Week 13, 2022

Week thirteen of Cultivate Delight, where we are actively planning our spiritual endeavors this coming week with the goal of a consistent time spent engaging our hearts with Christ in his word, in prayer, in reflection, and in music. Below are some starting points for reflection, and I hope you find them helpful. The goal is to not just rush through these and then get on with your day. Take your time and reflect throughout the week on these items.

This week we are focusing on the utter sinfulness of our heart and our abject inability to obey the righteous requirements of God’s holy and perfect law.

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Bible Reading

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Liturgy – New City Catechism

Question 13: Can anyone keep the law of God perfectly?

Since the fall, no mere human has been able to keep the law of God perfectly, but consistently breaks it in thought, word, and deed.

Romans 3:10–12
None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.

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Prayer

My perfect holy God. It is you who calls us to be holy, just as you are holy. It is we who are incapable of fulfilling this calling in our own strength. We are wholly tainted with sin and we lack the ability to obey even the minuscule portion of your law in our flesh. We are sinful and rebellious, prideful and arrogant, self-centered and self-righteous. There are none that seek you. But God… This is the greatest phrase in your holy word in that it captures the hopelessness of our situation and the hopfulness of your remedy. When there was not a way, you made a way. You rescued and redeemed a people for yourself. You sent your Son, our Savior, to take upon himself all of our sin. Not just bits and pieces, but every sinful and rebelious thought and action. Every sin was laid upon Jesus on the cross and when you looked at him on the cross with all our sin, you turned away from him and poured out your wrath upon sin. Jesus paid the penalty for our failure. Jesus accepted the punishment for our sin. Now… Now, when you look at your people, you see the righteousness of Christ in us. You see the perfect righteousness of Jesus in our life and soul. Those who had no hope, now have a perfect Savior who will bring us safely home to be with him in heaven. You have made us whole. You have given us a new heart. You have placed your Spirit within us. You abide in us and will see us safely along this path through the world and into the warm embrace of our loving Father.

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Worship

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

[Verse 1]
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind, but now I see

[Verse 2]
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

[Chorus]
My chains are gone, I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace

[Verse 3]
The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

[Chorus]
My chains are gone, I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace
My chains are gone, I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace

[Verse 4]
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine