Good Evening, Lord!
Words of Comfort
[God] has said, "I will
never leave you nor forsake you." (Heb. 13:5 ESV)
Prayer of Confession
O Lord, when you created the
world you put a rhythm of evening and morning into the day. Evening has come
again, a time for rest and refreshment before facing a new day. Yet rest does
not always refresh the spirit, and sleep does not always comfort soul and body
as you intend. It has been said that you have made us for yourself, O Lord, and
our heart is restless until it rests in you.[1] Let
me rest in you. I confess to you the sins of the day, the rebellions and
errors, the intentional sins and the unintentional sins. These are at the root
of what disturbs my rest, and I lay them before you, trusting in Christ
crucified as my only hope. Cleanse me and make me know your grace, forgiveness,
and peace once again, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Catechism Reflections
The First Commandment
You shall have no other gods.
What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God
above all things.
God’s Law always accuses us of our sins. No matter how hard we try to
keep the Law, it always acts like that manager that notices the one thing you
missed, pointing it out with disappointment that that job was not, in fact,
done right.
Tomorrow morning we will gather for worship. Yes, once again our worship
will be on YouTube, but we will still be led to confess our sins. As we do so,
perhaps this week we might take a little extra notice of how we break the First
Commandment, which says, “You shall have no other gods.”
God’s Law functions in three ways as it accuses us. It curbs our
behavior telling us to stop. It reflects our actions, thoughts and words back
to us to show us our sins. It also guides us saying, in effect, “This is the
way you should go.”
How has the First Commandment acted as curb for you this week? Has it
shown you limitations on your ability to bring about the good you desire? Has
it show you that you cannot defend yourself as thoroughly as you thought?
How has the First Commandment acted as a mirror for you? Has it
revealed a lack of fear for the LORD and his will? Has it revealed that your
love is not as it should be? Has it revealed that your faith and trust are
perhaps not as strong as they should be? Has it revealed that there are things
that you fear, love, and/or trust more than you fear, love and trust God?
How has the First Commandment acted as a guide for you? Have you heard
in this command the echoes of God’s promise that he will provide for you?
Indeed, he has given his Son to do for you what you could not do. Jesus kept
the Law perfectly, then he bore your sins to the cross, and gave you his
holiness. So let this Command guide you to confess your sins humbly, yes, but
also confidently trusting that the God you fear and love indeed wants to do
good for you and be your refuge from all the evils of the world.
Questions for Meditation
What does this reading teach
you?
What does this reading lead you
to be thankful for?
What behavior, thought, or
attitude does this reading challenge? What sin does it lead you to confess?
How might you pray for God to
have a richer impact on your life through this reading?
Petitions of the Lord’s Prayer
“But deliver us from evil.”
Dear Father, please rescue us
from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation, and finally, when
our last hour comes, give us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this
valley of sorrow to heaven, where we will live eternally with You, and with
Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.
Verse of Benediction
Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
forever. (Ps. 23:6 ESV)
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