The Second Sunday in Lent – Lenten Devotion – Sunday, February 25, 2024
Just As I Am
Elliott & Bradbury
Just as I am
Without one plea
But that thy blood
Was shed for me
And that thou bidd'st me
Come to thee
O Lamb of God I come
I come
“Then Jesus began to teach his disciples that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”
Have you ever shoveled your driveway, just enough to get your car out, pushing the snow to the side, knowing you have to finish later? Have you ever shoveled the driveway, knowing you will need to come back later and do the sidewalk? Have you ever shoveled, finished everything, and then had the plow go through, and you did not want to go out and finish?
Getting things clean, completely, is not easy. Shoveling. Doing the dishes, including those to be done by hand, and those requiring scrubbing. Washing clothes, including those to be done by hand, those needing line drying and lying flat, and the dry-cleaning. Getting things clean completely takes work. Completely completing what needs doing is not easy.
In this second week of Lent, we will share devotions that reveal purpose and mission and calling, thanks to Christ, who came for one purpose, one mission, one calling in grace alone!
The gift of the crucified and risen Christ, is that Christ alone invites us to come, just as we are, to be cleaned, completely. Jesus came to us just as we are, to do what must be done, to make good on it all, to completely do what needed doing, to fulfill the purpose of the Son of Man, 'that thy blood was shed for me and you.'
Let us pray: Jesus today I come, just as I am, looking for purpose and mission in my life, at the same time, sometimes, wondering about you and your purpose. Why me? Why forgiveness? Why salvation? By your Holy Spirit, reveal to me again my salvation, your suffering, your death and resurrection in your grace alone are God's purpose. I praise you for completely finishing all you start to save me. In your name, O Lamb of God, I have a new purpose, and I pray. Amen.
