Monday, March 29, 2010

A Confession, Holy Monday 2010

I've decided to try to blog everyday as part of my Holy Week preparations. Blogging helps me to explore my thoughts and reflect on my relationship with God. Lately, I've been nearly overwhelmed with thoughts. I imagine I have enough material for weeks of conversation running through my mind right now, yet at the root of all these thoughts is living faithfully.

Faithful(a): steady in allegiance or affection, reliable, true to fact or standard

Lent is supposed to be a time of intentional devotion--giving up, giving out, taking in. Pastor David Israel talks about creating margins in our lives, he says, "I'm choosing to think about fasting as what I gain rather than what I give up. When I fast, I am creating space to be in conversation with God." Well...if this is what Lent is about, I must confess. This Lent, I have failed. I have been steady in my allegiance to schedules and calendars and commitments in the name of God, but not so steady in my actual allegiance to God.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me...a sinner.

In spite of my failure, God is faithful:
Psalm 33:4
For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.

Psalm 36:5
Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.

Psalm 86:15
But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Psalm 89:1
I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

Psalm 89:8
O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

Psalm 92:1-3
It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp.

Psalm 108:4
For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Psalm 115:1
Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.


Psalm 143:1
O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief

Lamentations 3:22-23
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Romans 3:3-4
What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all!

1 Corinthians 1:9
God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Thank you, God, that my lack of faithfulness will not nullify Yours.

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