Twenty-Third Day of Lent (Monday, 11 March 2024)

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This week we focus on the Lenten theme of humility.

Words of Reflection

Just before Jesus and his disciples arrive in Jerusalem, there is an interesting exchange that takes place. Matthew and Mark record it somewhat differently, but the essence is still the same:

“Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we want you to do for us whatever we ask.’

‘What do you want me to do for you?’ he asked.

They replied, ‘Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.’

‘You don’t know what you are asking,’ Jesus said. ‘Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?’

‘We can,’ they answered.

Jesus said to them, ‘You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.’”—Mark 10:35-40 (NIV)

James and John, along with Peter, are often seen as Jesus’ “inner circle” in the community of disciples. They have been with him since the very beginning, and they alone are with him at very significant events in his ministry, most notably the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-3). And now, as the ministry of Jesus reaches its climactic point, they (and their mother, in Matthew’s account) make a request to be given seats of honor in the Kingdom that is surely at hand.

Why do they ask this? Are they attempting to cement their place ahead of the other disciples (especially Peter)? Did they understand that Jesus would be leaving, and wanted to make sure they would be the ones in charge when he was gone? Or is it just plain vanity?

Whatever their thinking, it is clear they are seeking a position that will garner them attention and influence. But Jesus reminds them that in the Kingdom, the place of honor is not always associated with power and acclaim. In fact, it is associated with a “cup” and a “baptism” that are yet to be understood in all of their weight and responsibility. And most of all, the places of honor are not in his power to give. They are for those that God alone chooses.

We live in a world that echoes James and John every day, even in the church. We all, at times, scramble for places of honor and notability. We want to be noticed. But the path of Lent, the way of the cross, is not a journey into getting noticed and lifted up. It is a humbling journey where we focus on the one who was lifted up on our behalf, not to a place of honor but to a place of humiliation and disgrace (Gal. 3:13). He humbled himself for our salvation, and in response we, too, are called to humble ourselves.

The litany of humility, written by a Catholic cardinal in the 1800s, is a wonderful resource for all followers of Jesus who would seek to embrace his way of radical humility. It counters our own desire, like James and John, to be noticed. It challenges us to lay aside our own desires and fears and take up the cross of Christ. It is a worthwhile prayer at any time of year, but takes on a new dimension as we meditate on it during this season of Lent. As we approach Jerusalem, these are the requests we are invited to make of Jesus.

Deliver us, oh deliver us Jesus.

Scripture for Meditation:

When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host, and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
—Luke 14:7-11 (NRSV)

Song: Litany of Humility

From my desire to be loved
From my desire to be extolled
From my desire to be honored
From my desire to be praised
From my desire to be preferred to
From my desire to be consulted
From my desire to be approved
Deliver me Jesus

O Jesus meek and humble hearted
Hear my prayer hear my prayer
O Jesus meek and humble hearted
Hear my prayer hear my prayer

And from the fear to be humbled
From the fear to be despised
From fear of suffering rebuke
From the fear to be defamed
From the fear to be forgotten
From the fear of ridicule
Fear to be wronged or suspected
Deliver me Jesus

O Jesus meek and humble hearted
Hear my prayer hear my prayer
O Jesus meek and humble hearted
Hear my prayer hear my prayer

Thomas Muglia
© 2019 spiritandsong.com

Questions for Contemplation:

For our time of reflection today we are going to sit with each of the sections in the Litany of Humility, found below. As you read reflectively through each part, pay attention to which ones resonate most with your own journey of humility. Are there any that challenge you? Are there any that provoke or irritate you? Pay attention to all the ways you respond and bring those responses to God in prayer.

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed…deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being loved…deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being extolled…deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being honored…deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being praised…deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being preferred to others…deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being consulted…deliver me, Jesus
From the desire of being approved…deliver me, Jesus

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, hear me.
From the fear of being humiliated…deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being despised…deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of suffering rebukes…deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being calumniated…deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being forgotten…deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being ridiculed…deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being wronged…deliver me, Jesus
From the fear of being suspected…deliver me, Jesus

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, hear me.
That others may be loved more than I…
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I…
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease…
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside…
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed…
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything…
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

You can read more about the Litany of Humility here.

Fourth Sunday of Lent (Sunday, 10 March 2024)

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(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

Words of Reflection

In 2018 the Rubin Museum in New York City opened an exhibition entitled “A Monument for the Anxious and Hopeful,” a participatory art installation that invited visitors to anonymously write down their anxieties and hopes on vellum cards and then display them on a large wall. Guests would then have a chance to read and reflect on our shared fears and aspirations, engaging in a communal act of emotional solidarity. Over 50,000 cards were submitted over the course of the exhibition, with wide-ranging themes that covered the personal, the political, and the spiritual. The creators of the exhibition had this to say about the thoughts they hoped to inspire:

“By definition, anxiety and hope are determined by a moment that has yet to arrive—but how often do we pause to fully consider our relationship with the future?”
—Candy Chang and James A. Reeves, “A Moment for the Anxious and Hopeful”

During the past week we have been reflecting on what it means to wait, on what it means to look for “a moment that has yet to arrive.” In Christian circles we tend to think about waiting as it relates to hope, trusting that God will reveal himself and his plan in his time. However, apart from a life of faith (and let’s be honest—sometimes even in the life of faith), waiting is often more about anxiety. Hope may look to an expectant future and see reason to be uplifted, but anxiety looks to an uncertain future and sees many reasons to be downcast.

That’s why it’s important for us as followers of Jesus to look back as well as forward. Before it looks ahead, biblical hope first finds its foundation in something that has already taken place—the resurrection of Christ. We don’t rest our hope on some imagined outcome that may or may not be assured. We rest our hope on the sure and certain truth that Jesus Christ, who was crucified, is alive. The tomb is empty, and the powers of sin and death have been defeated. That is where we find our hope, first and foremost.

It is then, standing firm on that foundation, that we can look to the future without anxiety. In Christ, our hope looks beyond this world, beyond its temporary cares and concerns. Our hope deals in eternal truths, truths that allow us to rest in the knowledge that our sins are forgiven and our future is secure. The resurrection of Jesus is a “down payment” that gives us an assurance which no earthly hope can even come close to providing. We wait looking back as we look ahead.

To put it succinctly: we don’t find our hope in the possibility that something good may yet happen…we find our hope in the fact that the very best thing has already taken place.

Let’s celebrate that glorious truth on this fourth “mini-Easter” of our Lenten journey.

Scripture for Meditation:

If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human, for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.
—1 Corinthians 15:17-22 (NRSV)

Song: Because He Lives (Amen)

I believe in the Son
I believe in the Risen One
I believe I overcome
By the power of His blood

Amen amen
I'm alive I'm alive because He lives
Amen amen
Let my song join the one that never ends
Because He lives

I was dead in the grave
I was covered in sin and shame
I heard mercy call my name
He rolled the stone away

Amen amen
I'm alive I'm alive because He lives
Amen amen
Let my song join the one that never ends

Because He lives I can face tomorrow
Because He lives ev'ry fear is gone
I know He holds my life
My future in His hand

Amen amen
I'm alive I'm alive because He lives
Amen amen
Let my song join the one that never ends

Amen amen
I'm alive I'm alive because He lives
Amen amen
Let my song join the one that never ends
Because He lives

Because He lives

Chris Tomlin | Daniel Carson | Ed Cash | Gloria Gaither | Jason Ingram | Matt Maher | William J. Gaither
© 2014 Capitol CMG Paragon; Rising Springs Music; S. D. G. Publishing; Twelve Lions Music; Worship Together Music; worshiptogether.com songs; Be Essential Songs; I Am A Pilgrim Songs; Open Hands Music; So Essential Tunes; Hanna Street Music

Questions for Contemplation:

What can you do today to simply rest in the promise of the resurrection and the hope it gives to us, even as we wait? Are there other songs, hymns, or Scripture passages that can help you do that on this “mini-Easter?”

Paul says we all die in Adam, but are made alive in Christ. Spend some time contemplating that journey from death to life: what it cost and what it asks of you. Spend some time prayerfully giving thanks for the cross and the empty tomb, and how they give us life.

Today’s song is based on a classic gospel chorus* from Bill and Gloria Gaither. Spend some time reading the chorus of the original song slowly and prayerfully? How does it speak to your soul?

Because He lives I can face tomorrow
Because He lives all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives

*If you are a fan of classic gospel music, you can hear the original song in a simple piano/vocal arrangement here: Because He Lives

Twenty-Second Day of Lent (Saturday, 9 March 2024)

If you’re new to Lenten Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Lenten Song Reflections playlist on Spotify.
(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

A reminder that during our Lenten journey, Saturdays will be somewhat different as we sit with an instrumental version of a beloved hymn and take time to ponder the meaning of its lyrics. Only a brief word about the history of the hymn will serve as an introduction, and then after our Scripture reading you are invited to read the lyrics slowly and prayerfully while you listen to the instrumental rendition.

Words of Reflection

Each Saturday as we’ve taken some time for reflection on a great hymn of the faith, we’ve explored the history of the lyrics and have heard stories of faith from those who put pen to paper so beautifully. We’ve been reminded how the poetry of our hymns is often born out of hardship and struggle, and both our devotional and worship lives are richer for what emerged. There’s a bit of a problem with today’s hymn, though—we don’t know much about the circumstances in which these words were written. What is we have is mostly legend.

“Be Thou My Vision” is attributed to a sixth century Irish Christian poet named Dallán Forgaill, although the earliest manuscript we have is from a few centuries after his death. It takes the form of a lorica, a prayer for protection whose name literally means “breastplate.” Some believe Forgaill’s lorica is a tribute to St. Patrick and a story that emerges from his life in the fifth century.

According to the legend, in the year 433 a local Druid king forbade anyone from lighting any candle or flame on Easter Sunday. In defiance of the decree, it’s said that Patrick climbed the highest hill in the area and lit a fire in honor of Christ and his resurrection, a visible proclamation of God’s light in the midst of the darkness. Impressed by the missionary’s devotion and bravery, the Druid king allowed Patrick to continue his work. This legend is reflected in the music as well: the hymn tune for “Be Thou My Vision” is called Slane, in remembrance of Slane Hill, where Patrick supposedly lit his Easter flame.

It’s a powerful legend, and it would make sense that it would inspire a poet like Forgaill, or perhaps someone writing in his name. Regardless of its origin, “Be Thou My Vision” has become a beloved hymn and prayer, invoking God’s protection and reminding followers of Jesus to keep their eyes on him through all seasons of life.

This is a good message for our seasons of waiting and trusting. Even when we can’t see the way forward, we can still stay focused on Christ: our vision, our Lord, our best thought, our light, our wisdom, our true Word, our High King, and our greatest treasure.

Scripture for Meditation:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
—Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)

Song: Be Thou My Vision

Time of Contemplation:

Read through the lyrics of this hymn slowly and prayerfully. Read them more than once, and pay attention to the movement of your soul as you pray. What words or phrases grab your attention? Why? As you finish, sit in prayerful silence before God and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you something of your need and God’s provision that emerges from these words.

Be Thou my vision
O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me
Save that Thou art
Thou my best thought
By day or by night
Waking or sleeping
Thy presence my light

Be Thou my wisdom
Be Thou my true Word
I ever with Thee
And Thou with me Lord
Thou my great Father
I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling
And I with Thee one

Be Thou my shield
And my sword for the fight
Be Thou my dignity
Be Thou my might
Thou my soul's shelter
And Thou my high tow'r
Raise Thou me heav'nward
O pow'r of my pow'r

Riches I heed not
Nor vain empty praise
Thou mine inheritance
Now and always
Thou and Thou only
Be first in my heart
High King of heaven
My treasure Thou art

High King of heaven
When vict'ry is won
May I reach heaven's joys
O bright heaven's Sun
Heart of my own heart
Whatever befall
Still be my vision
O Ruler of all

Eleanor Henrietta Hull | Mary Elizabeth Byrne
© Words: Public Domain; Music: Public Domain

Twenty-First Day of Lent (Friday, 8 March 2024)

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(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

This week we focus on the Lenten theme of waiting and trusting.

Words of Reflection

One of the most well-known stories of waiting in the Bible is the story of Job, the man who lost everything and found himself waiting on God in ways most of us can never understand. His story is so well-known that the phrase “the patience of Job” is familiar even outside of faith circles.

In the second chapter of Job he is visited by three companions who have heard about his troubles:

“When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.”—Job 2:11-13 (NIV)

Because of what happens next, we often forget that at the beginning these friends do exactly what Job needs: they weep with him, they sit with him, they mourn with him, and they keep silence with him. For seven days and nights they are true companions in suffering. They don’t try to fix the problem, they simply mourn with their friend. If only they had continued in that mode instead of opening their mouths…

When we are waiting on God we need true friends alongside us, friends who do not judge us or try to offer quick solutions—friends who will sit with us in our most difficult seasons. Paul was talking about this kind of friendship when he wrote, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2 (NIV)

I remember such a friend years ago, when Sharon was facing life-threatening surgery. His name was Jim. As I sat in the hospital waiting room he simply came and sat with me. For three hours. Every once in a while he would ask if I needed a drink or water or anything, but for most of the time in that waiting room he just joined me in silent waiting.

And in that silent waiting he was Jesus to me.

May we find friends like that when we are in difficult seasons, and may we be friends like that when those around us are in their own.

Scripture for Meditation:

Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other, but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.
—Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NRSV)

Song: Borrow Mine

Take my hand and walk with me a while
'Cause it seems your smile has left you
And don't give in when you fall apart
And your broken heart has failed you
I'll set a light up on a hilltop
To show you my love for this world to see

You can borrow mine when your hope is gone
Borrow mine when you can't go on
'Cause the world will not defeat you
When we're side by side
When your faith is hard to find
You can borrow mine

And take my love when all that you can see
Is the raging sea all around us
And don't give up 'cause I'm not letting go
And the God we know will not fail us
We'll lay it all down as we call out
Sweet Savior help our unbelief

You can borrow mine when your hope is gone
Borrow mine when you can't go on
'Cause the world will not defeat you
When we're side by side
When your faith is hard to find
You can borrow mine

When you are weak
Unable to speak
Well you are not alone
The God who has saved us
Will never forsake us
He's comin' to take us
Take us to our home

You can borrow mine when your hope is gone
Borrow mine when you can't go on
'Cause the world will not defeat you
When we're side by side
When your faith is hard to find
When your faith is hard to find
You can borrow mine
You can borrow mine

Bebo Norman
© 2004 Appstreet Music; New Spring

Questions for Contemplation:

Can you think of a time when you found a true friend in a difficult season of waiting on God? Spend some time in grateful prayer for those he has brought into your life when you needed them most.

Is someone you know going through a hard journey of trusting God right now? How might God be calling you to come alongside them and offer your love, even if it’s through silent companionship?

Our reading for today contains these difficult words: “woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help.” Spend some time praying for all those who feel alone and helpless. Pray for someone to come into their lives and be Jesus to them.

Twentieth Day of Lent (Thursday, 7 March 2024)

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(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

This week we focus on the Lenten theme of waiting and trusting.

Words of Reflection

In our waiting we ask a lot of questions, but one is central:

Where are you, Lord?

When answers don’t come, when the way forward isn’t clear, and when the circumstances that have us filled with worry and fear don’t change, we cry out for God to reveal himself. It’s a very human response, and one we see echoed throughout the pages of Scripture. The people of God have often found themselves in the in-between spaces—no longer where they were, but not yet where they should be. It’s not an easy place to exist, and when we find ourselves there we want guidance, we desire clarification…but more than anything we simply need a revelation of God.

Where are you, Lord?

Sometimes in these spaces, though, there is a danger. Sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking that the answers we seek and the encounter with God we desire are bound up together—that we will only see God once we receive the guidance we desire. The unfortunate truth is that sometimes answers become an idol that can blind us to the fact that even in those in-between spaces…God is with us already.

In Psalm 23 we find the psalmist declaring that there is no step of his journey where God is not present, even in the most difficult and dangerous moments. God is alongside him in the darkest valley, and even when he finds himself at a banquet table seated among the people who despise him, God is there. Not only is God there, God is blessing him there.

In our waiting seasons we need to remember that even when the answers elude us, even when the path seems uncertain, God is there. The same God who provided an angel to minister to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43) will meet us and minister to us in our darkest moments.

He is there in the waiting.

Scripture for Meditation:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
—Psalm 23 (NRSV)

Song: In The Waiting

I cultivate a quiet place
Within this life of mine
I come to wait before the One
Who knows my heart's desire
In the stillness I have come
To wait before You God

And I find You in the waiting
And I find You in the waiting
You remind me in the stillness
To know You are God

You heard my cry so long before
I ever spoke a word
You knew my name so long before
The heavens touched the earth
In the stillness I have come
To wait before You God

And I find You in the waiting
And I find You in the waiting
You remind me in the stillness
To know You are God

Matt Redman | Todd Proctor
© 2002 Thankyou Music; Deeper Music

A quick note about today’s song—it is a very rare bonus track from a special version of this CD that is no longer in print. As a result, it is not available on Spotify and unfortunately can’t be included in the Lenten Song Reflections playlist.

Questions for Contemplation:

How might God be inviting you to seek him in seasons of waiting, apart from specific answers or guidance? What would it look like for you to simply rest in his presence even before those come?

Psalm 23 is such a well-known passage of Scripture that we can sometimes miss new ways God might speak through it to us. What does this psalm speak to you about seasons of waiting and trusting?

Today’s song contains the lyrics, “I cultivate a quiet space within this life of mine.” What does that look like for you? Spend some time in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to lead you into those quiet spaces where you can meet with God.

Nineteenth Day of Lent (Wednesday, 6 March 2024)

If you’re new to Lenten Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Lenten Song Reflections playlist on Spotify.
(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

This week we focus on the Lenten theme of waiting and trusting.

Words of Reflection

Scripture is full of stories about waiting. In some cases God’s people hold fast to their trust in God as they wait. In other stories we seem them grow impatient, sometimes even taking matters into their own hands. Through it all we see very human stories of a very common human struggle. Each of these servants of God faced a season of waiting in one way or another:

-Abraham and Sarah
-Moses
-Hannah
-David
-Job
-Simeon
-Anna

There are many others we could add to this list. In fact, just about every major character in the Bible seemed to face a test of patience and trust at some point. As we all do.

One of the more poignant and powerful stories of waiting comes from the Old Testament account of Joseph. Given a vision by God while still a young man, Joseph waits many decades to see that vision come true. More than that, he faces challenges and tests during those decades that no doubt caused him to wonder what had happened to God’s promises. For years he waits for them to come true: he waits as a slave, and then he waits in prison, falsely accused. We read Joseph's story, and we know the happy ending. But were there moments during that long wait when Joseph wondered if God had forgotten him?

Waiting forces us to trust, even when the circumstances of our lives seem contrary to the promises of God.

Today’s song is a little different. It doesn’t come from classic hymnody, nor does it come from contemporary Christian songwriters or worship leaders. It comes from, of all places, Hollywood. The 2000 animated film, “Joseph: King of Dreams” captures the Old Testament story in a vibrant and beautiful way. The scene where Joseph is in prison, seemingly far from God’s promises, yet choosing to declare his trust in the One who has shepherded him through all his life is a powerful declaration of faith in the midst of waiting.

Joseph’s story reminds us that the promises of God do not conform to our schedule or plan. While we wait, God is at work.

He knows better than we do.

Scripture for Meditation:

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
—Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NRSV)

Song: Better Than I

I thought I did what's right
I thought I had the answers
I thought I chose the surest road
But that road brought me here

So, I put up a fight
And told you how to help me
Now just when I have given up
The truth is coming clear

You know better than I
You know the way
I've let go the need to know why
For you know better than I

If this has been a test
I cannot see the reason
But maybe knowing I don't know
Is part of getting through

I try to do what's best
And faith has made it easy
To see the best thing I can do
Is put my trust in you

For you know better than I
You know the way
I've let go the need to know why
For You know better than I

I saw one cloud and thought it was a sky
I saw one bird and thought that I could follow
But it was you who taught that bird to fly
If I let you reach me, will you teach me?

For you know better than I
You know the way
I've let go the need to know why
I'll take what answers you supply
You know better than I

John Bucchino
© Emi April Music Inc., Cainon's Land Music Publishing, Dwa Songs

Questions for Contemplation:

Have you experienced seasons in your life where your circumstances challenged your trust in God? How did he shepherd you through those times? What did you learn about his trustworthiness?

Jeremiah compares trusting God to a tree firmly rooted near a nourishing stream. What nourishes you during times of waiting? What feeds your soul when you find it difficult to trust?

Today’s song contains the lyric “Maybe knowing I don’t know is part of getting through.” What do you think the songwriter means by that? Spend some time in prayerful waiting before God, offering to him the things you don’t yet know.

Eighteenth Day of Lent (Tuesday, 5 March 2024)

If you’re new to Lenten Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Lenten Song Reflections playlist on Spotify.
(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

This week we focus on the Lenten theme of waiting and trusting.

Words of Reflection

Waiting is not a theme we necessarily associate with Lent. In fact, waiting is often seen as the exclusive theme of the Advent season as we prepare to celebrate Christ’s first coming and also anticipate his second. During Advent, waiting is a theological reality tied up in God’s grand plan of salvation. It is powerful and unique and filled with the promises of God.

But the kind of waiting we think about during Lent is different. It’s tied to the wilderness, and it’s a waiting that brushes up against some darker themes and harder places. As we contemplate our sin and our need for God we are often brought to the very end of ourselves, and that can often be a very barren place, spiritually speaking. Lent strips away our masks and our coping mechanisms and asks us to be honest about where we are and what we need.

And it asks us to wait on God in the midst of our self-examination.

This is not a bad thing, but it is a difficult thing. God is patient with us, but we are not always patient with him. We often forget that spiritual formation is a lifelong journey, and that sometimes the progress seems slow. But when the way seems hard it is there that God is often doing his most important work—it is there that he is bringing to death any reliance on ourselves so that we might rely only on him. Through it all we need to remember that God is purifying us and calling us back to what is central: his love for us and his desire for us to dwell in that love. In the midst of our waiting we cling even more tightly to the promise that the work God is doing within us both necessary and good, and we trust that through this season we will be drawn closer to Jesus so we can be made more like him.

During Lent we give the Holy Spirit permission to pry our fingers away from anything to which we hold on too tightly, so that we may find ourselves being held by the one who will never let us go.

Scripture for Meditation:

The poor and needy search for water, but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the Lord will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will make rivers flow on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water,
and the parched ground into springs.
I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive.
I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together,
so that people may see and know, may consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
—isaiah 41:17-20 (NIV)

Song: O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee.
I give thee back the life I owe,
that in thine ocean depths its flow
may richer, fuller be.

O Light that follows all my way,
I yield my flick’ring torch to thee.
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
that in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
may brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee.
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
and feel the promise is not vain,
that morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee.
I lay in dust, life’s glory dead,
and from the ground there blossoms red,
life that shall endless be.

George Matheson
Public Domain

We are giving you two options to listen to this song. First is an arrangement of the traditional hymn by Billy Crockett, and the second version is a new version with a new tune and chorus by the worship band Ascend the Hill. Enjoy one…or both.

Here is a link to the full lyrics for this modern version: O Love That Will Not Let Me Go (Ascend the Hill)

Questions for Contemplation:

How is your Lenten journey exposing the places in your heart and soul where God is inviting you to deeper trust and deeper surrender? Do you find that difficult? How are you waiting on God through this season?

Isaiah 41 speaks of God bringing refreshment to those who are thirsty, who find themselves in a “desert place.” How has God shown himself faithful to you in desert seasons? Spend some time in grateful prayer for those oases of spiritual nourishment.

Today’s song is a hymn rich in meaningful imagery. Spend some time prayerfully considering these lyrics and how they speak to you:

  • I give thee back the life I owe

  • I yield my flick’ring torch to thee

  • I cannot close my heart to thee

  • O Cross that liftest up my head

Seventeenth Day of Lent (Monday, 4 March 2024)

If you’re new to Lenten Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Lenten Song Reflections playlist on Spotify.
(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

This week we focus on the Lenten theme of waiting and trusting.

Words of Reflection

Waiting is hard.

We say this often, but usually it’s in a very low-stakes context—waiting in line at the supermarket, waiting for an important email, waiting for the weekend to start—but this kind of waiting isn’t really hard at all. That’s because there are other kinds of waiting that can put that long line at the supermarket into perspective. Waiting to hear from the doctor for test results…waiting for a decision after a job interview…waiting for news that a loved one is safe…compared to these, many of our typical experiences of delay prove to be nothing.

And then there is the very unique experience known to those who believe the promises of God: waiting for those promises to be made manifest in your specific situation. When we are waiting for God, it can be the most difficult waiting of all.

Psalm 130 is one of the “songs of ascent,” which may have been sung by Jewish pilgrims making their way to the temple in Jerusalem for one of the feast days, like the Passover which Jesus was preparing for in his final days. Biblical scholars also put it in the category of “penitential psalms” due to the powerful way it expresses sorrow for sin. It seems that as the pilgrims made their way to Jerusalem, singing their praise and declarations of God’s character and promises, they would also engage in the same kind of self-examination we are called to undertake during Lent.

As the psalmist looks into their soul, what they see tempts them to despair:

“Out of the depths I cry to you,
Lord; Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.”—Psalm 130:1-2 (NIV)

Can you hear the anguish and the pleading in these words? The psalmist is waiting for redemption. They know the depth of their sin and they recognize their need for mercy. When our waiting brings us to such painful self-realization, the temptation to despair is great. The writer of Psalm 130 compares it to the image of a weary watchman who has been holding vigil for the long, dark night and eagerly awaits the first break of dawn that will signal the end of his duties:

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.”—Psalm 130:5-6 (NIV)

It is interesting that in verse 7 the language of Psalm 130 shifts. No longer singing about their own particular needs, the psalmist’s words become a call to all of God’s people:

“Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.”—Psalm 130:7-8 (NIV)

After making their own declaration of trust in verse 5, the psalmist now calls all of God’s children to hold tight to the promises of God. Even in the darkness of the night watch, even when those promises seem far off, do not give in to despair. The goodness of God is a certainty, the actions of God will prove faithful and true when seen in morning’s light.

These are good words for us during Lent. In these days of self-reflection and brutal honesty with ourselves, we might very well find ourselves in “the depths,” especially if we are facing situations in life where it seems that God is not moving in the ways we so desperately want to see. As we offer to God during Lent our sin and our stubborn self-will, the invitation comes to us to offer into his hands something else as well:

Our waiting.

Scripture for Meditation:

For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
—Psalm 62:5-8 (NRSV)

Song: Out of the Depths

Out of the depths O Lord I cry to You
When I am tempted to despair
Though I might fail to trust Your promises
You never fail to hear my prayer
And if You judged my sin
I'd never stand again
But I see mercy in Your hands

So more than watchmen for the morning
I will wait for You my God
When my fears come with no warning
In Your Word I'll put my trust
When the harvest time is over
And I still see no fruit
I will wait I will wait
For You

The secret mysteries belong to You
We only know what You reveal
And all my questions that are unresolved
Don't change the wisdom of Your will
In every trial and loss
My hope is in the cross
Where Your compassions never fail

So more than watchmen for the morning
I will wait for You my God
When my fears come with no warning
In Your Word I'll put my trust
When the harvest time is over
And I still see no fruit
I will wait I will wait

More than watchmen for the morning
I will wait for You my God
When my fears come with no warning
In Your Word I'll put my trust
When the harvest time is over
And I still see no fruit
I will wait I will wait
For You

I’ll wait for You, I'll wait for You Lord
I'll wait for You, I will wait for You Lord
Wait for You

And more than watchmen for the morning
I will wait for You for You
And when my fears come with no warning
I will trust for You
Faithful You are faithful

In every trial and loss
My hope is in the cross
Where Your compassions never fail

Bob Kauflin

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise

Questions for Contemplation:

Are you in a season of waiting for God right now? What are you waiting for? How can you apply the words of Psalm 130 to your own situation?

The writer of Psalm 130 declares in verse 5: “I wait for the Lord; I wait and put my hope in his word.” What is the relationship between hope and the word of God? How has God’s word spoken to you in seasons of waiting? Spend some time in prayer giving thanks to God for his words of comfort and hope.

Read and consider this quote about waiting for God from Betsy Childs Howard. Does it ring true for you? What about these words most stands out to you?

“Waiting exposes our idols and throws a wrench into our coping mechanisms. It brings us to the end of what we can control and forces us to cry out to God. God doesn't waste our waiting. He uses it to conform us to the image of his Son.” (from “Seasons of Waiting: Walking by Faith When Dreams Are Delayed”)

Third Sunday of Lent (Sunday, 3 March 2024)

If you’re new to Lenten Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Lenten Song Reflections playlist on Spotify.
(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

Words of Reflection

One of the most frustrating things to deal with in life is an incomplete story. It’s only human nature to want resolution, to see the tale brought to its conclusion so that the “open loops” in the narrative no longer take up emotional space in our lives.

The folks behind blockbuster movies and television shows understand this need well. A well-placed cliffhanger in a popular franchise ensures that folks will return to see how it plays out. Will the heroes emerge victorious? (most likely yes) Will the villains get their comeuppance? (it’s almost assured) Will the audiences be happy? (some will, some won’t) Will the studios make enough money to keep churning out more for years to come? (you can be sure of that)

This idea of an incomplete story figures into our Lenten journey as we shift from Saturday to Sunday. For six days of the week we are called to focus our attention on the passion of Jesus: his betrayal, arrest, torture, and death. We contemplate the cross and its meaning, along with our call to repentance and a deeper yielding of our lives to Christ. It is a needed time of reflection, but the tension of the unfinished story can rest heavy on our souls.

As we enter the “mini-Easters” of these Sundays during Lent, we are invited to remember the rest of what happened after Jesus died. We turn the page from the cross to the empty tomb and find the much-needed reminder that the story didn’t end on Calvary—it continued (and continues) on in the truth of a risen Savior who conquered the grave as a definitive victory over the one who tempted him in the wilderness. We may hold back a bit on a full-blown celebration of the resurrection until Easter, but we let the reality of it once again refresh our souls with the knowledge that sin and death did not have the last word.

Sunday is a glorious day to dwell in the fulness of all God has done, all God is doing, and all God will one day do.

Scripture for Meditation:

The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
—John 2:18-22 (NIV)

Song: Glorious Day

One day when heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin
Dwelt among men my example is He
The Word became flesh
And the light shined among us
His glory revealed

Living He loved me dying He saved me
Buried He carried my sins far away
Rising He justified freely forever
One day He's coming
O glorious day (glorious day)

One day they led Him up Calv'ry's mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish despised and rejected
Bearing our sins my Redeemer is He
The hand that healed nations
Stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me

Living He loved me dying He saved me
Buried He carried my sins far away
Rising He justified freely forever
One day He's coming
O glorious day (glorious day)

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose over death He had conquered
Now is ascended my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him
The grave could not keep Him
From rising again

Living He loved me dying He saved me
Buried He carried my sins far away
Rising He justified freely forever
One day He's coming
O glorious day (glorious day)

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day my beloved one bringing
My Savior Jesus is mine

Living He loved me dying He saved me
Buried He carried my sins far away
Rising He justified freely forever
One day He's coming
O glorious day (glorious day)
O glorious day

John Wilbur Chapman | Mark Hall | Michael Bleecker

© 2009 Curb Songs; Be Essential Songs; My Refuge Music

Questions for Contemplation:

As you make your way on this Lenten journey, are you finding ways to make Sundays different? What could you do, even today, to spend some intentional time in “the rest of the story?”

Can you think of hymns or songs that have been particularly meaningful for you in focusing on the resurrection of Jesus? What was particularly striking to you about those songs?

Even as we remember that the story of Jesus didn’t end at the cross, we also do well to remember that it didn’t end at the empty tomb either. In what ways does anticipating the return of Jesus and the culmination of the Kingdom story impact our “mini-Easters?”

Sixteenth Day of Lent (Saturday, 2 March 2024)

If you’re new to Lenten Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Lenten Song Reflections playlist on Spotify.
(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

A reminder that during our Lenten journey, Saturdays will be somewhat different as we sit with an instrumental version of a beloved hymn and take time to ponder the meaning of its lyrics. Only a brief word about the history of the hymn will serve as an introduction, and then after our Scripture reading you are invited to read the lyrics slowly and prayerfully while you listen to the instrumental rendition.

Words of Reflection

Over the past few days, as we’ve considered Christ’s call to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him, we’ve really been talking about the act of consecration. To consecrate something is to set it apart from common use and dedicate it wholly to God. We seek to live consecrated lives as followers of Jesus.

Frances Ridley Havergal was born in 1836, the daughter of an Anglican writer and clergyman. From childhood she showed incredible aptitude and passion for God’s word—at age four she was already memorizing entire books of the Bible. She also was quite adept at foreign languages, studying several modern languages alongside Biblical Greek and Hebrew all before the age of 18. As she began exploring her own writing gifts, she penned religious tracts, children’s lessons, and poems. But what she became best known for were her musical gifts: both performing and writing beautiful hymns of praise and commitment.

In 1874 Frances was staying in a house where many of the guests were not followers of Christ. She prayed fervently for their conversion, and when God granted her prayers she was filled with inexpressible joy. She later wrote:

“The last night of my visit I was too happy to sleep and passed most of the night in renewal of my consecration.”

As she sought a deeper level of surrender to Christ, she found herself composing verse as it came to her:

“Those little couplets formed themselves and chimed in my heart one after another till they finished with ‘ever only, ALL FOR THEE!’”

“Take My Heart and Let it Be” is the result of that communion with God in response to his saving grace.

Shortly before her death, Fraves Havergal wrote a devotional to go alongside some of the hymns she had written over her lifetime. As she reflected on “Take My Life,” she said this about consecration, and these good words are a wonderful place to sit for a while:

Consecration is not a religiously selfish thing. If it sinks into that, it ceases to be consecration…Not for ‘me’ at all but ‘for Jesus’; not for my safety, but for His glory; not for my comfort, but for His joy; not that I may find rest, but that He may see the travail of His soul, and be satisfied! Yes, for Him I want to be kept. Kept for His sake; kept for His use; kept to be His witness; kept for His joy! Kept for Him, that in me He may show forth some tiny sparkle of His light and beauty; kept to do His will and His work in His own way; kept, it may be, to suffer for His sake; kept for Him, that He may do just what seemeth Him good with me; kept, so that no other lord shall have any more dominion over me, but that Jesus shall have all there is to have;—little enough, indeed, but not divided or diminished by any other claim. Is not this, O you who love the Lord—is not this worth living for, worth asking for, worth trusting for?

Scripture for Meditation:

Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain, but if it dies it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.
—John 12:24-26 (NRSV)

Song: Take My Life and Let It Be

Time of Contemplation:

Read through the lyrics of this hymn slowly and prayerfully. Read them more than once, and pay attention to the movement of your soul as you pray. What words or phrases grab your attention? Why? As you finish, sit in prayerful silence before God and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you something of your need and God’s provision that emerges from these words.

Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.

Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for thee,
Swift and beautiful for thee.

Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from thee,
Filled with messages from thee.

Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every power as thou shalt choose,
Every power as thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
It shall be thy royal throne,
It shall be thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for thee,
Ever, only, all for thee.

Frances Ridley Havergal

Public Domain

Fifteenth Day of Lent (Friday, 1 March 2024)

If you’re new to Lenten Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Lenten Song Reflections playlist on Spotify.
(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

This week we focus on the Lenten theme of taking up our cross and following Jesus.

Words of Reflection

We live in a society that values perseverance and commitment. In many circles, “Never give up—never surrender!” is more than a movie quote…it is an almost sacred motto. To give up is to lose, they say—to surrender is to show weakness. No matter what, we need to stay the course and see our commitments through to the end. But what if the things we’re committed to are misguided, wrong, or even destructive? What good is persevering if we’re headed in the wrong direction?

Sometimes surrender is healthy. Sometimes giving up is good.

When Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him, he’s inviting us to give up: give up our vain desires, our empty pleasures, our illusion of control, and our attempts to infuse our lives with a sense of purpose. Time and again these pursuits only leave us empty and frustrated. Jesus comes into that emptiness and offers us the fullness of himself, and he comes into those frustrations with the reminder that true purpose and authentic joy come only from surrendering ourselves to him without reserve.

But sometimes it’s those words “without reserve” that get in the way. Sometimes the reason we fail to experience in full what God has for us is that our surrender isn’t complete. Sometimes we think we can get by without giving up. Jay Carty, a basketball player who spent his latter years as a Christian teacher and speaker, called this having “eclairs in the refrigerator.” The picture he described was someone who said they were fully committed to a diet plan to lose weight and get healthy, yet they kept a box of chocolate eclairs in the refrigerator “just in case.” Their commitment was an illusion, and their plan was destined to fail because they hadn’t surrendered fully to the journey.

Lent reminds us that giving up is good. Not just in the sense that we give something up for these 40 days, although that can serve us well as a discipline and a tool. But in the bigger picture Lent teaches up that giving ourselves over completely to the love of God, though it costs us everything, is the only path to wholeness as his children. We need to hold nothing back.

Because when we give up…we gain.

Scripture for Meditation:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
—John 15:1-4 (NIV)

Song: I Give Up

I belong, I belong to the maker of earth and seas
Who's as rich as a king
Yet so gentle and kind towards me

I am not cared for by a servant hired
But a shepherd who would leave the ninety-nine

So when I give up, I gain
When I let go of having my own way
When I learn to see my surrender as a brand new start
To know the fullness of my father's heart

I will rest, I will rest
Not in worldly security
Not in what I may try to control that's controlling me

What if faith is simpler than I've made it be
Just a simple trusting in your love for me

For when I give up, I gain
When I let go of having my own way
When I learn to see my surrender as a brand new start
To know the fullness of my father's heart

My father’s heart

So here's my life to take
Though you've heard this prayer a thousand other days
Make this moment more than just empty words I say
Let it be a start
To know the fullness of my father's heart

Take my life and let it be
Consecrated Lord, to thee

Laura Story

© 2019 Laura’s Stories and Songs

Questions for Contemplation:

What does commitment to God “without reserve” mean to you? How has God shown grace to you as you seek to live out that kind of surrendered life?

Do you have any spiritual “eclairs in the refrigerator?” Are there parts of your life where you still seek a sense of control? How might God be calling you to let go and trust him more with those areas?

Spend some time considering the following quote from C.S. Lewis. Read it slowly and prayerfully. Don’t be surprised if it provokes you. If it does, sit with that for a while. Ask the Holy Spirit to use whatever reactions you have to stir you and teach you.

“Christ says 'Give me All. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half measures are any good. I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down…Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked--the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself.’”

Fourteenth Day of Lent (Thursday, 29 February 2024)

If you’re new to Lenten Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Lenten Song Reflections playlist on Spotify.
(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

This week we focus on the Lenten theme of taking up our cross and following Jesus.

Words of Reflection

As we sit with the call of Jesus to take up our cross and follow him this week, there is a part of that passage that we sometimes overlook which deserves our full attention:

“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.’”—Matthew 16:24-25 (NRSV)

When we study and meditate on this passage, our focus is often on what we are asked to sacrifice, and rightly so. Jesus’ words are about our denial of self and our willingness to lay down our lives for his sake, and that should always be at the forefront of our understanding of these verses.

But note that Jesus also tells us what we gain in doing so. He isn’t describing a one-way transaction—there is an exchange that happens here. We come before him in humility and supplication. We offer up our lives as a living sacrifice to him. We turn away from self and turn towards the cross.

And what we receive in return is nothing less than life itself. The life we were always meant to know.

The demands Jesus places on us are not the empty whims of a deity who enjoys chastising his followers for their mistakes. Instead, they are the loving commands of One who knows what is best for us and who desires us to experience it. Dying to self isn’t punishment—it’s invitation. It’s a purging of all the things in our lives that are not of God, so that we might be open to the life he has for us.

Our Lenten journey is all about that openness. It’s all about a deeper experience of surrender, and in doing so finding a deeper experience of freedom, peace, joy, and love.

Scripture for Meditation:

So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
—John 10:7-10 (NRSV)

Song: The Things We Leave Behind

There sits Simon, so foolishly wise
Proudly he's tending his nets
Then Jesus calls, and the boats drift away
And all that he owns he forgets

But more than the nets he abandoned that day
He found that his pride was soon drifting away
And it's hard to imagine the freedom we find
From the things we leave behind

Matthew was mindful of taking the tax
And pressing the people to pay
But hearing the call, he responded in faith
And followed the Light and the Way

And leaving the people so puzzled he found
The greed in his heart was no longer around
And it's hard to imagine the freedom we find
From the things we leave behind

Every heart needs to be set free
From posessions that hold it so tight
'Cause freedom's not found in the things that we own
It's the power to do what is right

With Jesus our only posession
Then giving becomes our delight
And we can't imagine the freedom we find
From the things we leave behind

We show a love for the world in our lives
By worshipping goods we possess
But Jesus says lay all your treasures aside
And love God above all the rest

‘Cause when we say ‘no’ to the things of the world
We open our hearts to the love of the Lord
And it’s hard to imagine the freedom we find
From the things we leave behind

And when we say ‘no’ to the things of the world
We open our hearts to the love of the Lord
And it’s hard to imagine the freedom we find
From the things we leave behind

Oh, and it’s hard to imagine the freedom we find
From the things we leave behind

Michael Card

© 1994 Birdwing Music

Questions for Contemplation:

How do you understand the relationship between “dying to self” and “having life abundantly?” In what ways has that relationship played out in your own life? How might God be inviting you to go even deeper in that experience?

What are some of the things God has asked you to “leave behind” in your walk with him? How has he shown himself faithful in the midst of those seasons of sacrifice? Spend some time in grateful prayer for his loving command and merciful provision.

Michael Card’s lyrics say that the journey of surrender brings freedom. Nowhere is that more evident than the cross, where Jesus willingly surrendered his life for our freedom. Spend some time in worship and grateful prayer for this most amazing of gifts.

Thirteenth Day of Lent (Wednesday, 28 February 2024)

If you’re new to Lenten Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Lenten Song Reflections playlist on Spotify.
(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

This week we focus on the Lenten theme of taking up our cross and following Jesus.

Words of Reflection

There’s a particular feeling that comes over us when we feel a conversation slipping away, when the subject matter takes a turn into things out of our realm of knowledge and understanding. It can sometimes feel as though the other participants are speaking a different language. When that happens, and the others eventually turn to us expecting input of some kind, there’s a common response we can sometimes lean on:

“I’ve got nothing.”

It’s a humbling feeling, one that assaults our human desire to be in-the-know and in control. We don’t like to admit when we’ve reached the end of our usefulness, when we literally have nothing of value to add to a situation. It’s dispiriting. It’s difficult. It’s diminishing. At least it is as far as this world is concerned.

In a spiritual sense, though, being brought to the end of ourselves is a good thing. When Jesus says, “Take up your cross,” he is not saying, “Show me what you’ve got. Impress me.” No, he’s saying the opposite: “Abandon yourself to me. Stop relying on your own strength. Lay down all of your claims to self-sufficiency and embrace the life I came to give.” He made that clear when he went on to say:

“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.”—Mark 8:35 (NIV)

We are, in the words of the old hymn, “children of weakness.” But that is not a bad thing. When we acknowledge our weakness, we open ourselves to his strength. The works of the flesh will ultimately fail and be exposed for their emptiness and folly, but when we lay down our lives at the foot of the cross and put to death any confidence we have in our own strength and cleverness, God is able to work in us and through us in ways we can’t even begin to imagine.

Nowhere is the bankruptcy of the flesh made more evident than at the cross of Christ. We come to the cross acknowledging that “all our righteousness is as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6, MEV), and we are brought to our knees with the realization that the righteous one has taken all that filthiness upon himself. What can we say in response to this? Three words come to mind:

“I’ve got nothing.”

It’s true. The cross humbles and silences us. We have nothing we can offer in return, at least in our own strength. But when we instead offer our hearts and lives to the crucified one, putting to death any trust we have in ourselves, he proves over and over again that he is our all in all. He has paid the price we could not pay…so that we might live the life we could not otherwise live.

Scripture for Meditation:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.`
—2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)

Song: Jesus Lover of My Soul

It's all about You Jesus
And all this is for You
For Your glory and Your fame
It's not about me
As if You should do things my way
You alone are God
And I surrender to Your ways

Jesus lover of my soul
All consuming fire is in Your gaze
Jesus I want You to know
I will follow You all my days
For no one else in history is like You
And history itself belongs to You
Alpha and Omega You have loved me
And I will share eternity with You

Paul Oakley

© 1995 Thankyou Music

Questions for Contemplation:

Do you find it easy or difficult to embrace the words, “It’s not about me?” What might you holding onto that needs to be brought to death, so that the life of Jesus might dwell in you more deeply?

What do you think it means that God’s power is “made perfect in weakness?” How does your heart respond to those words? How might God be asking you to embrace them more fully in your life?

Earlier in 2 Corinthians the Apostle Paul said this: “In ourselves we are not able to claim anything for ourselves. The power to do what we do comes from God.”—2 Corinthians 3:5 (NIrV). Spend some time reflecting on this truth and your response to these words. Pray that God would reveal even more of his power in your life to bear fruit for his glory.

Twelfth Day of Lent (Tuesday, 27 February 2024)

If you’re new to Lenten Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Lenten Song Reflections playlist on Spotify.
(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

This week we focus on the Lenten theme of taking up our cross and following Jesus.

Words of Reflection

During Lent we can sometimes get overwhelmed by the invitation to self-reflection, and in doing so we can forget what’s really going on. If we’re not careful it can turn our gaze completely inward, rather than using our self-reflection as a first step to looking upward. In the midst of that danger there’s an important truth we need to hold on to:

Taking up our cross and dying to self is an act of worship.

In our modern church culture, which tends to think of “worship” as only being gatherings we attend or songs we sing, the kind of self-examination we take part in during Lent is often not understood for what it really is: worship

We sometimes forget that the Old Testament sacrifices, as strange to us as they may seem, were conducted in the context of worshiping God. They were “an aroma pleasing to the LORD” (Lev. 1:9), a statement of complete and utter dependence on him. When sacrifice is made, and lives stained by sin bow in submission to the God who makes them clean and transforms them, God is honored and glorified. That is worship.

The gospels give us a beautiful portrait of this kind of worship in the days just before Jesus is arrested. Matthew records it in chapter 26 of his gospel:

“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. ‘Why this waste?’ they asked. ‘This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.’

Aware of this, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.’”—Matthew 26:6-13 (NIV)

This “beautiful thing” is an act of sacrificial worship. In her extravagant gift we find an echo of David’s pledge to not offer to God that which costs nothing (2 Samuel 24:24). Jesus not only commends her, but says her example will live on in the gospel story…which, of course, it did!

As we, too, prepare for Jesus’ burial, there is a continual call for us to offer all that we are, all that we have, and all that we hope to be to God. We die to self as an act of sacrifice, and that sacrifice becomes worship. Our gaze is not only inward…it is ultimately outward and upward to the only “worthy King of Kings,” who gave himself as a sacrifice for us. How can we respond any other way?

Scripture for Meditation:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
—Romans 12:1-2 (NRSV)

Song: Alabaster Heart w/Take All of Me

So here it is my alabaster heart
I’m keeping nothing back from who You are
No hidden treasure veiled by key or lock
You’re a lifetime worth of worship
And that’s only just the start

Here it is my every waking day
The minutes hours the years of endless praise
For You’re worthy far beyond all I could say
There’s a lifetime worth of worship
In the nuance of Your names

Let it rise like incense
My whole life a fragrance
Every ounce here broken at Your feet
Every breath is an offering
My heart cries these lungs sing
Over You my worthy King of Kings

There it is Your alabaster cross
Giving all You are for all I’m not
I can’t believe that’s the kind of King You are
How could I not bring a lifetime
Worth of worship to You God

Let it rise like incense
My whole life a fragrance
Every ounce here broken at Your feet
Every breath is an offering
My heart cries these lungs sing
Over You my worthy King of Kings

All my love
All my love
All my love
You can have it all (REPEAT)

All my heart and all my soul
All I own
You can have it all (REPEAT)

I love You
All of my hope is in You
Jesus Christ take my life
Take all of me (REPEAT)

Let it rise like incense
My whole life a fragrance
Every ounce here broken at Your feet
Every breath is an offering
My heart cries these lungs sing
Over You my worthy King of Kings

ALABASTER HEART: Benjamin Hastings | Kalley Heiligenthal

© 2019 SHOUT! Music Publishing Australia; Bethel Music Publishing; Holy Valley Music

TAKE ALL OF ME: Marty Sampson

© 2003 Hillsong Music Publishing Australia

Questions for Contemplation:

How do you respond to the idea that our “dying to self” is an act of worship? How does that ring true for you, or if it doesn’t, what kind of questions or points of resistance surface as you consider it?

Do you ever find that intentional seasons of reflection sometimes cause your gaze to turn exclusively inward? How might you embrace in a new a deeper way the kind of worship to which Paul exhorts us?

Sit for a while with the lyrics of the chorus from today’s song. Read these words slowly and prayerfully? What do they stir in your soul? Spend some time in prayer offering your desires for whole-life worship to the One who alone is worthy of it.

Let it rise like incense
My whole life a fragrance
Every ounce here broken at Your feet
Every breath is an offering
My heart cries these lungs sing
Over You my worthy King of Kings

Eleventh Day of Lent (Monday, 26 February 2024)

If you’re new to Lenten Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

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(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

This week we focus on the Lenten theme of taking up our cross and following Jesus.

Words of Reflection

“When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.”—Luke 9:51 (NRSV)

It is perhaps the most significant turning point (literally) in Jesus’ three years as an itinerant rabbi. After months of teaching and ministry in Galilee he turns south and “sets his face” towards the city of Jerusalem. It’s an image, not just of intention, but of resoluteness, like that of a prophet given an urgent message to deliver to the people (Ezek. 21:2).

Jesus knows what awaits him in Jerusalem. Earlier in Luke 9 he warned his disciples exactly what would happen when they get there. He will suffer. He will be rejected. He will be killed. Yes, he even lets them in on the greatest secret of all, the truth that he will be raised. The greatest glory will be revealed, but not before the greatest suffering. Jesus is well aware of this. He knows the terrible things that lie ahead, and yet he goes. He sets his face to go to Jerusalem. He has heard God’s call, and he answers with a single word.

“Yes.”

During our Lenten journey we are focusing on a different theme of the season each week. We began with the theme of wilderness, then last week we sat with the theme of repentance. This week we are thinking about the theme of following, because during Lent we, too, “set our face to go to Jerusalem.” We walk with Jesus to the cross of Calvary, where we will be invited to reflect on his death and what it means for us.

But we do not travel merely as spectators. As we make our way to Holy Week we are reminded that ours is more than a journey of observation—it is also a journey of identification. We identify with Christ as we consider his command to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. Each step we make towards Jerusalem becomes an opportunity for self-reflection, allowing the Spirit to find those places within us where we have not fully trusted Jesus or died completely to our own desires. As we walk with Christ, we are made to be more like Christ.

In a way, our Lenten journey echoes the words of Ruth chapter 1:

“Where you go, I will go, where you stay I will stay. Where you die, I will die.”

This is our invitation, and it’s not an easy one. The journey to Christlikeness is a constant revelation of our need, but it is also a constant revelation of God’s power to transform. What he asks of us is the willingness to lay our lives down at the foot of his cross, then to take up our own as we seek more and more what it means to identify with our Savior. May we, too, answer with that single word:

“Yes.”

Scripture for Meditation:

Then he said to them all, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.”
—Luke 9:23-24 (NRSV)

Song: Yes I Will

In the passion of Your sacrifice I saw the prophecy fulfilled
The Healer of the world the wounded Christ
I heard You say come follow Me
So I will yes I will

Follow You Jesus all the way up that hill
Follow You Jesus all the way up that hill
To the cross where the river runs crimson even still
Yes I will follow You Lord
I will

On the sacred path You bled for us, scorned and broken up that hill
How terrible the cross how glorious
I heard You say come follow Me
So I will yes I will

Follow You Jesus all the way up that hill
Follow You Jesus all the way up that hill
To the cross where the river runs crimson even still
Yes I will follow You Lord
I will

In my weakness when I feel afraid
Hear me Jesus when I call Your name
Won't You help me Lord, won't You help me Lord
Please help me Lord
Can You help me Lord, can You help me Lord

Follow You Jesus all the way up that hill
Follow You Jesus all the way all the way
To the cross.where the river runs crimson even still
Yes I will follow You Lord I will
Yes I will I will

Bebo Norman | Marc Byrd | Steve Hindalong

© 2004 Appstreet Music; Never Say Never Songs; New Spring; Meaux Mercy

Questions for Contemplation:

The call of Christ is to take up our cross “daily.” How can we build times into our day to be intentional about this invitation? How might we create space for reflection on the cross and our need for self-denial?

What in your life has the greatest power to divert you from the road to the cross? How can you regularly offer that to God, asking him to rob it of that power?

What does it mean for you to know that Jesus invites you to walk this path with him? Imagine it’s a literal journey and ponder what you’d like to talk with him about as you make your way to Jerusalem together. What questions would you ask him? What would you hope to hear from him?

Second Sunday of Lent (Sunday, 25 February 2024)

If you’re new to Lenten Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Lenten Song Reflections playlist on Spotify.
(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

Words of Reflection

There are days the brokenness just seems to be too much. As we make our way to Jerusalem with Jesus, taking time to contemplate the weight of our sin and the depth of his sacrifice, there are days when it threatens to overwhelm us. Add to that the hurt and pain of a broken world, especially as we have seen it over the past year, and there are times it seems beyond our ability to bear.

It is.

It is absolutely far too much to bear, but for some reason we sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that’s what we’re called to do. That’s what brings us to a breaking point—when we allow the weight of all the brokenness to nearly crush us because we think it’s ours to carry.

It’s not.

Then just when we feel we can’t take another step in our Lenten journey, we come to Sunday. Another “mini-Easter” that reminds us that the the final word doesn’t belong to our sin, and it doesn’t belong to the cross. Just as it doesn’t belong to the forces at work in our world that seek to drown out the truth of what Christ has done. The final word belongs, for now and always, to God.

In the fifth chapter of Revelation, John has a vision of a scroll sealed with seven seals, the opening of which will initiate the final judgments of the end times. Scholars are not in agreement regarding the actual contents of the scroll, but it’s clear it contains a revelation of God’s divine plan for the final redemption of the world. It is mysterious and even a little frightening, but it is also good. God’s plan is always good.

But John is worried. So are the angels gathered around. Why? Because there appears to be no one worthy of breaking the seal on the scroll and revealing its contents. The weight of sin and the schemes of the enemy seem to be having the final word, because only one who can claim victory over those forces is worthy to open the scroll and see God’s plan to fruition. In response to the weight of this moment John begins to “weep bitterly” (v. 4) for fear that nobody will be able to come forward.

But just when all seems lost, the One appears whose victory is sufficient to the task. He comes to take his rightful place and carry out his prescribed work. He alone is worthy, because he alone is the Lamb who was slain. He took sin and death upon himself and forever destroyed their hold over God’s children. He takes the scroll in his hand and those gathered to witness break forth in worship:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”—Revelation 5:12 (NIV)

In a fallen world, and in the face of our own fallenness, we need reminders of the worthiness of Christ and the sufficiency of his work. That’s what the “mini-Easter” of Sunday does for us. When we are discouraged, echoing John and the voices who feared nothing could be done to bring about our redemption, we need to be told again that something has already been done by the only one who is worthy. He alone is able to take the brokenness upon himself by virtue of his sacrifice, and he alone is worthy to rob it of its power by virtue of his resurrection. And one day, he alone will return to welcome the ones he has purchased for God into his presence forever. Reminded of this truth, we can join our voices with the heavenly choir:

Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy of this?
He is

Scripture for Meditation:

Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.

You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
—Revelation 5:6-10 (NIV)

Song: Is He Worthy

Do you feel the world is broken?
We do
Do you feel the shadows deepen?
We do

But do you know that all the dark won't stop the light from getting through?
We do
Do you wish that you could see it all made new?
We do

Is all creation groaning?
It is
Is a new creation coming?
It is

Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst?
It is
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this?
It is

Is anyone worthy?
Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He is David's Root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave

Is He worthy?
Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory?
Is He worthy of this?
He is

Does the Father truly love us?
He does
Does the Spirit move among us?
He does

And does Jesus our Messiah hold forever those He loves?
He does
Does our God intend to dwell again with us?
He does

Is anyone worthy?
Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He is David's Root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave

From ev'ry people and tribe every nation and tongue
He has made us a kingdom and priests to God to reign with the Son

Is He worthy?
Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory?
Is He worthy?
Is He worthy?
Is He worthy of this?
He is

Andrew Peterson | Ben Shive

© 2018 Capitol CMG Genesis; Junkbox Music; Vamos Publishing; Jakedog Music

Questions for Contemplation:

Among the questions asked in this song is: “Do you feel the shadows deepen?” What shadows are deepening in your life? How are you holding those shadows before God? How does the statement “He is worthy” speak into those shadows?

The majority of the lyrics in this song are questions. How are questions worshipful? What questions would you bring to God as an offering of worship today?

The book of Revelation is often treated like a horror story, when in truth it is meant to be a word of hope to those who are discouraged, drifting, and distressed. How does the knowledge of Jesus’ final victory impact your experience of this particular season?

Tenth Day of Lent (Saturday, 24 February 2024)

If you’re new to Lenten Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Lenten Song Reflections playlist on Spotify.
(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

A reminder that during our Lenten journey, Saturdays will be somewhat different as we sit with an instrumental version of a beloved hymn and take time to ponder the meaning of its lyrics. Only a brief word about the history of the hymn will serve as an introduction, and then after our Scripture reading you are invited to read the lyrics slowly and prayerfully while you listen to the instrumental rendition.

Words of Reflection

Our instrumental hymn for today is one of the best-known songs in Christian hymnody. It was written in 1834 by Charlotte Elliott, a Victorian poet and hymn writer from Clapham, England. In 1821, when she was just 32 years old, Charlotte was struck with a serious illness that left her weak in both body and spirit. She suffered from its effects for the rest of her life, often leaving her struggling with feelings of loneliness and uselessness.

During her illness a well-known preacher from Switzerland, César Malan, came to visit her. He asked Charlotte if she had peace with God, and in her depressed state she refused to answer him. When given a chance to visit with him again, she apologized and said, “You spoke of coming to Jesus, but how? I am not fit to come.” She told him she needed to “clean up her life” before she could come to God in faith. Malan’s response was simple: “Come just as you are,” and Charlotte did just that.

Even as her faith grew, Charlotte’s struggles with feeling useless would occasionally resurface. In 1834, while her family attended a nearby church bazaar to raise funds for a school, Charlotte found herself confined due to her health. Reflecting on her inability to help such a worthwhile cause, and tempted again to feel of no use, she found herself recalling César Malan’s invitation: “Come just as you are.” Taking pen to paper, she then proceeded to write what would become one of the best-loved hymns of all time.

Over the past few days we have been reflecting on the Lenten theme of repentance. One of the beautiful things about this invitation from God is that he does not expect us to “clean ourselves up” before coming to him. In our repentance we are met by God exactly as we are, with all of our baggage, mess, and need. He does not scold or shame, but invites us into his forgiving grace where we are loved and transformed.

Often with familiar hymns we can lose sight of their beauty and profundity. May God open our hearts and minds to hear his love and call for us anew in these well-known words.

Scripture for Meditation:

After this Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax-collection station, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up, left everything, and followed him.

Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others reclining at the table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick; I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
—Luke 5:27-32 (NRSV)

Song: Just as I Am

Time of Contemplation:

Read through the lyrics of this hymn slowly and prayerfully. Read them more than once, and pay attention to the movement of your soul as you pray. What words or phrases grab your attention? Why? As you finish, sit in prayerful silence before God and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you something of your need and God’s provision that emerges from these words.

Just as I am without one plea
But that Thy Blood was shed for me
And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee
O Lamb of God I come I come

Just as I am Thou wilt receive
Wilt welcome pardon cleanse relieve
Because Thy Promise I believe
O Lamb of God I come I come

Just as I am Thy Love unknown
Hath broken ev’ry barrier down
Now to be Thine yes Thine alone
O Lamb of God I come I come

Just as I am though tossed about
With many a conflict many a doubt
Fightings and fears within without
O Lamb of God I come I come

Charlotte Elliott | William Batchelder Bradbury

Words: Public Domain; Music: Public Domain

Ninth Day of Lent (Friday, 23 February 2024)

If you’re new to Lenten Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Lenten Song Reflections playlist on Spotify.
(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

This week we focus on the Lenten theme of repentance.

Words of Reflection

The season of Lent provides us a special opportunity to understand the heart of God for his wandering children in a richer and deeper way. Spending an intentional 40 days thinking about the cross of Christ and the depth of his sacrifice reminds us just how loved we are, because we see what lengths God went to in order to draw us back to himself.

It’s a common misconception to think that this picture of God’s heart, with all of its tenderness and longing for a wayward people, is a uniquely New Testament image. It is not. It is the same heart that we find yearning for the return of his people Israel, who choose their own path in hopeless pursuit of idols despite all God has done for them.

Nowhere is this more powerfully demonstrated than in the story of the prophet Hosea. Called by God to speak out against the nation’s idolatry, Hosea is also called to live out a very striking image of God’s love and Israel’s unfaithfulness in his marriage to a woman named Gomer. The persistent, loving, and faithful attempts by Hosea to bring Gomer out of her sin and bring her home provide a living parable of our relationship with God. The same words God cries out in Hosea 11 about Israel, he also cries out regarding us: “How can I give you up? How can I let you go?” These are words of absolute love and endless compassion. In them we find the invitation to cease our wanderings and return to the One who loves us with a perfect love.

Repentance is our response to God’s call to come home. It’s not about punishment and it’s not about shame. It’s about God’s heart calling out to us, and our heart responding in faith, trust, and supplication. No matter how often we stray, God stands ready to forgive. His love is constant and eternally faithful.

He wants nothing more than for us to return. He invites us to come home.

Scripture for Meditation:

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, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from punishment.

Who knows whether he will not turn and relent and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?
—Joel 2:12-14 (NRSV)

Song: Hosea (Come Back to Me)

Come back to me with all your heart.
Don't let fear keep us apart.
Trees do bend, 'though straight and tall;
so must we to others' call.

Long have I waited for your coming home to me
and living deeply our new life.

The wilderness will lead you
to your heart where I will speak.
Integrity and justice,
With tenderness, you shall know.

Long have I waited for your coming home to me
and living deeply our new life.

You shall sleep secure with peace;
faithfulness will be your joy.

Long have I waited for your coming home to me
and living deeply our new life.

Gregory Norbet

Today we give you two different options for this song. The first, by Kairy Marquez & Jonatan Narváez, is a somewhat upbeat, pop/folk rendition. The second is a more reflective version by John Michael Talbot.

Questions for Contemplation:

Spend some time considering God’s heart for you reflected in the words, “How can I give you up? How can I let you go?” Are you able to hear the depth of his love behind those words, love demonstrated supremely in the death and resurrection of Jesus? If not, what barriers might be preventing you from fully accepting it?

What does it mean for you to “return home” to God? How has he shown patience to you in your wanderings, and how has his grace been demonstrated to you when you return? Spend some time in grateful prayer for the ways he has called you home to himself.

In today’s song we hear the lyrics, “The wilderness will lead you to your heart where I will speak.” How has God spoken to you in your wilderness seasons? If you’re in a wilderness season right now, how might you find a posture of listening for his voice?

Eighth Day of Lent (Thursday, 22 February 2024)

If you’re new to Lenten Song Reflections, click here to learn about it

Click here to follow the Lenten Song Reflections playlist on Spotify.
(please note—versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

This week we focus on the Lenten theme of repentance.

Words of Reflection

One of the theological terms at play when we talk about repentance is justification—the movement that takes place when we bring our sin to God and find forgiveness, and in doing so find ourselves transferred from a state of guilt and shame to one of grace and mercy. Justification is where our souls are washed clean and we receive the righteousness of Christ that we could never earn.

It is a beautiful thing.

It’s ironic, then, that the same term which describes how God deals with our sin is also a term that describes our own attempts to minimize it. We stand as those who need the justification that only Christ can bring, but often what stands in the way is our desire for a different kind of justification—the kind that we use to excuse our sin and explain it away.

How many excuses do we come up with to dismiss the severity of our sin? How many ways do we rationalize what we’ve done, sometimes to the point where we feel there’s really no need to bring God into it? When we reach that point, we have found a level of denial that is not only unhealthy, it is dangerous and often destructive.

The truth is this: repentance requires brutal honesty with ourselves and before God. In repentance we ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and bring anything that is not of God to the surface so it can be dealt with. It can be a very unpleasant process as we confront the ugliness of our sin, but we need to always remember that the Spirit is a skilled and loving surgeon—the knife may cut deep, but the goal is always our healing.

Our human tendency is to hide. It’s been that way since the beginning (Gen. 3:8). But Jesus calls us out of our hiding and our denial because he loves us and wants to see us restored. Our attempts at justification are rooted in our fear and shame, but in the presence of Christ those are not just lessened—they are completely obliterated. There, in that place of difficult honesty, we find the tender mercies of God have freedom to move and work.

It is a beautiful thing.

Scripture for Meditation:

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
—1 John 1:5-9 (NRSV)

Song: I Repent

I regret the hours I have wasted
And the pleasures I have tasted that You were never in
And I confess that though Your love is in me
It doesn't always win me when competing with my sin

And I repent
Making no excuses
I repent
No one else to blame
And I return
To fall in love with Jesus
I bow down on my knees
And I repent

I lament the idols I've accepted
The commandments I've rejected to pursue my selfish end
And I confess I need You to revive me
Put selfishness behind me and take up my cross again

And I repent
Making no excuses
I repent
No one else to blame
And I return
To fall in love with Jesus
I bow down on my knees
And I repent

Dave Noel | Phil Naish | Steve Green

© 1998 Birdwing Music; Davaub Music; JillyBird Music; Meadowgreen Music Company; Steve Green Music

Questions for Contemplation:

Do you find it easy or difficult to be honest with God about your own struggle with sin? How does your image of God impact that part of your life with Christ? How might God be inviting you into a place of even deeper honesty and vulnerability?

John writes, “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.” When the light of God shines on our lives, it illuminates everything, even the things we have tried to hide. Can you receive that truth with a joyful heart? If not, what emotions and concerns get in the way? How can you offer those to God in prayer?

In today’s song the invitation to repent is coupled with the invitation to “return to fall in love with Jesus.” Sit with those two invitations and ask God to show you how they’re related, and how he is extending those invitations to you even now.

Seventh Day of Lent (Wednesday, 21 February 2024)

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This week we focus on the Lenten theme of repentance.

Words of Reflection

There are a lot of images that can be used when we talk about repentance. The most common is probably a picture of turning around—we were heading one way, but then we changed direction when we realized the path we were following was the wrong one. This is the meaning of the Greek word epistrephō, which appears in verses like Acts 11:21, “The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord.” (NRSV)

An image that goes well with that is returning—we who have wandered from God hear the invitation to both turn around and come home. Perhaps the most powerful picture of this comes from the parable of the prodigal son, who “came to his senses” and returned to his father and a gracious welcome he neither expected nor deserved.

Today you’re invited to consider a new image for repentance, one that may seem a bit confusing: falling. No doubt that makes zero sense at first. Falling, after all, is the image of sin. When we sin, we stumble. We even refer to the very first sin as “the fall.” How can falling become an image for us of repentance?

In the book of 2 Samuel King David is caught in a sin that has horrific consequences for Israel. When faced with those consequences, David says to the prophet Gad, “I am in great distress; let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great…” (2 Samuel 24:14, NRSV). Scripture is full of similar language as God’s people are invited to trust in the hand of God to catch us when we stumble. When we fall into God’s loving arms, we are safe. When we fall on our face before him, we are right where we need to be.

When our sin wearies us, when our pride and poor choices bring us to the end of ourselves, falling is inevitable. The question is…into what will we fall? Will we fall into a pool of shame and self-pity, or will we embrace the invitation to repent by falling into the merciful arms of Jesus?

Beloved, let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great.

Scripture for Meditation:

The Lord is faithful in all his words and gracious in all his deeds.
The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is just in all his ways and kind in all his doings.
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of all who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.
—Psalm 145:13b-19 (NRSV)

Song: Lord I Need You

Lord I come I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
And without You I fall apart
You're the one that guides my heart

Lord I need You oh I need You
Ev'ry hour I need You
My one defense my righteousness
Oh God how I need You

Where sin runs deep Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me
Where You are Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

Lord I need You oh I need You
Ev'ry hour I need You
My one defense my righteousness
Oh God how I need You

So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay

Lord I need You oh I need You
Ev'ry hour I need You
My one defense my righteousness
Oh God how I need You
My one defense my righteousness
Oh God how I need You

Christy Nockels | Daniel Carson | Jesse Reeves | Kristian Stanfill | Matt Maher

© 2011 sixsteps Music; Sweater Weather Music; worshiptogether.com songs; Thankyou Music; Valley Of Songs Music

Questions for Contemplation:

Can you think of a time when you found yourself falling into the arms of God? How did you experience his love and mercy in that situation? How did he show himself to be trustworthy and faithful? Spend some time in grateful prayer as you remember his lovingkindness to you.

The psalmist writes “The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.” What does it mean for you to be “bowed down?” What invitation do you find in that language?

Spend some time sitting with this lyric from today’s song: “When I cannot stand I’ll fall on You.” Are you in a season right now where it is difficult to stand? Or do you perhaps know someone in a season like that right now? Spend some time in prayer for the circumstances or situations that come to your mind. Ask God to remind you and your loved ones of his strong arms that are able to catch us when we fall.