Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 28

Devotion for Saturday after Lent 3

Many bulls encompass me;
    strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
they open wide their mouths at me,
    like a ravening and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
    it is melted within my breast;
my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
    and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
    you lay me in the dust of death.
For dogs encompass me;
    a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
they divide my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots. ~ Psalm 22:12-18

Psalm 22 is one of David’s prophetic psalms about Jesus. Just reading these words puts us at the feet of the cross, watching Jesus suffer and die—for us! He took the punishment we deserved so we can be forgiven and spend eternity in heaven with Him and the Father. He loves each one of us that much.

Almighty God, You could have saved Jesus from the cross, but You chose to sacrifice Your Son, and He chose to be the sacrifice for my sins. I can’t imagine such incredible love, yet I am so thankful for it. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I want to live my life for You. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Devotion for Friday after Lent 3

More in number than the hairs of my head
    are those who hate me without cause;
mighty are those who would destroy me,
    those who attack me with lies.
What I did not steal
    must I now restore?
O God, you know my folly;
    the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.

Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,
    O Lord God of hosts;
let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,
    O God of Israel.
For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach,
    that dishonor has covered my face.
I have become a stranger to my brothers,
    an alien to my mother’s sons.

For zeal for your house has consumed me,
    and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting,
    it became my reproach.
When I made sackcloth my clothing,
    I became a byword to them.
I am the talk of those who sit in the gate,
    and the drunkards make songs about me. ~ Psalm 69:4-12

David was being dishonored and reproached because of his love for God. His concern was not that he was being treated badly, but that he would bring shame to those who follow the Lord. Usually when we’re attacked unfairly, we want justice. We want to be vindicated. Oh, that we would be like David and seek to honor God rather than defend ourselves.

Lord God, give me willingness to suffer for You, with my only concern that I not lead anyone else astray or cause shame to any of Your followers. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Devotion for Thursday after Lent 3

“Oh that my words were written!
    Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
Oh that with an iron pen and lead
    they were engraved in the rock forever!

Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, O you my friends,
    for the hand of God has touched me!
Why do you, like God, pursue me?
    Why are you not satisfied with my flesh?

For I know that my Redeemer lives,
    and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
    yet in my flesh I shall see God,
whom I shall see for myself,
    and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
    My heart faints within me!
If you say, ‘How we will pursue him!’
    and, ‘The root of the matter is found in him,’
be afraid of the sword,
    for wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
    that you may know there is a judgment.” ~ Job 19:21-29

This passage never fails to amaze me. Job is probably the first book of the Bible recorded, so Job did not have the written Word of God, and he lived before the Incarnate Word. Yet in spite of losing everything he had, suffering in agony, and being harangued and insulted by his so-called friends, Job still knew and proclaimed that he would see his Redeemer in the flesh one day. How many of us have a hard time believing that when we have the entire Scripture and we know the life and death of our Redeemer? God’s Word tells about many great heroes of faith, and Job is one of my favorites.

Lord, give me the faith of Job. No matter what happens to me in this life, I know I will stand before my Redeemer and see Him in the flesh! In His name. Amen.

Devotion for Wednesday after Lent 3

All who see me mock me;
    they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
    let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” ~ Psalm 22:7-8

These words apply to Jesus on the cross. He was ridiculed because God did not save Him. The people mocking Him didn’t understand that Jesus was there by choice. God could rescue Him any time, but Jesus chose to take our sins on Him and die on the cross so we can live forever. Instead of asking His Father to rescue Him, Jesus, by His willing sacrifice of Himself, rescued us from eternity in hell.

Lord, there are no words adequate to describe what Jesus did for me. He endured more pain and suffering than I can imagine, He suffered mockery and derision from onlookers, and—worst of all—He suffered separation from You, the Father. Both of You suffered more than I can imagine in that moment of separation, but You did it for me, so I don’t have to be separated from You forever. Give me a grateful heart and the desire and ability to live for You. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Devotion for Tuesday after Lent 3

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. ~ John 6:35-37

We tend to worry about everything, including what we will
eat and drink. We don’t want to miss or be late for a meal. But Jesus tells us
that He is sufficient for our needs. With Him, we will not hunger or thirst. We
never have to worry about missing a meal, because He will never cast us out.

Father God, help me to focus on Jesus and the spiritual food and drink He provides. Take away my worries about my physical needs and material things and turn my heart to Jesus. In His name. Amen.

Devotion for Monday after Lent 3

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. ~ 1 Peter 5:6-11

This short passage covers a lot of territory—much of it the opposite of our sinful human nature. We prefer to exalt ourselves rather than humble ourselves. We worry and fret rather than give all our cares to the Lord. Many of us don’t take the devil seriously enough, and probably none of us like the idea of suffering. However, there is good—wonderful—news: we can resist the devil, and like our brothers and sisters in faith, God Himself will lead us through our trials to eternal glory.

Thank You, Lord God, that You are with me throughout every difficulty I face. I can lean on You, and You will support and strengthen me. The sufferings I experience in this life cannot compare to the glory that You have in store for me and all believers. Your grace is boundless—may my gratitude and love for You be equally boundless. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Devotion for the Third Sunday in Lent

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. ~ 1 Peter 4:12-16

Fiery trials, insults, suffering. Not only must we expect them, but also we should welcome them. We should rejoice to share the sufferings of our Lord. If we really consider what Jesus suffered for us—He took the punishment we deserved and He didn’t—we will consider the sufferings of this world to be minor.

Almighty God, open my eyes and heart to the glory that You have for me and all believers. Let me see the blessing in the suffering and rejoice that I am considered worthy to suffer for Christ. In His name I pray. Amen.

Devotion for Saturday after Lent 2

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For
“Whoever desires to love life
    and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
    and his lips from speaking deceit;
let him turn away from evil and do good;
    let him seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.  ~ 1 Peter 3:8-18

Suffering again. God’s Word says more about suffering—and our need to experience it—than we want to hear. Often unbelievers use the existence of suffering in the world as an argument against the existence or the power or the goodness of God. “If God exists, if He is sovereign, if He is good, He would not allow suffering,” they say. But God’s Word says the opposite. Not only should Christians expect suffering, but we should consider it a blessing!

Father God, it’s hard for me to consider suffering as a blessing. I want comfort and lack of pain. Instead, You tell me to suffer and to consider myself blessed. Thank You, Father, for the blessing of suffering. Let me experience it without complaint, indeed with thanksgiving, and let me learn from it what You want to teach me. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Devotion for Friday after Lent 2

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. ~ 1 Peter 2:13-25

In our human nature, we don’t want to obey unjust masters, bosses, leaders. We generally don’t want to suffer at all, but especially not unjustly. But God’s Word tells us that we are to follow in Christ’s footsteps. He suffered unjustly—He who never sinned was punished for our sins—but he never complained or fought back or stood up for Himself.

Lord God, I don’t want to suffer, even when I deserve it and especially when I don’t. Please give me the attitude of Jesus—to suffer as He suffered and to forgive those who cause my sufferings. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Devotion for Thursday after Lent 2

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile. ~ 1 Peter 1:8-17

When we read that we are to be holy as God is holy, most of us wonder how that’s possible. We are by nature sinful and corrupt—not holy. But when God calls us to something, He empowers us. We cannot be holy on our own, but we are holy because Jesus made us holy when He washed us in His Blood on the cross. No matter how or how often we sin, every time we repent, we are washed clean and made holy.

Lord God, there is no way I can be holy as You are holy—yet You make me holy. Jesus gave His life and rose again from the dead so I can be pure before You. That is one of those thoughts of Yours that is far above mine, one of those ways that is far above my ways. I am so in awe of Your power, Your love, Your mercy, and Your grace. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.