The Daily Devotional of The Upper Room in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "A Precious Gift" for Thursday, March 2, 2017 with Scripture Hebrews 13:7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke God’s message to you. Reflect on the results of their way of life, and imitate their trust — 8 Yeshua the Messiah is the same yesterday, today and forever.
9 Do not be carried away by various strange teachings; for what is good is for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods. People who have made these the focus of their lives have not benefited thereby.
10 We have an altar from which those who serve in the Tent are not permitted to eat. 11 For the cohen hagadol brings the blood of animals into the Holiest Place as a sin offering, but their bodies are burned outside the camp.[Hebrews 13:11 Leviticus 16:27] 12 So too Yeshua suffered death outside the gate, in order to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Therefore, let us go out to him who is outside the camp and share his disgrace. 14 For we have no permanent city here; on the contrary, we seek the one to come. 15 Through him, therefore, let us offer God a sacrifice of praise continually.[Hebrews 13:15 Leviticus 7:12; 22:29; Psalms 50:14, 23; 107:22; 116:17; 2 Chronicles 29:31] For this is the natural product of lips that acknowledge his name.
16 But don’t forget doing good and sharing with others, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
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I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.[Psalm 116:17 (KJV)]
I’ve always observed Lent by sacrificing something to help me remember Christ’s holy sacrifice for me. But over the years some of my passion for this practice dimmed, and I began to question my motives for observing this spiritual discipline. Does Christ really find pleasure in my “suffering”? I had to acknowledge that the answer was a resounding no. After all, Christ loves me!
Divided between the desire to make a heartfelt offering to God and the ambivalence I felt, I struggled. I yearned to give God what I considered most precious — and with some reluctance, I realized that what is most precious to me is my time. Most days I feel I don’t have a second to spare.
Committing to give God an hour daily is a genuine sacrifice — but like everything I’ve given in the past, my time already belongs to God. Those 60 minutes — bowing in prayer, reading the Bible, or volunteering — leave me stronger and happier. I now share a more intimate relationship with Christ than I’ve enjoyed in years. I haven’t really given up anything after all. I’ve discovered the riches of time well spent in the presence of God.
Read more from the author, here.
"Precious Minutes"
Spending an hour alone with God every day during the Lenten season last year was an eye-opener for me, one of the most powerful I’ve experienced in my faith walk. I discovered the intimacy, wisdom, and strength found only by taking the time—or rather, giving it up—to God on a regular basis. Quiet moments set aside for reflective meditation on the word helped me better understand who Christ is and who I am in him. I learned that offering thanks and praise became more satisfying when I slowed down and listened for God's responses. Sometimes I received answers to prayer requests during the hour. Other times God spoke to me on entirely different subjects, perhaps things I’d neglected that needed my attention. I came away from those 40 days with deeper faith and higher self-esteem. I felt loved, listened to, and valued.
I wanted so much to continue spending that block of time alone with Christ as the seasons passed, but the time I offered became shorter and shorter. Sometimes five minutes less, other times 10, until eventually the busyness of life stole almost all those precious minutes away. I’d compromised my priorities bit by bit until my main focus, tending to my relationship with God, all but disappeared.
Recently, as I reread this devotion prior to publication, it woke me up. What had I traded away by using those 60 minutes for other projects? Was it worth it? The answer was no. I missed the closeness I’d felt with God back then, the confidence I’d felt that I was walking in the Lord's will.
I want it back again. I’m sure God does, as well. It won’t be easy, but it wasn’t last year either. I need to regain that determination I had last Lenten season, and I pray I can maintain it as a daily discipline all year round. Will I be able to keep it up this time? I don’t know. But I believe every hour I do share with God will be better spent than anything else I might feel pulled toward. I realize there will be days when it just won’t be possible to set the hour aside, but I will do what I can, because this relationship is more important than any other. God holds me dear—I want to hold my time with God dear as well.[Heidi Gaul]The Author: Heidi Gaul (Oregon, USA)
Thought for the Day: One of the greatest gifts I can give to God is my time.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for your sacrifice and for the blessing we find when we move closer to you — day by day, hour by hour. Amen.
Prayer focus: Volunteers
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The Daily Devotional of The Upper Room in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Ash Wednesday" for Wednesday, March 1, 2017 with Scripture 1 Corinthians 9:24 Don’t you know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one wins the prize? So then, run to win! 25 Now every athlete in training submits himself to strict discipline, and he does it just to win a laurel wreath that will soon wither away. But we do it to win a crown that will last forever. 26 Accordingly, I don’t run aimlessly but straight for the finish line; I don’t shadow-box but try to make every punch count. 27 I treat my body hard and make it my slave so that, after proclaiming the Good News to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
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Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it.[1 Corinthians 9:24 (NRSV)]
As a former college football player, I take special notice when Paul refers to sports. In the reading above Paul wrote, “Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one.” Paul uses the examples of a runner and a boxer; both have to be extraordinarily disciplined with their training if they expect to win.
Every two years, over 200 countries worldwide send their very best athletes to compete in the Summer or Winter Olympic Games. I love learning the backstories of the athletes — their inspiring journeys of perseverance, courage, and dedication. Each athlete has worked hard to overcome obstacles and reach an elite level of competition. Their stories remind me that it is easy to be a fan but hard to be an athlete. Being a fan requires little; but being an athlete requires training, discipline, and perseverance.
Paul makes the same point about our life of faith. Following Jesus requires discipline and perseverance. As we enter into the season of Lent, Paul’s letters remind us to practice the self-discipline necessary to grow in Jesus’ likeness each day. By taking on new habits or disciplines during Lent, we can grow closer to Christ.
The Author: Matt Miofsky (Missouri, USA)
Thought for the Day: What new practice can help me grow closer to Christ?
Prayer: Holy God, help us not only to proclaim the name of Jesus, but to follow him with dedication and passion. Amen.
Prayer focus: Olympic athletes
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