Lent 2016 – Day 21

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Psalm 79:8-13

Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us; Let Your compassion come quickly to meet us, for we are brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; and deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake. Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let there be known among the nations in our sight, vengeance for the blood of Your servants which has been shed. Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; according to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are doomed to die. And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom the reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord. So we Your people and the sheep of Your pasture will give thanks to You forever; to all generations we will tell of Your praise.[1]

In the first seven verses of the psalm the writer chronicles the atrocities committed against the people of God. The temple was defiled, Jerusalem was laid in ruins, and the bodies of the servants of the Lord were left exposed to the elements with no one to bury them. Their misfortune caused them to be mocked and reviled by their enemies who openly cast doubt on the existence of their God. The plea of the psalmist then becomes one of vindication imploring God to pour out His vengeance upon the nations because of how they have treated His people.

But then comes the sobering admission of the writer that their plight must be laid, in part, at the feet of their forefathers because of their defection from the Lord. Jesus taught that the enemy of our souls has a three-fold job, to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), but everything negative we encounter cannot be laid at his feet. Some, perhaps even much, of what negative we experience has come as a result of not just our sin but of that of those who went before us as well. Perhaps the plea and the admission of the psalmist should be ours as well. As much as we bemoan the condition of our world around us and plead with God to intervene on our behalf, we must accept much of the responsibility for that condition. God will always do His part, but we are the salt of the earth, we are the light of the world. How have we lived before non-believers? How have we guarded our talk and walk in order to protect our testimony? Sure, like the psalmist we will tell of our God’s praise to all generations but why expect anything from God if we are not willing to do our part?

Lord, You know well the situation in which we find ourselves. You know the derision we suffer from those who do not know You. Forgive us for blaming everybody and everyone around us for our condition but ourselves. Forgive us for wanting to walk in authority without being willing to take responsibility. Hear us as we cry out to You for Your help and come quickly to our aid. Empower us by Your Holy Spirit to walk in the strength of our calling as we work to see Your Kingdom come here on earth just as it is in Heaven. This we ask in the name of Your Son and our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ps 79:8–13.

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Lent 2016 – Day 20

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of gods, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. To Him who alone does great wonders, for His lovingkindness is everlasting; to Him who made the heavens with skill, for His lovingkindness is everlasting; to Him who spread out the earth above the waters, for His lovingkindness is everlasting; to Him who made the great lights, for His lovingkindness is everlasting: the sun to rule by day, for His lovingkindness is everlasting, the moon and stars to rule by night, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Who remembered us in our low estate, for His lovingkindness is everlasting, and has rescued us from our adversaries, for His lovingkindness is everlasting; who gives food to all flesh, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of heaven, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.[1]

How easy it is to forget just how much our Heavenly Father loves us, especially in an age and time when there is more than enough for one to wonder whether the God we serve truly cares. No one is immune from the more than whimsical notion that God must surely be disinterested in His creation otherwise our world would not be in the condition it is. Most know the frustration of living through see nothing days, that time between our cry to the Lord and the receipt of our answer. It is in moments like these that one finds themselves susceptible to the wiles of the enemy of our soul causing us to doubt our God’s deep and abiding love.

But long before Jesus was incarnate of the Holy Spirit in a feeding trough in Bethlehem, the Psalmist wrote this magnificent psalm extoling the manifold benefits of ‘good’ God. When one begins to take inventory of the marvelous things that our God has done His loving kindness cannot be denied. It is easy to accentuate negative we encounter that serves to only diminish the great and wonderful things we daily receive. In truth the great and wonderful things we receive far outweigh the negative, but we often will not see it until we begin to take inventory of them. One of the great hymns of the church from a by-gone era suggested, “Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings, see what God hath done! Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.” The Psalmist said, “Give thanks to the God of Heaven, for is lovingkindness is everlasting.” Let us take both of their suggestions starting today!!

Lord, we don’t understand why you love us so, but are are so glad that You do. Everywhere we turn, everywhere we look, everything we hear, everything we feel dramatically demonstrates just how much You love us. Fill our hearts this day with such gratitude that it will drown out the noise of doubt and unbelief. Give us the capacity to name our blessings and number them one by one that we might be wonderfully surprised to see all that You have done. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ps 136:1-9, 23-26.

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Lent 2016 – Day 19

Posted on February 28, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Psalm 36

Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; There is no fear of God before his eyes. For it flatters him in his own eyes concerning the discovery of his iniquity and the hatred of it. The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. He plans wickedness upon his bed; he sets himself on a path that is not good; he does not despise evil. Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like a great deep. O Lord, You preserve man and beast. How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; and You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light. O continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright in heart. Let not the foot of pride come upon me, and let not the hand of the wicked drive me away. There the doers of iniquity have fallen; they have been thrust down and cannot rise.[1]

The psalmist sets up polar opposites in this song of praise. There is, on the one hand, the ungodly; and, on the other those who know the Lord. The description of the two could not be any more different. The ungodly “sets himself/herself on a path that is not good.” They do not even despise evil, but are so filled with wickedness and deceit that they have “ceased to do good and be wise.” Sadly, their lot is to fall, to be thrust down and not rise. It is not a pretty picture and yet it accurately describes the majority of people, especially believers, in our time and generation.

Those who know the Lord are continual recipients of the loving kindness, faithfulness and righteousness of the Lord. Now the distinction here between the two is not one of perfection versus imperfection, but rather one of intentionality. The one who does not despise evil harbors transgression in his heart, and his mouth is filled with “wickedness and deceit.” He gets up from his sleep intending to do wrong.

Those who know the Lord, on the other hand, are not perfect. Far from it, they know they are frail, sinful and in need of God’s forgiveness and mercy. As a result, they understand, that left to their own devices, they would be in the same place as the ungodly. But they/we are not left to our own devices because God’s loving kindness, His faithfulness, and righteousness are available in abundance. In fact, were it not for His mercies we would all be consumed (Lam 3:22). Thank God for His loving kindness!

Dear Heavenly Father, we marvel at your loving kindness. We are amazed at Your mercy and compassion. Thank You for loving us when we refused to love You. Thank You for continually giving us opportunities to return to You even when we have wandered the wrong paths. Thank You for letting us drink our fill of the abundance of Your house. Thank You for allowing us to see light in Your light. Thank You for preserving us so that we can “drink of the river of Your delights.” Help us to take refuge in the shadow of Your wings, and let not the foot of pride come upon us or the hand of the wicked drive us away. But please, “continue Your loving kindness to those who love You.” Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ps 36:1–12.

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Lent 2016 – Day 18

Posted on February 27, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Luke 10:25-37

And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise, a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”[1]

“Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” A lawyer seeking to test Jesus, and thereby catch Him in error, asks this question. It was answered in such a way as to, in his mind, be left open to interpretation. Perhaps realizing that his subterfuge had been discovered the lawyer now tries to save face by asking a second question, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus promptly answers by telling the story of the Good Samaritan. Without focusing on the Good Samaritan, let us take a look at the lawyer and what he hoped to do with his second question because we are not so very different from him today.

He comes to Jesus, hoping to trip Him up and catch Him in theological error, but has the tables turned on him when Jesus tells him to love God with everything he has, and his neighbor as himself. This is where the trouble begins. Most believers would assert that they have no difficulty loving God with their entire being, but when it comes to loving their neighbor as themselves the story changes. One can almost see the countenance of the lawyer change as he realizes that he has just painted himself into a corner and the only way out is to define who his neighbor is. But we don’t get to create that definition. Our neighbor is that one with whom we would rather not be associated. It is that one that grates against our sensibilities, the who gets on our last nerve, the one we freely and falsely stereotype. But that is the one, those are the ones, to whom we are to show mercy. It is admittedly a tough pill to swallow, but Jesus’ Word to the lawyer is still His Word to us today, “Go and do the same!”

Dear Lord, forgive us for narrowing the circle of those to whom we can show mercy to only those who look, act, speak or live as we do. Forgive us for our refusal to do good to those who need our help just because they are different. Help us to change our attitudes so that we might show mercy to those who need it even as we have been shown mercy. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 10:25–37.

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Lent 2016 – Day 17

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Deuteronomy 6:4-15

Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, then watch yourself, that you do not forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, for the Lord your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the Lord your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.[1]

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” These commandments of the Lord are not empty and lifeless words and they are more than reasonable considering all the Lord has done for us. He gave us splendid cities, opulent houses, and a host of other things we did not earn because of His love for us. Obedience to these commandments emanates from more than any sense of ritualistic practice. They grow and are borne out of a love relationship with the Lord who gave them. That love relationship causes them to be written on our hearts and not just our lips. Out of our devotion to them, we teach and talk about them with our children. They become integral to who and whose we are, written upon everything important in our lives.

All that He asks of His people is that in the midst of receiving these manifold blessings we do not forget from where it is He has brought us, that we revere Him, and not follow other gods. If we are honest we have failed on all three points. We tend to credit our own merit for whatever we have acquired. We give more respect to our intellect and technological achievement than the One who ultimately created them; and, we gladly worship created things rather than the creator. The result of which is that His anger is ignited and we are destroyed. Is it any wonder that we find our world in the condition it is in? What is the remedy? In the strong suggestion out of the Book of Revelation, let us resolve today to return to our first love and do the things we did at the first.

Gracious Heavenly Father, Your love for us is so amazing while our love for You is so lacking. Forgive us for the ways in which we have grieved Your Spirit as we repaid Your gift of grace by forgetting You, disrespecting You, and running after other gods. We grieve over the many ways we have sinned against You and fallen short of Your glory. So humbly we rededicate our lives to You and thank You for relenting from Your anger and and judgment, and restoring to us the joy of our salvation. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Dt 6:4–15.

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Lent 2016 – Day 16

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Leviticus 19:1-8

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. Every one of you shall reverence his mother and his father, and you shall keep My sabbaths; I am the Lord your God. Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods; I am the Lord your God. Now when you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and the next day; but what remains until the third day shall be burned with fire. So if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an offense; it will not be accepted. Everyone who eats it will bear his iniquity, for he has profaned the holy thing of the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from his people.”[1]

In these first eight verses Moses is instructed to tell the people they are to be holy even as the Lord their God is holy. To be holy is not to be perfect but rather to be separate, separate from all the nations that surrounded them. This holiness is then manifested in four different ways. The first is how one relates to their parents demonstrating that holiness begins in the home. The second is that of keeping the Sabbath as a first spiritual priority, recognizing the need to have a day of rest after six days of work, and to have a day set aside to draw nearer to God and discover why we work at all. The third is a prohibition of idolatry, the exercise of worshiping that which literally strikes the eye. Finally, the fourth addresses the proper way of offering sacrifices. These four manifestations of holiness indicate that holiness touches every aspect of an individual’s life.

Jesus came that we might have abundant life. This life cannot be lived limping between multiple opinions. Believers cannot serve God and mammon, or to say it another way, they cannot have their cake and eat it too. Separation, holiness, entails forsaking the ways of the non-believing nations to be wholly devoted to the Lord. That difference will be evidenced in our families, in our singular allegiance, our worship, and even in the offerings we bring, and how we bring them. How marvelous a privilege it is to have the opportunity to reflect on our personal holiness. Are we as devoted to the Lord as we should be and as we profess to be? Is our worship pure and holy or merely ritualistic? Are our motives right and pure in the offerings we bring before the Lord or are we selfish and stingy? Can people see in the totality of our lives to whom we belong and the integrity of what we espouse? More importantly, how do we stand in the presence of our Savior and Lord, who hears all, sees all and knows all? For it is to Him that we all must one day give an account.

Dear Lord, all our righteousness is as filthy rags in your presence. We are not as holy as we represent ourselves to be. We run after the things this world has to offer. We worship that which strikes our eyes as pleasurable. We offer that which is tainted by wrong motives. Forgive us of our defection from the truth of Your Word and Your path. Like David before us “create in us clean hearts and renew a right spirit within us. Do not cast us away from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from us. Restore to us the joy of Your salvation and sustain us with a willing spirit” (Psalm 51:10-12). Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Le 19:1–8.

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Lent 2016 -Day 15

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Luke 19:1-10

He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”[1]

Life has a way of drawing one out of their purpose and calling into the pursuit of their own desires that often run contrary to that of God on their lives. We all have been called out of the darkness into the marvelous light of God’s grace, but far too many choose to linger in the darkness. Zaccheus was a Jew who elected to work for the Roman occupiers collecting their taxes. As such he was despised by the religious leadership of his time and excluded from worship in the synagogue. He lived in Jericho, an important customs center situated on a main route to Judea and Egypt. Working as a chief tax collector he became very wealthy. Like everyone else in Jericho he heard that Jesus was passing through and wanted to see him for himself, but his position kept him away from Jesus and his stature prevented him from seeing over the crowd. Perhaps he had heard about the other tax collectors that had encountered Jesus and was curious, so he climbed a tree so he could get a glimpse of him. Zaccheus exemplifies the desire for change and in the process teaches us some important lessons.

Zaccheus did not let his life circumstances become an obstacle (7). He would let nothing stand in his way of getting to Jesus (4). He was willing to make full restitution of his fraud (8), and fellowship with Jesus broke the hold his wealth had on him. Zaccheus found a new sense of value in Jesus’ presence; and finally, he became a new person, living in God’s grace. Jesus did not ask Zaccheus to give up his wealth, as the He did the rich young ruler. He did not ask him to leave his home and business as He did Levi. He accepted him just as he was. Are you living in God’s grace? Or, have you allowed your circumstances to become obstacles to your faith in and walk with Jesus? What are you letting keep you down instead of raising you up? Is there a tree you need to climb to see above and over?

Lord, thank You for the example we have in the story of Zaccheus. We confess that like him we are guilty of so many things that should disqualify us for entrance into Your Kingdom. Like him we have done enough to be shunned and excluded from the household of faith. But thank You for loving us and welcoming us still, while we were still in our sin and granting us the grace to transform our lives. Give us now the power rise above our circumstances to where we can see the joy that awaits us in Your everlasting presence. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 19:1–10.

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Lent 2016 – Day 14

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Luke 18:35-43

As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was. They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!” And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.[1]

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” It is the most direct desperate prayer one can pray. For all of our articulation, the many words we craft to rationalize and legitimize our earnest pleas, when our backs are against the wall and we have no more words to say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me,” is the greatest cry we can utter. This nameless blind man seated by the side of road uttered this prayer and in doing so got the attention of Jesus.

Why is it that we do not know how to cry out to the Lord? Perhaps it is because we lack what Jesus affirmed had healed this man, faith. There is no telling how long this man had been blind or what he had tried and how long he had tried to change his situation. The odds were stacked against him. He was treated as a leper, castigated and marginalized for no other reason than that he was blind. When he heard, though he could not see, the commotion of Jesus’ passing the crowds tried to silence him. His faith, however, would allow him to remain silent. But the more they tried to silence him the louder he cried, and when he got Jesus’ attention he was prepared. He told Jesus exactly what he wanted. Jesus is passing by and just as He stood ready to respond to this man’s plea He stands ready to hear and answer our plea. Don’t allow Your very real circumstances to be obstacles to what Jesus desires to do for you. Keep crying because He is listening and ready to answer your prayer.

Gracious Father, we rejoice knowing You hear and answer prayer. Boldly we cry aloud before You bringing our petitions in faith. You alone can heal our soul’s diseases. Only You can turn our fortunes around. Only You can change the inevitable outcomes of our lives because of the messes we have made. Increase our faith so that those who have yet to believe will see that the things You do on our behalf are miraculous and that You can do the same for them. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 18:35–43.

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Lent 2016 – Day 13

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Luke 18:18-23

A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”[1] 

This is an interesting account that people over the ages have attempted to use to justify all sorts of theological positions. Some have tried to use the passage to justify eschewing all forms of wealth. It has been used to justify the belief that possession of riches disqualifies one from the Kingdom of God. But the passage really has a much narrower focus that is rather simplistic. A ruler comes to Jesus inquiring what he must do to inherit eternal life. His question, unlike that of many other Pharisees and scribes, was not intended to trick Jesus into saying something that might be used against Him to indict Him, but grew from a sincere desire to know.

This ruler calls Jesus, “Good Teacher,” a term reserved for God, indicating that he could see Jesus was no ordinary man. Jesus’ response to the ruler is interesting because he picks out four of the ten commandments with which to question him. His question implies more is needed than simple knowledge of them, but adherence or obedience to them. It is not clear why Jesus asks about these four commandments and not any of the remaining six. Perhaps they are referenced because they all have to do with how one treats their neighbor. It is these four commandments that form the basis of Jesus’ indictment of the ruler. Jesus tells him that though he has obeyed these four he still comes up short because something remains unaddressed. He must go and sell all he has and give it to the poor.

Let us be very clear, Jesus is not advocating voluntary poverty. But He is advocating voluntary devotion. Luke tells us the ruler went away “very sad, for he was extremely rich.” He had been so successful keeping these four relational commandments but failed the test because he was most devoted to his wealth. We are to have no other gods before our God, and we are not to bow and worship before any graven images. Anything that we cannot part with for the sake of serving the Lord is a god in our life. This was true for this ruler. His heart wanted to be with Jesus, but was with his money instead, because where your treasure is, there will be your heart also. What stands in the way of your unconditional commitment to the Lord today?

Dear Lord, we like to think and believe we have given up all to follow You, but we confess to harboring secret treasure. Forgive us of our adultery. Forgive us for trusting in mammon more than we trust You. Forgive us for treasuring things, people, their applause and flattery more than You. Give us the courage today to take honest inventory of our lives ready to discard anything, regardless of how insignificant or small, that stands between us and You. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 18:18–25.

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Lent 2016 – Day 12

Posted on February 21, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Luke 15:11-24

And He said, “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! ‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.[1]

The story of the prodigal, or the lost, son is a well known and some might say, well worn Bible story. It is the story of a young man who, as the old folk would say, smelling himself decides to demand his inheritance, leave the comfort and safety of his father’s house, and go and enjoy the pleasures of the world. In the process he quickly squanders all of his inheritance and is left with nothing; no money, no friends, no prospects, and no provision. He is so impoverished that he is willing to do the very thing that is most despicable to Jews: slop pigs. At the end of the rope he comes to his senses and humbly returns home content to be treated as nothing but a servant. But it is also a story of a compassionate father who waits for his son and seeing him coming home from a long distance off runs to him, embraces him, and restores him.

This is more than just a feel good story about a father and his son. It is the story of our Heavenly Father and His love for we His children who smelling ourselves wandered away from him to enjoy the pleasures of sin that only last for a season. By sending His Son to die in our place He opened His arms to receive us and restores us even though we had done nothing to deserve His love. His joy over our return is so great that the whole host of heaven rejoices over just one. This really is good news worth sharing, for no matter how far we have strayed we can still come home and find that He is still waiting to receive us.

Dear Lord, Your love for us is so amazing, especially when we consider the depths of our sin against You. Some of us, like Jeremiah says, have sinned so brazenly that we do not even blush. Help us to over come our pride and ego that will not allow us to come to our senses and return to You. Help us to block out the lies of our enemy and hear again the good news of Your unconditional love and return home. This we ask in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 15:11–24.

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