Lent Devotions 2018 FINAL

Ephesians 1:3-6
3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 just as he chose us in Christ [a] before the foundation of the
world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5 He destined us for adoption as his children
through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace
that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
, I sat at the dinner table with my family
and made bubbling sounds into a glass of milk. My mom told me two or three times
to stop, but I continued (egged on by my three older brothers). When I ignored her final
warning, she stood up from her chair and took a step toward me.
“The Lord is my shepherd,” I said. “I shall not want.”
She abruptly stopped, turned, and headed to her bedroom. Years later, I learned she
had not wanted to bust out laughing in front of me.
Reciting scripture has not always rescued me from immediate peril. But during times
of sadness and stress, I am reminded that I’m a child of God, chosen by him to receive
his bountiful grace.
For many, the world today can seem scary. Many of us worry about the next mass
shooting or the consequences of global unrest. Each day brings news of a politician,
movie star, doctor or someone else behaving inappropriately.
In our personal lives, we worry about being accepted or about the results of a medical
test. We may have a friend or relative who seems lost in life.
In those times, God reminds us that we are all still his children. His grace is still amazing,
and he will always be with us.
Thank you, Lord, for making us your children. Help us to trust in you during difficult times and lead us
to serve others who need your love and grace. Amen.
- Paul Osmundson