Our Devotion for Monday, March 27, 2023 is taken from: Amazing Grace Devotions for Lent by Michael Hoy.
10 He sustained him in a desert land, in a howling wilderness waste; he shielded him, cared for him, guarded him as the apple of his eye.
Deuteronomy 32:10 NRSV
NO WASTE OF GRACE
Moses sang these words about how much the people of Israel had grieved the Lord but had, nonetheless, found grace in God’s long-suffering devotion to them. They were loved because of God’s promise to Abraham for descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. Likewise, they did not deserve the land they were to enter, but it was God who provided for them and made them prosper.
How much of our own lives have we wasted away in meaningless pursuits? How many regrets come to mind when we replay the failings we have made along the way? How often do we consider that judgment is the only thing we deserve? The miracle of God’s grace is how it cares for us in spite of ourselves, and is truly an unearned and underserved gift through Christ, who so graciously blesses us and whom we so gratefully trust.
Friends,
As we rapidly approach Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week, we are reminded that God continues to offer us grace, frequently when we do not deserve it. Michael’s reflection highlights how faithful God was to the people of Israel despite the various times the pushed away from God. The gift of God’s grace is offered to us freely from a loving God, whose desire is to be known by us as deeply as God know us.
-Pastor Anthony
Prayer
Lord, we thank you that you do not let us go to waste, but use us to bring glory to you. Amen.
-Michael Hoy