Good Evening, Lord!
Words of Comfort
[O God, you are] like a hiding
place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry
place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land. (Isa. 32:2 ESV)
Prayer of Confession
In Your name, O crucified Lord
Jesus Christ, I end this day. You suffered the all-painful death on the trunk
of the holy cross as the true, patient, sacrificial Lamb for me. You have
bought my freedom from all sins, death, the devil, and hell through Your
rose-colored blood. Rule my heart by Your Holy Spirit, refreshing it with the
heavenly dew of Your grace. Preserve me with Your divine love and hide me –
body and soul – in Your holy wounds. Wash me clean of all my sins, maintain me
in every good work, and lead me out of the vale of tears that is this world
into eternal joy and glory, O faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, my only solace,
hope, and life. Amen.[1]
Catechism Reflections
In the morning devotion we used
the Ten Commandments at our confession of faith. We are used to hearing them
spoken sternly in King James style, “Thou shalt not!” The impression that
language and tone presents is that God is placing demands and requirements on
his people and to stay on his good side, you better do what he says. In this
way Christians, all too often, become more focused on their own behavior rather
than on God’s action.
The Commandments are recorded
for us in two places in Scripture: Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. It is important
to know that these sections begin with the reminder, “I am the LORD your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” God’s
relationship with Israel is rooted in his grace and salvation. The same is true
of you. Your relationship with God is rooted in Jesus’ death and resurrection
which save you from sin and death.
Does it make sense, then, that
God begins with Grace and then says, “And by the way, if you’re going to be my
people, you better perform up to my standard, and here are my demands?” Not at
all!
Let me let you in on a little
secret. The Ten Commandments are not commands. In grammar, we refer to verbs
that command as imperative verbs. There are no imperative verbs here. The Ten
Commandments are more descriptive than demanding. God is saying, “I saved you,
now this is how you will behave, live, and show that I have saved you.”
Does that mean that you are free
to just ignore the Ten Commandments? Not at all! You are redeemed, forgiven,
saved by Jesus death and resurrection! It makes no sense to return to behaviors
that God has defined as sinful and damning. But you will, won’t you? You’ll
return to sin, and some days you’ll be deeply ashamed of your inability to live
up to your Savior’s expectations. And that’s precisely why we need to remember
that our relationship with God focuses on this, “I am the LORD your God who brought
you out of slavery to sin and death.”
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
The Sixth Petition: “And lead us
not into temptation.”
Father in heaven, You tempt no
one. Please guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful
nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other
great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we
may finally overcome them and win the victory through Jesus, our Savior and
Lord. Amen.
Verse of Benediction
The grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you
all. (2 Cor. 13:14 ESV)
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