Laurie Hopkins

Today is the beginning of Lent. Beginnings are interesting things. 

Everything has a beginning. 

When we think about Lent leading up to Easter, we might see today as a beginning.  

However, the journey to Easter started much earlier than the beginning of Lent.  

We read in John that the Word was already in the beginning.  

He was present before the foundation of the world. Jesus, the Word, transcends all beginnings. 

Like beginnings, plans are interesting things. 

Every plan starts somewhere.  

We read in Revelation that the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world.  

The Divine plan for, for the Lamb of God (Jesus), to die willingly on the cross, taking on our sins, so we may be righteous in Him before God, allowing us to walk in eternal relationship with the Father, was made and carried out before the earth was even created.  

The plan of God preceded not only us, but the very foundation of the world.  

If we think of beginnings and plans in the natural we understand that everything has a beginning and starts somewhere.  

What we need to understand is that there is more to life than what we see in the natural.  

Jesus transcends all beginnings and the plans that took Him to the cross at Easter were not only made but carried out before creation even began.  

What a privilege it is to worship Jesus together throughout this Easter season; 

the One that transcends time, beginnings and all plans that are to go forth. 

My prayer for us as we journey through Lent together is that we will commit to this time in the Word, that we would open ourselves us to go deeper into the Word and that we would come away more focused on our relationship with Jesus.  

Grab your Bible, a pen and paper and a cup of your favorite warm beverage and curl up in a comfy chair.  

Jesus is waiting.

Sometimes we are on the ball enough to realize the power of the words that roll off our tongues and out through our lips.  

We often, however, don’t think about our “inside voice”.  

The Psalmist asks the Lord not only that his words would be acceptable but the medication of his heart as well.  

The Psalmist was asking for an acceptable thought life.  

You know, those things that you think in your head and heart that are careful not to let slip out.  

We must remember that what is inside will slip outside at some point, no matter how careful we are.  It may come out in our words, but it also comes out in our tone, our attitude and our body language.  This may sound like a difficult task, to begin to control that inner thought life, however, the Psalmist reminds us that the Lord is our strength and our Redeemer.  

In His strength and through His redemption we are able to accomplish all things.  

So this week, instead of thinking,  

“oops, did I say that out loud” 

start also thinking, 

“oops, did I think that in my heart”. 

Your thought life is just a habit; start breaking the negativity in that habit today.

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4

The Bible is not an obsolete text.  

It is an active and living Word that reveals itself to us even as we read.  

Patience = hypomonē=steadfastness, constancy, endurance.

Comfort= paraklēsis=a calling near, summons, (esp. for help), importation, supplication, entreaty, exhortation, admonition, encouragement.

The Scriptures, in their steadfastness and summons for us to draw near, provide hope.

We are busy.  

Life is busy.  

Society is busy.  

The Church is busy.  

When we are busy, we have to learn to prioritize our time.  

Often, our Bible reading doesn’t make it to the top of the list.  

We believe we will get to it later on and later on seldom comes or comes sporadically.   

We forget that in the Scriptures all things that were written were written for our learning and to foster hope.  

What do we need most of us in this day and age?  

We don’t need more time; we would just fill that up too.  

What we need is hope.  Hope to see beyond today.  

Hope to see where we are going.  

Hope to understand the very love of Jesus that is ours if only we receive it. 

Are you spending time in that hope?  

If not, it is time to dig out the Scriptures, put them in a prominent place in your home and begin penciling your reading time in as a top priority.  

God will redeem that time.