12th February. 2021. Daily Devotion.

THE CLOAK OF HUMANITY

32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ he said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch.’ Mark 14:32-33

“While Jesus lived on earth, he prayed to God and asked God for help. He prayed with loud cries and tears to the One who could save him from death” (Hebrews 5:7). My, what a portrait! Jesus is in pain. Jesus is on the stage of fear. Jesus is cloaked, not in sainthood, but in humanity.

The next time the fog finds you, you might do well to remember Jesus in the garden. The next time you think that no one understands, reread the fourteenth chapter of Mark. The next time your self-pity convinces you that no one cares, pay a visit to Gethsemane. And the next time you wonder if God really perceives the pain that prevails on this dusty planet, listen to him pleading among the twisted trees. From No Wonder They Call Him the Saviour ML

Martin Luther’s Prayer for Morning

I give thanks to you, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have protected me through the night from all danger and harm. I ask you to preserve and keep me, this day also, from all sin and evil, that in all my thoughts, words, and deeds I may serve and please you. Into your hands I commend my body and soul and all that is mine. Let your holy angels have charge of me, that the wicked one have no power over me. Amen.

To Face Future Trials

O Mighty and Merciful God, I know that I am going to face trials and tribulations in the future, possibly some I cannot even imagine. Help me to prepare myself now for the pain that life on this earth inevitably brings. Steel me with faith, Lord. Plant the foundation of hope, faith and joy so firmly in my being that, like the house built on a rock, I cannot be shaken, no matter what earthly suffering I may endure.

For I know, God, that the harshest life has a happy conclusion; and that when we see you face-to-face, we shall understand clearly what we now take on faith. Send your Holy Spirit to me, to buoy me up in the hard times of life, and to prepare me for the suffering that even your blessed Son endured before He was glorified. Amen.

Meditation

“No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he had only had good intentions.”

Prayer for uncertain times

Lord Jesus Christ, light of this world, thank you for the hope you have given us.
Help us to give our worries to you and, above all, to trust in your unfailing love.
For you have promised us “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
Almighty God, our protector, let us trust in you to carry us through this time of uncertainty.
Jesus, hear our cries as we mourn those who’ve left us. Whatever tomorrow may bring, we will praise your name. Amen.