Lent: Thursday, March 29, 2007

Old Testament Lesson

Jeremiah 26:1-16

We see Jeremiah take one of the biggest risks anyone can take, be they a prophet, a preacher, a teacher, a lawyer, a janitor, a trucker driver or any profession. He takes a stand against his culture. He stands before them and says that unless they repent, they will face the Lord's judgment. Its hard to the only one crying for righteous. Its hard to be the only one willing to make a stand. Sometimes we feel alone, don't we?

Two things. If the Lord has called us to that stand, then it will work out. We will be alright. We will have the courage and the gumption to stand in the temple and proclaim His truth via our words and lives, if He has called. Second, we are not alone. We are never God's last hope. We are never the last ones that care for His will. Sometimes we can feel like the entire world has turned its back on God, but that is not true. We may not see what all He is doing, but He is working and moving in ways that we cannot understand. If we have been called to be Jeremiah, be faithful, and don't lose hope!

New Testament Lesson

Romans 11:1-12

We see Paul quote the actual story I was thinking about in the Old Testament passage today. Elijah thinks he is the only one left, but God tells him that He has 7000 He has reserved for Himself. This is a group chosen by His grace. That is something we must remember is that in the end, it comes down to His grace and to His mercy, for none of us are worthy of anything. We are saved, not by works, lest no one can boast, but by grace.

Never forget grace. Never think more of yourself than you ought. It is by grace only grace that we stand before God, and it is by grace, only grace, that we can know Him as a our Lord.

Gospel Lesson

John 10:19-42

They asked Jesus to say plainly to them He was the Messiah. He says, my works speak for themselves, but unless you believe, you will not see. Faith comes before sight. We must believe in the works of God before we can see the works of God. Faith come before sight, and faith gives sight. Before faith, you do not see the works of God as plainly, but after faith, you see the works of God everywhere.

That is why the Word says that we walk by faith not by sight. Not because we are not to see where we are going, but we are to walk with the better sight. For the sight of faith is much better, more trustworthy, more reliable than the sight of our eyes. The sight of our eyes only see what is there, the sight of faith sees what can, what God is doing, and what God is going to do.

To walk by faith, not by sight, is not dangerous, in fact it is the safest thing we can. For, when we do that, we walk close to God. And there is not better place to be than walking close to God.