Focus On God’s Kingship
Sunday, February 2
Psalm 99
On this day in the year 986, Ludwig V was named king of West Francia. In 1458, Jiřího of Poděbrady was named king of Bohemia. In 1955, Norodom Suramarit was named king of Cambodia. Those kings and kingdoms were all transitory, but Jesus Christ’s reign is still alive, active, and effective today. Three decades after his birth, Jesus was transfigured on a mountainside and God declared, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 17:5). Therefore, the psalmist sings, “The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake….Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy” (vv. 1, 9, NIV).
When the leaders of this world seem powerful, impressive, or frightening in our eyes, remember that our King is greater, that our King is eternal. In this knowledge, we can prioritize living as citizens of God’s holy kingdom today.
Dear Lord, thank you for Jesus, our mighty King of kings—help us exalt him in how we live today. Amen.
Focus On God’s Radiance
Monday, March 3
Exodus 34:29-35
Yesterday we celebrated Christ’s transfiguration—today we’re on a different mountain. Moses’s face literally glowed as he came down from Mount Sinai because God’s radiance was reflected off him. Again and again, merely being with the Lord made his face shine out to the people—it was spiritual physics; he couldn’t help it. But again and again, Moses would then veil his face so the people wouldn’t keep looking at him, and the physical radiance of God slowly dimmed until the next time he could be in God’s presence.
Paul tells us that we as Christians can remain in the presence of God at all times. Our lives can reflect God’s radiance every day. There is no need to veil our witness from the world around us. Far from dimming in us over time, the glory of God should steadily increase in us over time. Do not ever be afraid to let God’s light shine out from you wherever you are and in whatever you are doing.
Dear Lord, thank you for your radiance and for transforming us more and more into your glory. Amen.
Focus On God’s Splendor
Tuesday, March 4
Luke 9:28-36
Dr. Luke tells us that at the transfiguration, Christ’s clothes were bright—as if they were made of light itself. And a glorified Moses and Elijah were on hand to affirm Jesus’s ministry. It had to be an amazing sight to behold. Peter, in typical Peter fashion, opened his mouth and said something foolish. “Let’s put up three tabernacles—one to honor each of you!”
It’s helpful to note that that is when God specified, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him!” That emphasis is mine, but I think sometimes we forget to put God’s statement in its context of clarification as well as affirmation. Peter didn’t mean to be foolish, but it’s easy for us to become so enamored by God’s servants and God’s ministries that we forget to put God first and exalt God’s splendor as the foundation for any other affirmations or excitement.
Dear Lord, thank you for being so much more than we are—help us to put you first and foremost in all that we do. Amen.
Focus On God’s Calamity
Wednesday, March 5
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
It is good and right for us to find joy in God’s love—but to genuinely appreciate that truth, we also need to remember that the coming of the Lord will be not only great but also dreadful for this world. As Christians we know that God’s conquering power is a constant source of hope for us. But for those who stand on the other side, God’s power will absolutely be terrifying to behold. “Who can endure it?” (v. 11, NIV). And yet, even then, the prophet Joel reminds us that at God’s core, God is “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity” (v. 13)—the very attributes that the prophet Jonah was so frustrated about. So today take a moment to remember God’s righteous wrath so that we can appreciate God’s perfect love—a love so deep that Christ would come and die to save all who have sinned against God.
Dear Lord, thank you for loving us and sending your Son to save us—and for relenting from sending the calamity we’ve earned. Amen.
Focus On God’s Reward (Part 1)
Thursday, March 6
Matthew 6:1-6
There is a great line in the original Planet of the Apes movie where, after traveling far into the future, Charlton Heston’s character chides another astronaut by reminding him that he has lived longer than anyone else in history: “You got what you wanted, Tiger—how does it taste?” Today, as we consider Jesus’s preaching about praying and doing good works, it’s helpful to remember that we do those things for God’s glory, not for the ripple effects of how the people around us are going to react to them. Jesus is not angered by those who forget so much as saddened by the fact that they have already “received their reward in full” (v. 2). They could have had God’s eternal reward and recognition, but God didn’t really enter into their thinking—they did it for this place here and now, so this place is all they will receive. “You got what you wanted, Tiger—how does it taste?”
Dear Lord, thank you for giving us eternity to look forward to that is so much deeper and better than this place. Amen.
Focus On God’s Reward (Part 2)
Friday, March 7
Matthew 6:16-21
This world is so huge, so tangible, and so immediate that we can forget that it is not our home—it is our mission field. Jesus spoke about hypocrites, actors in masks, who perform so that they can be affirmed for appearing holy. Jesus also spoke about storing up treasures not in this place but in heaven’s eternal storehouses. It is humbling as a pastor to be reminded that everything we do here matters, not technically because of its immediate consequences (pleasant and affirming or unpleasant and caustic), but rather because of what it speaks about why we are doing it in the first place. Do we live for human affirmation or temporary rewards? Do we act in order to honor God and invest in eternal priorities? The former rationales rust, wither, and pass away, but the latter stand forever. What is the best investment for your time and effort today?
Dear Lord, thank you for the promise of eternity where our real treasure is. Amen.
Focus On God’s Mercy
Saturday, March 8
Psalm 51:1-17
Our first reading this week celebrated God’s compassion and unfailing love. It was written because David realized that he rightly deserved something else from God. This week’s readings have been about recognizing the disparity between what we see around us and strive for in this world versus what we know about God and God’s kingdom. We are seeking to change our focus from a visceral reaction to our worldly situations to a godly reaction based on eternal priorities. This shift changes our lives on a daily basis.
David sang, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean” (v. 7). He is nodding to hyssop’s use in the law to cleanse people and items that have been tainted with infectious diseases, mold in the walls, touching a corpse, etc. In Exodus hyssop is used to brush the blood of the Passover lamb on the doorframes so that God’s righteous wrath would “pass over” the Israelites. We don’t just need forgiveness—we need untaintedness, a fresh new start. Fortunately, God’s love and mercy is always greater than our sin.
Dear Lord, thank you for your unfailing love and great compassion. Cleanse us from our sin so we can declare your praise. Amen.
