The Daily Devotional of The Upper Room in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Somber Optimism" for Friday, March 3, 2017 with Scripture Joel 2:12-17

The Daily Devotional of The Upper Room in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Somber Optimism" for Friday, March 3, 2017 with Scripture Joel 2:12 “Yet even now,” says Adonai,
“turn to me with all your heart,
with fasting, weeping and lamenting.”
13 Tear your heart, not your garments;
and turn to Adonai your God.
For he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger, rich in grace,
and willing to change his mind about disaster.
14 Who knows? He may turn, change his mind
and leave a blessing behind him,
[enough for] grain offerings and drink offerings
to present to Adonai your God.
15 “Blow the shofar in Tziyon!
Proclaim a holy fast,
call for a solemn assembly.”
16 Gather the people; consecrate the congregation;
assemble the leaders; gather the children,
even infants sucking at the breast;
let the bridegroom leave his room
and the bride the bridal chamber.
17 Let the cohanim, who serve Adonai,
stand weeping between the vestibule and the altar.
Let them say, “Spare your people, Adonai!
Don’t expose your heritage to mockery,
or make them a byward among the Goyim.
Why should the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’”
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Job answered the Lord, “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”[Job 42:5-6 (NRSV)]
During an Ash Wednesday service in my church, the pastor alternates between two different statements when imposing the cross of ashes on the forehead of worshipers. The first is, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The second is, “Repent, and believe the gospel.” In my church’s tradition, the thanksgiving over the ashes includes this petition: “Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence.”
Sin and death are not exactly popular topics. Many believe that Ash Wednesday is unnecessarily somber and pessimistic. However, I see Ash Wednesday as a healthy response to the realities of life. Ash Wednesday invites us to contemplate our sin and the inevitability of our death and to confess our sinfulness because we are confident in God’s grace and forgiveness. We contemplate death because of our confidence in Christ’s victory over the grave.
Ash Wednesday is somber but optimistic. It allows us to face life as it really is with God’s promise of our deliverance from sin and death.
The Author: Michael A. Macdonald (North Carolina, USA)
Thought for the Day: Ash Wednesday is an invitation to remember God’s grace.
Prayer: Almighty God, help us to remember that only by your gracious gift are we given everlasting life. We pray through Jesus Christ our savior. Amen.
Prayer focus: Those who have not found hope in Jesus

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