love and care for them as they hold onto hope for life and healing to come.

72 week seven | luke 23:47–56

notes believing God in the silence 73

march 27 | easter sunday

SUNDAY, MARCH 27 luke 24:1–12

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

76 week eight | luke 24:1–12

and also a hope for the future when all things will be resurrected and made new.

march 27 | easter sunday

Is this too good to be true? The hopes and dreams of the women, the disciples and our own were brought back to life this day! Despite all their struggles, their dashed hopes, the messiness of death and the sorrow of the unknown, the women and disciples now rejoiced! We also rejoice with them as the resurrection of Jesus brings us everlasting life! The resurrection of Jesus is a reminder of hope realized

Just as the women and disciples believed the unbelievable that day, we also believe this: The death and resurrection of Jesus secures our conviction that one day all of our hopes and dreams, our heartaches and pains will be healed as all things are made new. One day our faith will be sight!

He is Risen!

Spend time celebrating the life of Christ today and the life you have in him!

Spend time praying for those who do not yet have new life in Christ and pray that they soon will!

believing the unbelievable 77

notes 78 week eight | luke 24:1–12

notes believing the unbelievable 79