View the post for February 14 for an explanation of my Lenten Project As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. This single daffodil stands alone as a herald of spring. It is alone under the protection of the tree but nearby a whole host of daffodils raise their heads. There will still be cold snaps to come, for this is East Tennessee after all, and another month before most of the other wildflowers break through the ground. As I look at this daffodil I am reminded of the day when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, the day we call Palm Sunday. There was great joy in the crowd with people shouting his praises. I wonder what we would have seen if we could have seen Jesus’s eyes that day. He knew what was coming. He knew that these crowds would soon call out Crucify Him! So in one way he was alone in a great crowd of people but in another way he knew that he was doing the task the Father has given him. He knew that he would step out alone to bear the world’s sin. He also knew the true joy that was coming of a new heaven and new earth. He knew we would never have to be alone again.
Prayer Suffering Savior Thank you for standing alone, dying alone on the cross so that we can stand in your presence filled with joy at your unfailing love. Amen
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At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Our first road trip after we retired was to Glacier National Park in Montana. It was an exciting trip with many unexpected changes in plans. I remember this one day on our way back home we had to change our plans yet again due to a predicted snow storm. As we stopped along the roadside to check our maps again on this dark and stormy day, I took this picture. I still remember feeling a tinge of fear that we were lost on this lonely two lane road in a place we had never been with only storm clouds ahead.
Have you ever felt this fear of being lost? Mary was lost when she looked at Jesus that morning. She had lost everything that she believed in, her Jesus, the man who had found her once before, had died. Lost. She was weeping now at His feet not knowing at first who He was. Then He said her name, "Mary." She saw him. She was found, again. Have you been found? This Easter season I have found these words by Michael Card in his song about Mary’s encounter with Jesus in the garden playing over and over again in my head. I leave them with you now for they tell this story in a beautiful and haunting way. I pray that you will let Jesus find you, for he will always search for you. All That Was Lost by Michael Card Why are you crying? Who are you looking for? This is a graveyard Were you expecting more? You feel abandoned Like every hope has died The death of all your dreams This is the price of life He will claim His lost possession Repossess you pay the cost He will purchase you for freedom He will find all that was lost There stands the Stranger There on the flowering slope The Servant waits for you In a garden of new hope He will claim His lost possession Repossess you pay the cost He will purchase you for freedom He will find all that was lost Do you perceive now? And have your eyes been cleared? Have they been opened? Have they been washed by tears? So run and tell all Those who have longed to hear The wait is over The Risen Savior's here Prayer Lord Jesus, Thank you for finding me, for calling my name. The wait is over. Now I must tell others Amen And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. A baby - Jesus came as a baby to a first time mother - the creator of the world as a tiny baby. Jesus, fully human and fully God, Savior of the world. Sit in awe and wonder. Merry Christmas.
Prayer Lord Jesus We bow and worship you this day as the shepherds did when you were born. Amen When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” It wasn’t a rare flower or some spectacular find that people made a special trip to see. It didn’t have a fancy name plate like all the other flowers in the garden. It was only a common daisy, a humble daisy, yet it was beautiful. Our expectations can sometimes blind us to what we need to see.
John the Baptist had spent his life proclaiming a Messiah and now he is in prison. It wasn’t what he was expecting. I imagine that when he sent his disciples to ask if Jesus really was the Messiah there must have been desperation in his voice. Jesus words were not a resounding “Yes” - not what I would have expected had I been in John’s place. Instead they were calm and reassuring words for one who understood the prophecies of Messiah. Jesus was doing all the things that the Messiah was going to do, heal the sick and proclaim good news to the poor. He wasn’t the military king that everyone expected. He was humble and in his humility changed everything and gave us a hope. Jesus is Messiah. Prayer Jesus Christ Teach us your humility. Show us where we can bring healing and proclaim the good news in our world today. Amen Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. If you listen to landscape photographers long enough you will eventually hear them say something like this, “I was looking for a composition.” What I have learned about making a beautiful photo is that is how the image is located or composed inside the viewfinder of the camera that makes an image that communicates. You go to a beautiful place and there is so much to see. You have to decide what you want to communicate and what needs to go into the frame. It takes time and effort. It is easy to get discouraged. On a recent trip to New England I had visited lots of waterfalls and taken lots of images and had just about given up on ever finding a good composition. Finally I got this image, the light was right, the vantage point was right, I remembered what I needed to do to the camera to get the settings to capture the photo.
Following Christ is like this. You have to work out your salvation. It takes time and effort. There are days when you feel so far away from following him, but he is always there. He will show you how you need to compose your life to communicate what he means to you and to share his love with those you meet. Prayer Great Composer God Give us your vision for today. Give us insight as we continue to work out our salvation. Work in us to compose your purpose. Amen No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. On a recent trip to the Shenandoah National Park we were on a ranger guided tour of the Big Meadow. While the ranger was telling us about all the plants in the meadow I looked over on the hill and there was this tree. It was beautiful against the blue sky and white, fluffy clouds. We continued the tour but I just couldn’t quit looking at the tree. It was drawing me to it. As soon as the ranger led tour was over I headed up the hill to the tree. I just stood there grateful to get to see this piece of God’s beauty.
Jesus is like this. He draws us to him; to his beauty; to his great love for us. The more we look at him the more we want to walk with him. The more we walk with him the more we experience his love and the more we are drawn to him, to the wide open spaces of his love. Prayer Lord Jesus Draw us closer to you each day. As we walk closer to you make our lives reflect your love and draw others to you. Amen Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ Since we retired my husband and I have taken two long road trips. Before we left we made sure that we had the maps that we needed, both print and digital, to keep from getting lost. There were a few times when we were a little unsure about which way to go and those maps came in handy. It is a scary thing to be lost on a scenic highway far away from any town and few cars. We will all travel down dark, difficult, scary roads at some time during our lives where it can be easy to get lost. God’s word is a map and resource to keep us on the road, but we have way more than that. We have a Savior who looks for us.
Prayer Great Shepherd Bring us back when we wander away from you and get lost. Thank you for seeking and finding us. Amen |
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Soli Deo Gloria,
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan