Lent 2024 | Day 37
By Janet Nygren
Day 37 (Wednesday, Mar 27)
As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly, to re-center my scattered senses upon the presence of God.1
Pause and pray.
“Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’
But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.”
(Psalm 3:1-3)
Think about it.
These are words of David, but they could easily be Jesus’ words on his journey to the cross. Holy Week is Jesus’ steepest Suffering J-curve. Everyone abandoned him, even his closest followers. But it’s important to understand the resurrection side of the J-curve as well. Paul Miller says, “Resurrection isn’t something we do–the Father does it through the Spirit…We do the dying. God does the resurrecting.”2 We do not seek glory, but God lifts us up when we humble ourselves to his purposes.
Consider.
It’s easy to be impatient for resurrection. Sometimes we even try to make it happen ourselves, jumping in ahead of the Spirit. Paul Miller cautions us to wait and let the story unfold. “[God’s] resurrections are always better than mine. We wait for his wonders.”3 Can you think of times you are tempted to jump towards a resurrection moment yourself rather than waiting out the dying God calls you to?
Pause and pray.
Jesus, help me humble myself and trust in your glory, not my own.
“‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ [Jesus] said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch.’ Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. ‘Abba, Father,’ he said, ‘everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’” (Mark 14:34-36)
Notes
Day 37 (Wednesday, Mar 27)
As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly, to re-center my scattered senses upon the presence of God.1
Pause and pray.
“Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’
But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.”
(Psalm 3:1-3)
Think about it.
These are words of David, but they could easily be Jesus’ words on his journey to the cross. Holy Week is Jesus’ steepest Suffering J-curve. Everyone abandoned him, even his closest followers. But it’s important to understand the resurrection side of the J-curve as well. Paul Miller says, “Resurrection isn’t something we do–the Father does it through the Spirit…We do the dying. God does the resurrecting.”2 We do not seek glory, but God lifts us up when we humble ourselves to his purposes.
Consider.
It’s easy to be impatient for resurrection. Sometimes we even try to make it happen ourselves, jumping in ahead of the Spirit. Paul Miller cautions us to wait and let the story unfold. “[God’s] resurrections are always better than mine. We wait for his wonders.”3 Can you think of times you are tempted to jump towards a resurrection moment yourself rather than waiting out the dying God calls you to?
Pause and pray.
Jesus, help me humble myself and trust in your glory, not my own.
“‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ [Jesus] said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch.’ Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. ‘Abba, Father,’ he said, ‘everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’” (Mark 14:34-36)
Notes
- Prayer used daily in Lectio365 found at https://www.24-7prayer.com/resource/lectio-365/
- Paul E. Miller, J-Curve (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019), 180.
- Miller, 181.
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{Re:} "Even now, Return"{RE:} "Return from your evil deeds"{RE:} "Has no one else returned?"{RE:} Return to Dust{RE:} "How Do We Return?"{RE:} There's One Thing I Remember{RE:} Remember the Wonderful Works{RE:} Remember for Generations{RE:} Every Time I Remember You{RE:} Always Ready to Remind{RE:} Renewed Minds{RE:} Renewed Hearts{RE:} Renewed Strength{RE:} Renewed Fire{RE:} Renewed Daily{RE:} Repent and Believe!{RE:} Repent and Recreate{RE:} Repent and Run!{RE:} Repent and Bear Fruit{RE:} Repent & Be Refreshed!
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Resurrection is in the hands of the Father! That is something I must dwell upon. My flesh yearns for what I believe is a resurrection moment. God has plans that I know not of. Daily dying to self-walking with the Shepherd through valleys of shadows-even though I yearn for green pastures and still waters-leads to the table spread before me. Communion this morning as we continue our journey through Holy Week!
It is very painful to think that we are supposed to do the dying, but I still agree with this, because there is no greater way to humility and the promise of Resurrection is amazing. I just had one thought from the other day that I had read in my devotional: the question was will you hear the rooster crow? In other words, do we ever deny Christ and then hear the rooster? Something to ponder. One of the comments was that Peter wasn’t even thinking about his denial until he heard the rooster crow. Let us think about it before we get to that point.