WATCHWORD:
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
Meditation:
Darkness of Lent
There is a deepened darkness surrounding the Lenten season in the presence of the unprovoked attached by Russia on the innocence of the Ukrainian people. We watch in horror at the on-slot, the crushing of a country, and the outright murder of children and adults, alike. Yes, it is a war crime, but at a greater level, it is a sin against God Himself.
We ask, what can we do, and repeatedly, the answer comes back to pray to God for deliverance, for hope, maybe a miracle of God’s Love. Countries around the world are doing all they can, short of starting a world war that can only escalate into a nuclear holocaust. And, again, the question, what can we do? In material goods, we are doing all we can. In our faith and belief in God, we must pray. We must lift up the people Ukraine and their desperate needs, but also the people of Russia, in their in their lack of awareness of the evil their country is inflicting. We know at the heart of it all, our help comes from the Lord who, indeed, made Heaven and earth. So, we say, give it all to Him. I offer this prayer…
A Prayer for Ukraine
Heavenly Father, we come to You with heavy hearts. The images that we see on our televisions, Lord, cause us to want to turn away for we know that we are witnessing a powerful evil that must break your heart, as it does ours. Your children are dying, or running for their very lives, their homes, their hopes, their dreams are being turned into rubble. Strengthen us, Lord, not to turn away from these images but to let our hearts go out to them, in the full knowledge that these are our children, our brothers, our sisters, our elderly parents. These are our town squares, our streets, our schools, our shops, our businesses, destroyed, just outside the windows of our warm and comfortable homes.
Creator God, our hearts break for the little girl who died, not of injuries of war, but of lack of water, the result of heartless and inhumane treatment. We think of the miracle of the 11-year-old boy, sent by his mother away from the battle, who travelled hundreds of miles on his own to safety, with only a telephone number of relatives written on his wrist. These are images of the result of sin upon sin — War! As we watch these suffering loved ones, these neighbors of ours, give them hope, Lord, and the knowledge that You love them and that there is a better day coming.
As we consider these terrible images, we know we have seen these same scenes before, over the centuries, as you have warned us of the powerful influence of hatred. Forgive us, Lord, that we have failed to learn this lesson. It is impossible, not to know that You went through this same agony on the cross where you died for us, for these same sins. Our hope comes in the full knowledge of your Resurrection and forgiveness. Help us all to take heart.
Gracious God, we pray for hope for all of us and the strengthening of our faith to overcome our fears. We offer these prayers in Your name. Amen.
Thursday Lenten Verse to Ponder:
Luke 13:3: 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
