Lenten Devotional Day 1 - Ash Wednesday
ASH WEDNESDAY DEVOTIONAL
BY PASTOR VICKI HARRISON
Scripture Reading:
Psalm 103:13-17,
The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
Our days on earth are like grass;
like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.
But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him…
Reflection:
When Daniel was in high school, he really struggled to wake up in the morning. I did everything I could to get him up, from playing loud music to pouring water on his head (desperate times call for desperate measures!) I was really worried he would go off to college and never wake up for classes. In a last-ditch effort, I bought what Amazon declared was the loudest alarm clock available. It was called the Sonic Boom. One of the reviews said it was like the Russian army invading your bedroom in the morning. The first morning it went off, the whole house shook and Richard and I sat up immediately in our bed on the other side of the house. No living thing could sleep with the Sonic Boom to wake them from their slumber.
Today is Ash Wednesday. Many of you have asked what the purpose of Ash Wednesday is for us as Methodists. I like to think of Ash Wednesday as an alarm clock for our tired, routine lives. After a global pandemic, internet church services, and loss of connection, we have been coasting spiritually. We need a spiritual Sonic Boom to wake us from our deep slumber and remind us how short these lives really are! Are we using our one and only live in a way that brings glory to God? Are we right with God? Are we putting value in things with eternal value? What changes do we need to make to reorient our lives toward God and away from the things of this world? For what do we need to repent?
Ash Wednesday reminds us how fragile and temporary our lives in this world truly are. As we place the ashes on each forehead in the sign of the cross, we say, “From dust you have come and to dust you will return.” All of us will return to dust. But God and God’s love are eternal. I don’t know about you, but I need that reminder.
Prayer:
Lord, Thank you for loving me. Wake me up from my spiritual sleepiness so that I can be fully focused on you. During this season of Lent, help me to be fully aware of your presence in my life. I want to be closer to you! I’m sorry for how I have messed up over and over again. Forgive me, Lord. I know this life is short. May I use my days to glorify you and you alone. In the name of Jesus, Amen.