“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10
Today, March 9th, is Ash Wednesday. In the church calendar this is one of the most holy seasons of year. During Lent we are invited to remember the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem and to the cross. The season is 40 days long, excluding Sundays, commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing with God for his ministry. As I contemplate this it occurs to me that we all carry within the song of the Psalmist, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Could there be a more poignant plea?
All of us know what it is to fail, to fall short of being the person we long to be. We come before God and plead for mercy. Some persons from other denominations will be marked with ashes on their foreheads. Ashes were used in ancient times to express mourning. Dusting oneself with ashes was the penitent’s way of expressing sorrow for sins and faults. The prophet Daniel prayed to God saying, “I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes” Daniel 9:3. In Ezekiel 9 the writer speaks of a linen-clad messenger marking the forehead of the city inhabitants that have sorrow over the sins of the people. In the early church, Christians who committed serious sins did public penance. As part of their penance they were sprinkled with ashes and required to wear sackcloth. In later years, penitents were also turned away from their place of worship for the entire season of Lent until Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter, by which time they had atoned for their sins.
Though we don’t follow those practices any more, won’t you join me in facing those things in your life which hinder your relationship with God and others? Say with the Psalmist, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2) . So starting today, let’s go to God in prayer, examine our lives and ask for mercy to begin afresh and anew again. Who among us doesn’t want a second chance? Of course, the Good News is that God offers us that chance as He is the God of second chances, who loves us, even when we don’t love ourselves. He cares for you!
Might you choose to take on something that would, each day of Lent, call to mind the sacrifice Jesus made so that you would know the unchanging love of God? Would you prayerfully consider taking on:
1. Praying more - Praying for your neighbors and friends who need the Lord.
2. Scripture reading – Learn about God and yourself through scripture. It’s never too late to start.
3. Scripture memorization, “Thy Word I have hidden in my heart that I may not sin against Thee.” Psalm 119:11.
4. Commit to a weekly or daily act of service - Write a letter or greeting card each day.
5. Exercise – If you are not in shape, how can you be ready when God calls you to serve? Take this time to start an exercise regiment and begin to get your body right.
6. Sacrificial giving – Give money that you would have used to fulfill your earthly desires for God.
7. Silence – Turn everything off and learn to enjoy stillness and silence. Sometimes God’s whispers can only be heard when we are still and quiet.
So, as Lent begins, won’t you spend some time in prayer and be with God and ask Him what you might choose that would deepen your relationship? I believe this kind of commitment ushers in a deeper, richer life of faith and spiritual growth.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Amen. (Psalm 51: 1)
Thank you for your love and care.
As we work together, side-by-side, I am,
Your friend and fellow co-laborer,
Mark David Jackson
