Day 14 of Lent – Thursday

Yesterday I shared a devotion about patience.  One of our Lent partners emailed me a link to an upbeat song that helps to put things in perspective.  It’s been on the radio a lot in the past few weeks – This is the Stuff by Francesca Battistelli.  I hope it brightens your day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVnAyD96G3A

Daily Scriptures:

Jeremiah 17:5-10

5 This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. 6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. 7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”

Psalm 1:1-4, 6

1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Luke 16:19-31 – The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 ” ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”  

Lenten Prayers:

God of love,
lead our hearts fully back to you.
May the Holy Spirit make us strong in faith.
May we be blessed as we increase our trust in you.
May we receive our confidence from you.

Jesus then said, “I am the one who raises the dead to life!
Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die.
And everyone who lives because of faith in me will never really die.
Do you believe this?”
John 11

Intercessions:

God has revealed Himself in Christ.
Let us praise His goodness, and ask Him from our hearts:
  Remember us, Lord, for we are your children.

Teach us to enter more deeply into your presence,
 – that we may be able to hear your quiet whispers.
Inspire us to share the Gospel message,
 – seeking to spread your kingdom in all we do.
May our hearts thirst for Christ,
 – the fountain of living water.
Forgive us our sins,
 – and direct our steps into the ways of justice and sincerity.

Closing Prayer:

Loving God,
I hear your invitation, “Come back to me”
and I am filled with such a longing to return fully to you.
Show me the way to your heart.
Lead me this day in all that I do
and may the Holy Spirit guide me and strengthen my faith.
I ask to feel your depth of your love in my life today.

Amen.