My church family often hears me say: God is constantly reconciling God’s people back to God.
We make mistakes; God forgives. We fall apart; God restores. We deserve anger; God offers grace. We walk away; God calls us back. God is constantly reconciling God’s people back to God.
Lately I find myself craving the reconciliation. I’m falling into all the categories. Mistakes? I made a mistake this morning and left someone out of something really important. My heart hurts that I did that. Fall apart? I cried yesterday because my church family is frustrated and angry with our current situation. Deserve anger? With all this staying inside with only family, I’ve had a few grumpy moments at the house. Walk away from God? It’s really easy to get caught up in working and miss a devotion here or a prayer there.
Thanks be to God who offers forgiveness, restoration, grace and calling. Praise be to God because God is the only one who can offer such.
I love the promises of Psalm 130. With the Lord is unfailing love and full redemption, and there is really nothing I can do to speed up the process. I simply have to wait for it. "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning." (Psalm 130:5-6 NRSV). Whether the psalmist means priests who wait for daylight to offer sacrifices or (more likely) guards waiting for the darkness of night to pass, the objective is patience and waiting in hope.
Things are never as bad in the light as they seemed in the dark. I tell my children not to make heavy decisions after the sun goes down. Why? Because waiting in hope for the light always creates a more favorable ambiance. And with that hope, the promises of God come to life; with Jesus is great power to redeem! God is constantly reconciling God’s people back to God!
As we continue through Lent, journeying ever closer to the cross, and anticipating the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah, my hope and the reconciliation of my life is in the Light of the World.
Waiting,
Pastor Beth
We make mistakes; God forgives. We fall apart; God restores. We deserve anger; God offers grace. We walk away; God calls us back. God is constantly reconciling God’s people back to God.
Lately I find myself craving the reconciliation. I’m falling into all the categories. Mistakes? I made a mistake this morning and left someone out of something really important. My heart hurts that I did that. Fall apart? I cried yesterday because my church family is frustrated and angry with our current situation. Deserve anger? With all this staying inside with only family, I’ve had a few grumpy moments at the house. Walk away from God? It’s really easy to get caught up in working and miss a devotion here or a prayer there.
Thanks be to God who offers forgiveness, restoration, grace and calling. Praise be to God because God is the only one who can offer such.
I love the promises of Psalm 130. With the Lord is unfailing love and full redemption, and there is really nothing I can do to speed up the process. I simply have to wait for it. "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning." (Psalm 130:5-6 NRSV). Whether the psalmist means priests who wait for daylight to offer sacrifices or (more likely) guards waiting for the darkness of night to pass, the objective is patience and waiting in hope.
Things are never as bad in the light as they seemed in the dark. I tell my children not to make heavy decisions after the sun goes down. Why? Because waiting in hope for the light always creates a more favorable ambiance. And with that hope, the promises of God come to life; with Jesus is great power to redeem! God is constantly reconciling God’s people back to God!
As we continue through Lent, journeying ever closer to the cross, and anticipating the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah, my hope and the reconciliation of my life is in the Light of the World.
Waiting,
Pastor Beth