The Upper Room Daily Devotional "1st Sunday in Lent" Sunday, 9 March 2014 - Read Romans 6:4-14

The Upper Room Daily Devotional "1st Sunday in Lent" Sunday, 9 March 2014 - Read Romans 6:4 We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection; 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him; 9 knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no more has dominion over him! 10 For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. 11 Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 Also, do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.
Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch — as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.--1 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)
I grew up at a time in our country when the word God was written without a capital letter. Belief in God was viewed as irrational behavior. But on a particular day every spring, homes were filled with unusual baking smells and decorated eggs; there was a festive sense in the air. I enjoyed baking kulich (Russian Easter cake) and decorating eggs. Often people went to the cemetery. In many cases, this was the only day in the year when deceased relatives were remembered. If you had a table laden with Easter dishes and had been to the cemetery, then Easter had been celebrated well. Then I came to the Lord. I discovered that decorating eggs is not important; an abundant table is not necessary; and one can visit the graves of loved ones any day. For me, Easter became a festival of light. Even if the clouds blocked the sun on Easter, the light of Christ illuminated the day. I don’t think I will ever understand the deep meaning of Christ’s coming to earth. But I can feel his endless love. And it gives me joy to know that Easter is a miracle that is directly connected to me.
--The Author: Galina Samson (Voronezh, Russia)
Thought for the Day: What does Easter mean to me?
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the miracle of the Resurrection — and that we are a part of it. Amen.
Prayer focus: Someone celebrating Easter for the first time
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