1 Samuel 28:4-15a

⁴ The Philistines set up their camp at Shunem, and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camped at Gilboa. ⁵ When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear. ⁶ He asked the Lord what he should do, but the Lord refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots^[a] or by the prophets. ⁷ Saul then said to his advisers, “Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do.”

His advisers replied, “There is a medium at Endor.”

⁸ So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman’s home at night, accompanied by two of his men.

“I have to talk to a man who has died,” he said. “Will you call up his spirit for me?”

⁹ “Are you trying to get me killed?” the woman demanded. “You know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting a trap for me?”

¹⁰ But Saul took an oath in the name of the Lord and promised, “As surely as the Lord lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this.”

¹¹ Finally, the woman said, “Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?”

“Call up Samuel,” Saul replied.

¹² When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, “You’ve deceived me! You are Saul!”

¹³ “Don’t be afraid!” the king told her. “What do you see?”

“I see a god^[b] coming up out of the earth,” she said.

¹⁴ “What does he look like?” Saul asked.

“He is an old man wrapped in a robe,” she replied. Saul realized it was Samuel, and he fell to the ground before him.

¹⁵ “Why have you disturbed me by calling me back?” Samuel asked Saul.

Dear God, this whole thing about mediums has always set a little awkward with me. I’ve always been in the “this all just seems wrong” camp. Whether I don’t believe in mediums or I think they are evil, it’s just always freaked me out a little. But I was listening to a commentary on this passage yesterday and I liked what the speaker said. He basically took the position that the spirit world is real–probably more real than the physical world I see–and it is not to be messed with in this way. Tarot cards, ouija boards, etc. These are instruments of Satan to give us false gods to pull us away from you and they should be rejected. So Saul was right to forbid mediums and he should never have messed with this one. It’s not like he got any information that would change the decision you made about him and his kingdom. In fact, Samuel was pretty upset about being pulled back. What an interesting story.

So what do I let in from the spiritual realm that I shouldn’t? Do I respect it like I should? Are there things I look to as an idol that can replace my dependence upon you? There is so much I don’t understand. Do I try to grasp knowledge that you haven’t designed me to have yet? I don’t know, I’m asking a lot of questions that I don’t even know the answers to. I can’t think of anything I’m doing that messes inappropriately with the spiritual realm, but on the other hand, if I even entertain sin in my mind am I giving Satan that entry into my soul?

Father, give me eyes to see. Help me to critically look at my life and my actions. Do it all for my relationship with you and your glory.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Hebrews 7:23-26

There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.
Hebrews 7:23-26

Dear God, my wife and I prayed together this morning. We take turns each day with who prays and it was my turn. I found myself praying the prayer Jesus taught us to pray, or at least the outline of it. As I think of Jesus the High Priest, I think about how I’m able to come to you this morning through him. I’m a Gentile who has grace and access to you through him. It is that thought that leads me into worshipping you and that’s when I find myself following the format Jesus game is.

Father, you are unbelievable, and I am so fortunate…fortunate? That’s weak. I am so unworthy of your love. Yet you make me worthy. You are amazing, unbelievably loving, and forgiving. Thank you. Please let your kingdom come and will be done on this earth and in our lives. From Ukraine and foreign affairs to my family and everything in between. Make the pain we experience count for your glory. Meet our needs today. Help us to remember that you are our provision. You are our only certainty and to not set up idols to replace you. Forgive me for how I sin and show me what it looks like to forgive others even when they don’t seek it. Keep me from succumbing to temptation. Help me resist Satan’s plans for me. And I acknowledge that your kingdom is the one constant, now and forever.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Hosea 1:2

² When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.”

Hosea 1:2

Dear God, what kind of dreams did Hosea have for his life? When he was a little boy and thinking about growing up, what did he think his life would look like? I’m pretty sure it didn’t include marrying an unfaithful prostitute.

I suppose each of us has a call on our lives, and, much to the consternation of prosperity gospel preachers, it isn’t always something that will help us live a fun, luxurious life. Sometimes, there is a difficult road laid out for us to walk. Some roads are rougher than others. Frankly, while my road has some pain and it certainly isn’t as luxurious as other roads, the truth is, my life is remarkably good.

Every year I have dinner with three friends from high school. We spend about 2-3 hours together and talk about what’s going on in our lives. We share pretty vulnerably. Children struggles. Job struggles. Marriage struggles. You get the idea. There are years when I go there fairly heavy-laden. I think they do too. But an interesting thing happens during the dinner. If we were to all put our lives into a bucket, bring it to the table, and then listen to the others’ stories, I get the feeling that, at the end of the night, each of us is happy to pick up our own buckets and take them home with us. I think part of this is that we wouldn’t only be giving up the pain, but we would be giving up the sweet parts of our lives of which we wouldn’t want to let go. In most cases, removing the pain would also remove at least part of the good.

For Hosea, I don’t know what “good” came from this pain. Maybe Gomer was delightful at times. Maybe this made his words from you mean even more. I was just watching a video of some guys doing bodywork on a car (I know that sounds incredibly weird, but I promise it’s not as weird as it sounds) and they were using a lot of materials to get the car’s body back into shape: hammers, sandpaper, frame straighteners, etc. The car needed some stress and friction to look the way the body shop needed it to look.

Father, I don’t know what kinds of tools you need to use on me, my wife, my children, my siblings, my parents, my friends, etc. I don’t know what you need to do to our country, and our world even. But I know we need friction. We need stress to mold us into the vessels you have for us to be. So to quote the song, “Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. Break me. Melt me. Mold me. Fill me.”

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Romans 14:10-13

So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God. ’” Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
Romans 14:10-13

Dear God, when I read these words this morning I wondered how they would be received by the church now. Like, if Paul were alive today, had a Twitter account and sent this out, how would people in the church respond? Especially if he put the next few verses:

I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right.
Romans 14:14-22

There’s a lot packed into those nine verses. And a lot of it is loaded with potential controversy. Would we trust Paul enough to hear it? How do I know who to trust now?

Father, thank you for these scriptures. Thank you for the Scripture. Thank you for giving us this complicated set of stories and words of prophecy and wisdom to guide us. Thank you for showing us their weaknesses as well as their strengths. Thank you for showing us their seemingly petty conflicts (New Testament as well as Old Testament. Help me now as I go through this day. Help me to not judge and to simultaneously not cause others to stumble by giving them something to judge. Use me as a magnet for yourself. Bring others closer to yourself through my life. And bring me closer to you as well.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

1 Corinthians 15:54-57

Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? ” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:54-57

Dear God, I learned of a couple of deaths yesterday. One man I had met bit didn’t know and another man I didn’t know at all, but he was known well by friends. One was sudden but of natural causes and the other by a violent car accident. Now, I’m thinking about the pain both deaths left behind. I’m thinking about the sting. I don’t know how either man felt about you and I don’t know the state of their souls now. But I do know that you loved them.

Now, there are family and friends left behind. I am sorry for them. Please comfort them. And please make these two painful situations count. Use them to heal relationships, addictions, and attitudes towards you. Draw each person who is touching these situations to yourself. As they experience the funerals and hear from pastors. As they visit with friends and seek comfort. Help everyone to not miss the opportunity to know you better and to experience your complete healing. Bring your kingdom into the world through these tragic losses. Redeem the sting for your glory.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Matthew 28:8-10

⁸ The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. ⁹ And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

Matthew 28:8-10

Dear God, the women showed up to do the work and the women got first word of the Good News. As I was reading Matthew’s account of the first Easter morning this morning, verse 8 struck me: “They were very frightened but also filled with great joy…” What an incredible mixture of emotions: “Very frightened” “Great joy”

I guess there are more times in my life than I might initially consider when my emotions are all over the place at once. Right now there are people in my life for whom I have extreme love and also extreme anger and frustration. There are times at home when I am simultaneously patient and impatient. Understanding and judgmental. At work I can celebrate when you move and allow myself to be fearful of the future at the same time. In the case of the women above, I don’t think you wanted them to be “very frightened,” but they couldn’t help themselves. In my case, I’m not sure what you want me to do with my anger, frustration, impatience, judgments, and fear, but I know that if I’m going to have them you want me to do one of two things with them. You want me to either repent of them or use them to bring about some part of your plan.

Father, it is Easter morning. I’m praying for something new. Well, I don’t even know if I’m praying for something new. In fact, I confess I have no idea what to ask of you this morning. But I do know that this is the day on the Christian calendar that makes the rest of it make sense. Without it, I’m not here this morning. If there is no Jesus resurrection, if there is no sacrifice of the ultimate Passover Lamb two days before on my behalf, then I have nothing. But there was a sacrifice for me. There was a resurrection. And here I am. Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you’re my God. Use me as you will.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

“Then Came the Morning” by Luke Garrett

“Then Came the Morning” by Luke Garrett

They all walked away, nothing to say
They’d just lost their dearest friend
All that He said, now He was dead
So this was the way it would end

The dreams they had dreamed were not what they’d seemed
Now that He was dead and gone
The garden, the jail, the hammer, the nail
How could a night be so long?

Then came the morning
Night turned into day
The stone was rolled away
Hope rose with the dawn

Then came the morning
Shadows vanished before the sun
Death had lost and life had won
For morning had come

The angel, the star, the kings from afar
The wedding, the water, the wine
Now it was done, they’d taken her Son
Wasted before His time

She knew it was true, she’d watched Him die too
She’d heard them call Him just a man
But deep in her heart she knew from the start
Somehow her Son would live again

Then came the morning
Night turned into day
The stone was rolled away
Hope rose with the dawn

Then came the morning
Shadows vanished before the sun
Death had lost and life had won
For morning had come

Then came the morning
Shadows vanished before the sun
Death had lost and life had won
For morning had come
For morning had come

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Chris Christian / Gloria Gaither / William Gaither

Dear God, I remember this song from when I was in high school. The man singing, Luke Garrett, came to our church for a revival and he stayed at our house. I remember driving him to the church a couple of times in my truck. I also remember liking this cassette. Some of the songs have stuck with me more than others. Now, on this Saturday before Easter–that awful time between the crucifixion and the resurrection–this one came to mind this morning. The verses take a shot at describing what it must have been like.

They all walked away, nothing to say
They’d just lost their dearest friend
All that He said, now He was dead
So this was the way it would end

The dreams they had dreamed were not what they’d seemed
Now that He was dead and gone
The garden, the jail, the hammer, the nail
How could a night be so long?

Even these words, I think, undersell the devastation they must have felt. He wasn’t just their dearest friend. Their dreams weren’t just of glory, power and joy. They thought this was it. This was the Messiah. They were willing to endure any amount of mockery for him. He told them so many times that he would die and be raised again, but they were either in denial or simply ignored and/or forgot what he said. Now they were devastated. They didn’t understand the plan. They didn’t understand what had to be done.

The angel, the star, the kings from afar
The wedding, the water, the wine
Now it was done, they’d taken her Son
Wasted before His time

She knew it was true, she’d watched Him die too
She’d heard them call Him just a man
But deep in her heart she knew from the start
Somehow her Son would live again

Now we address Mary’s disillusionment. I’m not sure of these last two lines–that she new deep in her heart he would live again. I think she was as confused on Saturday morning as anyone else. Confused it too weak of a word. She was as devastated as anyone else. But everything that happened. Those first few years of Jesus’s life. Not only the angels, the star, and the wise men. There were also the shepherds who showed up on that desperate night to affirm her. There were Simeon and Anna in the Temple during his dedication. There were Elizabeth, Zechariah and John. The water to wine. The healings. But this isn’t how it was supposed to go. Her ignorance left her devastated.

Then came the morning
Night turned into day
The stone was rolled away
Hope rose with the dawn

Then came the morning
Shadows vanished before the sun
Death had lost and life had won
For morning had come

Father, I’m in the middle of my own nighttime. I’m confused and maybe a little disillusioned. I guess my goal is to keep my eyes open for the sunrise and keep worshipping you in the meantime. Show me what to do during this night. Don’t let the time be wasted. Make it count. Make it count for those I love. Make it count for me. Make it count for your plan and your glory.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Matthew 26:57-68

Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end. Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?” “Guilty!” they shouted. “He deserves to die!” Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”
Matthew 26:57-68

Dear God, I woke up this morning at about 5:00 a.m. and I thought about it being Good Friday. I thought about where Jesus was at 5:00 a.m. nearly 2,000 years ago. I thought about his pain, anger, dread, fear, despair, sadness, etc. Then I thought about the anger and venom on the other side. Ripping clothes. Yelling. Beating. Mocking. It really fell on me, just how painful this moment was. Yet, it was so crucial. It was a critical part of the journey for me to even be here this morning.

I don’t want to waste this day today. I don’t want this to be a day when I give a head nod to Good Friday as a holiday and as the day of Jesus’s crucifixion and not really, I don’t know, contemplate it. Sit with it. Consider it. I guess I want to see you/Jesus/Holy Spirit, my Triune God, in just a bit deeper way. I want to get a new taste of what your love for me really looks like. I want to worship you better, driven by a more complete picture of you.

Father, I have a lot of thoughts swirling in my head right now. Maybe that’s good. My temptation is to fill my day with noise. Maybe I need to fill this day with more silence. Speak to me. Give me ears to hear. Give me a repentant heart and a forgiving heart. Let your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven through my life.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Matthew 26:1-5

¹ When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, ² “As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

³ At that same time the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest, ⁴ plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. ⁵ “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”

Matthew 26:1-5

Dear God, I hope I don’t miss worshipping you this Easter like the Pharisees did. The leading priests and elders were so upset about Jesus they were not only missing the joy and celebration of the Passover, but they were literally plotting to kill someone! Wow!

I would love to sit in judgment of them, but I know that I can get distracted by other things on weeks like this as well. I can completely miss you. I can completely miss worshipping you and really sitting with what you did for us. I was listing to an old Steven Curtis Chapman song this morning that said, “I know there’s a God who knows my name…” That’s amazing. You know my name! You know me! You love me! And you made a way for me!

Father, thank you for the darkness of what we’ve decided to term as “Good” Friday. Thank you for walking into that darkness for me. Thank you for the silence of Saturday–for the work you did in a lot of hearts that day. And thank you, of course, for Sunday. That’s the reason I can be here right now.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

Matthew 21:18-22

In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up. The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”
Matthew 21:18-22

Dear God, I’ve journaled on this passage before, and it’s always troubled me a little. Not because I think Jesus was wrong, I suppose. I guess it’s because it’s an indication that your creation can exhaust your good will. I would like to think that your love is without limits. That your patience is unending. But here a fruitless tree is cursed and it reminds me that you are not to be mocked. You are God. I have no rights before you. I am yours—you are not mine. I cannot control you. I give you control of me.

Father, there are some days when I wake up and my goal is to just survive my day. Please help me to go beyond that. Give me your vision for this day/week/month/year in my life. Help me to be everything you need me to be for your kingdom. That includes my family, my friends, my job, and my community. Do it all so that your kingdom might come and your will might be done on earth as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen