Lent Devotional February 19, 2024

Lenten Devotional February 19, 2024

Scripture

Psalm 121

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills —
from where will my help come?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and for evermore.

Devotion

The Rev. Jelty Ochotan ’11

“The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.” (Ps 121:6)

We are uniquely created by God, not merely a coincidence on this Earth. God has a purpose for each of us being here. When we confess our belief in Jesus Christ, it signifies that we belong to God. He has prepared us to be his ambassadors, witnessing who God is through our lives. We are constantly being witnesses to how God has created this world uniquely. Each part of the earth has distinct conditions, situations, uniquely formed maps and lands, and each area has unique characteristics, including weather.

For instance, the hottest country in the world is Mali in West Africa. At first glance, 28.83°C / 83.89°F may seem surprisingly cool. However, these are not average summertime highs but average overall temperatures for both nights and days. How can people live there? God created them uniquely to thrive in this place and survive each day and night.

In this reading, through the witness of the psalmist, we see that God has protected the Israelites with unique weather conditions for both nights and days. Despite the challenging climate in Israel, the travelers express confidence that God will not allow them to experience ill effects from the daytime or nighttime due to the Lord's watchful care.

This reference is also symbolic of how God still watches over his people, caring for us day and night. Psalm 91:1 promises: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” Jesus assured his followers that there was no need to worry because our heavenly Father provides for us (Matt 6:25-33). Amen.

Prayer

O Almighty God, we long for peace in our world today. In every difficulty of our lives, may God bless our nation, and may world leaders work together in this time of need, finding peace and harmony for all—the sick, poor, homeless, lonely, hungry, victims of violence and abuse, refugees, immigration concerns, violence in schools, and violence in our streets. Especially, we pray for Israel and Palestine, for Ukraine and Russia; to you, O Lord, we ask. We also pray for those living with life-threatening illnesses, those aging or living with cancer, those with mental health concerns, and those who are caregivers. You care for us. Thank you, Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

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