Devotional readings focused on Psalm 14 and 15 for the first week of March.
Meditation
This week, many Christians will celebrate Ash Wednesday. If you were to attend an Ash Wednesday service, you would likely sing a hymn about repentance, participate in prayer and scripture reading describing the forgiveness and restoration offered through Christ, and finally you would go forward and kneel while the pastor drew a small cross on your forehead with a paste made from oil and the ashes of last Easter's palm fronds.
I didn't grow up in a church denomination that observed Ash Wednesday or the subsequent days of Lent, but I have learned to appreciate the meaning and purpose of such traditions, especially those leading to reflection on how I am doing in my walk with Christ.
However, personal reflection isn't something that we do only when a certain date rolls around. In fact, many women find the midlife season to be a season of introspection. Maybe it's because midlife is such a dramatic departure from the hubbub of household management with kids at home. We finally have time to ourselves, and many of us tend to spend at least little of it evaluating our progress and performance in life thus far.
How might you do that this week as we begin the season of Lent? Well, our Psalms this week can provide us with a measuring tool we can use to evaluate our walk with God and recommit ourselves to following Him faithfully. Psalm 14 describes the actions of one whose heart is turned against God:
The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good. (Psalm 14:1, NIV)
Hopefully, we look pretty good compared to that description! But take a look at the standard of righteousness the psalmist David describes for the one who abides with God:
Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart. . . (Psalm 15:1-2, NIV)
I know I don't quite live up to that standard! But as I think about the meaning of Ash Wednesday, I realize that God is always inviting me to come to him humbly with the ashes of my own attempts at right living and surrender them at the cross of Christ. There I receive forgiveness and encouragement to keep steadfastly following Jesus.
What better time to do that than in midlife? In this season, we have the best view of both our past and future. We can see our successes and failures up to this point, and we have a clear and realistic picture of our own ability to make changes in the time we have left.
Life transitions like the midlife season provide us with great opportunities for some honest evaluation, so this week, let's take some time to look carefully at our walk with Christ. Each day, the reflection questions below will guide you through careful reading of the scripture and an evaluation of your own heart and life. Be both honest and realistic with yourself, and then bring Christ the ashes and ask Him to make them beautiful again. He is our Redeemer, and He will be overjoyed to do that for us.
Readings and Reflection Questions
Reflection Questions: Constrast Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 15:2. What is said in the heart that makes a difference in a person's life? Now contrast Psalm 14:5 and the end of Psalm 15:5. What is the difference between the righteous and unrighteous person according to these verses? What might it mean to " not be shaken" in the season of midlife?
Tuesday's reading: Isaiah 61
Reflection Questions: This passage is a prophecy about Jesus. What does Jesus want to do for people according to this passage? Read verses 4-9 carefully. What are some practical outcomes of being God's people? How could you experience some of those outcomes in your life right now?
Wednesday's reading: Proverbs 29
Reflection Questions: Proverbs 29 contains 14 verses that contrast foolish and evil people with the righteous and wise. Which of these contrasts are most relevant to you in your season of life? How could you personally use the guidance in these verses to bring more righteousness and wisdom into your family or community?
Thursday's reading: John 3
Reflection Questions: Mark the word "but" in this passage, or make note of the verses containing the word on a separate piece of paper. What contrasts is Jesus describing between those who believe in Him and those who do not? How do these contrasts relate to what you learned by reading Psalm 14 and 15?
Friday's reading: Ephesians 5:1-21
Reflection Questions: In this passage, Paul gives a checklist of characteristics that every Christ-follower should be developing. Identify each character quality and it's contrasting negative quality. Take some time to pray over areas that you would like God to help you work on.
Weekend reading: Psalm 26
Reflection Questions: Read through this psalm and evaluate how your attitude toward God aligns with the psalmist's description of a blameless life. What are some areas that need work in your life? Where are you doing well? Read through the psalm again as a prayer of commitment to walking with God faithfully.
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