Devotions
Devotions in Preparation for Sunday, March 8th
Read Exodus 17:1-7. For most of us, getting a drink of water is as easy as turning on the faucet. Few of us have known the type of scarcity where dying of thirst is a real concern. This was not the case for the Israelites journeying in the wilderness. We can’t blame them for being angry at Moses for bringing them out of Egypt only for them to die of dehydration, but we can imagine their relief at the first, cool taste of water on their lips. This story is a reminder that God cares about our real, physical needs, sometimes bringing something out of what seems like nothing. And even though we may not know true, physical thirst, most of us have had times of spiritual drought. Many of us have felt alone or desperate or wondered about God’s motives. Think back on a wilderness time in your life. Can you point to an experience, conversation, or event that helped to break the drought? What felt like a cool, refreshing drink of water for your soul? In prayer, give thanks for all the ways God quenches our spiritual thirst.
Read Psalm 95. In this call to praise, God’s people are encouraged not to harden their hearts as they had during their time in the wilderness, when their thirst led to fear and anxiety. It seems to me that fear and anxiety naturally lend themselves to hardened hearts. When we are afraid, we erect protective walls, attempting to keep out any threats. Building walls may make us impervious to emotional or spiritual harm, but they may also prevent love, joy, and beauty from affecting us. What practices help you to soften your heart towards new people and new experiences? How does praising God and participating in worship make you more tender and open to the people and opportunities God places before you? Today, offer a prayer of praise and ask God to keep your heart soft.
Read Romans 5:1-11. According to Paul, because we have been justified by faith through the grace of Jesus, we are on a hopeful path towards eternal salvation. Still, there is life to live between our present justification and our future salvation. We can live peaceably despite any hardships that come our way because we are anchored in the steadfast love of God. We can look for the gifts of endurance, character, and hope that come from suffering, even while wishing the suffering away. We can find comfort in knowing we are not alone on the journey. Can you think of a time in your life or in the life of another when difficulty led to growth? To what degree do you agree with the statement, “No pain, no gain”? How does the assurance of reconciliation with God in the present and the promise of eternal salvation affect the way you live today? In prayer, lift any difficulties you are experiencing today and ask for the vision to see how God might be working through this situation to bring a measure of good.
Read John 4:5-42. We must be careful not to make this story into one about a sinful woman who was changed by Jesus. We don’t know the circumstances surrounding her marriages, but we do know that women in that time and place did not have the right to make their own choices in life. Maybe she was widowed or maybe she was unable to bear children, leading the husband(s) to divorce her. Regardless, no ordinary Jewish man would acknowledge or interact with a woman he didn’t know, and a Samaritan woman at that! Of course, Jesus was not an ordinary Jewish man, and it is to this Samaritan woman alone in the gospel of John that he reveals his true identity. This is the first “I am” statement of Jesus. “I am he [the Messiah]…the one speaking to you.” It was that acknowledgement, that interaction, and that self-revelation of Jesus that changed her, that gave her the confidence to boldly share the good news with her community. This story reminds us that Jesus goes out of his way to bring in those the community would push away. It reminds us of the importance of noticing, acknowledging, and interacting with those who are not normally in our orbit. Imagine the good news that might spread to and through such an interaction! Who are the people you ignore? Who are the people you go out of your way to avoid? Can you think of a time when you interacted with someone you normally wouldn’t have? What was the outcome of that interaction? Could Jesus have been at work in that situation? In prayer, ask for the courage and the compassion to reach out to someone you might otherwise avoid.