The rules for our children changed very little as they were growing up. Clean your room. Pick up after yourself. If you open it, close it. (That one confuses me to this day. Who leaves all the dresser drawers open? Why is this even a needed rule?) Feeding the pets was a chore that required constant reminding. Admittedly, sometimes it was easier to do things myself than to inflict my expectations on others.
When I take the time to reflect on their upbringing, I realize that setting guidelines and expectations for my children is an act of love. I want the best for our son and daughters. I want my children to make good decisions, do the right things, be self-disciplined, and follow through on commitments. I love each of them enough to insist they take responsibility for their actions and behaviors. How will they learn and grow into capable and dependable adults if I never identify my desires, my will for them? If I don’t tell them what I am thinking or what pleases me, how can they make those good decisions? When I don’t offer instruction and loving encouragement, I cannot expect productive results.
The questions don’t apply only to my children. What does God expect of me? I often wonder if I’m doing the right things, going to the right places, talking to the right people, and I find myself questioning whether I am following God’s will or just my interpretation of God’s will. I want to be faithful, of course, but how do I know for sure what God is expecting?
On this Ash Wednesday, our scripture speaks to my questions. A common theme often runs through our daily texts, but today they are tightly bound together in an unmistakable way:
What does God expect of me? God expects me to look to God with expectation! As a loved child of God, the only “rule” is that I give my heart fully to Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to work within me.
What a blessing I have to be able to turn to scripture for the instruction, the loving encouragement, and the setting of guidelines so that I may make good decisions and offer productive results. During this season of Lent, may my reflections, my searching, and my efforts to return to God be pleasing in God’s sight. I thank God that you, my friends, will journey with me.
Keeping you in prayer,
Pastor Beth
PRAYER FROM PSALM 51
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Create in me a clean heart, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Help me to remember that the sacrifice acceptable to you is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Amen.
KEY VERSES FROM TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READINGS
Joel 2:12-13 – Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.
Isaiah 58:9-11 – Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.
Psalm 51:1, 10-13, 17 – Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
2 Corinthians 5:20b – We entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Matthew 6:21 – For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
For today’s full scripture readings, click here… https://www.divinestreet.org/lent-scripture.html
When I take the time to reflect on their upbringing, I realize that setting guidelines and expectations for my children is an act of love. I want the best for our son and daughters. I want my children to make good decisions, do the right things, be self-disciplined, and follow through on commitments. I love each of them enough to insist they take responsibility for their actions and behaviors. How will they learn and grow into capable and dependable adults if I never identify my desires, my will for them? If I don’t tell them what I am thinking or what pleases me, how can they make those good decisions? When I don’t offer instruction and loving encouragement, I cannot expect productive results.
The questions don’t apply only to my children. What does God expect of me? I often wonder if I’m doing the right things, going to the right places, talking to the right people, and I find myself questioning whether I am following God’s will or just my interpretation of God’s will. I want to be faithful, of course, but how do I know for sure what God is expecting?
On this Ash Wednesday, our scripture speaks to my questions. A common theme often runs through our daily texts, but today they are tightly bound together in an unmistakable way:
- Return to me with all your heart. (Joel)
- Rend your hearts and not your clothing. (Isaiah)
- Be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians)
- Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew)
What does God expect of me? God expects me to look to God with expectation! As a loved child of God, the only “rule” is that I give my heart fully to Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to work within me.
What a blessing I have to be able to turn to scripture for the instruction, the loving encouragement, and the setting of guidelines so that I may make good decisions and offer productive results. During this season of Lent, may my reflections, my searching, and my efforts to return to God be pleasing in God’s sight. I thank God that you, my friends, will journey with me.
Keeping you in prayer,
Pastor Beth
PRAYER FROM PSALM 51
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Create in me a clean heart, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Help me to remember that the sacrifice acceptable to you is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Amen.
KEY VERSES FROM TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READINGS
Joel 2:12-13 – Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.
Isaiah 58:9-11 – Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.
Psalm 51:1, 10-13, 17 – Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
2 Corinthians 5:20b – We entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Matthew 6:21 – For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
For today’s full scripture readings, click here… https://www.divinestreet.org/lent-scripture.html