Week fourteen 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 once again focusing on the utter sinfulness of our heart and our abject inability to obey the righteous requirements of God’s holy and perfect law.
Bible Reading
Numbers 1-9
Old Testament
(Two-year plan)
Luke 22 – John 2
New Testament
(One-year plan)
Liturgy – New City Catechism
Question 14: Did God create us unable to keep his law?
No, but because of the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, all of creation is fallen; we are all born in sin and guilt, corrupt in our nature and unable to keep God’s law.
Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.
Prayer
O holy and just Lord God Almighty. You are my fountain of hope in a life filled with adversity, trials, and struggles. A fountain of hope that fills me and then overflows my heart and soul. Such is this hope within me that it cannot be constrained or held back. It must flow out of me into this world around me. I am your vessel that you use to bring hope to the hurting and the lost.
And I am one of those hurting and lost as well. I am a child of the living God that struggles and wrestles, yet often times fails to live obediently to your commandments and expressed will for my life. I desire, so I reach out my hand to take. I want, so I devise clever plans to attain. I sin and sin and sin again. I want to be obedient, but I only see my failure.
But Jesus… Jesus himself was completely and perfectly obedient. He alone was the One perfect man. And on this perfect man, your Son, you laid all of my sin. Not just some of it. Not just the really bad stuff, but every single drop of sin in my life was poured into the cup of wrath that Jesus drank upon the cross and he drank every last drop. Jesus paid the penalty due for my every sin.
And what did he give me in exchange? He gave me His righteousness. So that when you look upon me you see the righteousness of Christ. You see Jesus when you look at me. This is the hope that fills me. This is the hope that speaks of your love for me.
Lord, give me eyes to see as you see. Let me see sin for what it truly is, an abomination against your holiness. Let me also see myself as I truly am, righteous in the blood of Christ. A loved child of my heavenly Father. Lord, thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for calling me into your family. Thank you for your steadfast love and mercy and grace.
Worship
Wake Up Jesus
Jesus, when you gonna wake up?
When you gonna wake up and calm this raging sea?
Jesus, when you gonna wake up?
When you gonna wake up?
How can you sleep when we’re in need?
[Chorus]
Just one word from the Maker and all the waves be still
Just one touch from the Healer and all will be made well
[Verse] Jesus, when you gonna wake up?
When you gonna wake up and calm this raging sea?
Jesus, when you gonna wake up?
When you gonna wake up?
How can you sleep when we’re in need?
[Chorus 2x]
Just one word from the Maker and all the waves will be made still
Just one touch from the Healer and all will be made well
[Verse]
Jesus, when you gonna wake up?
When you gonna wake up and calm this raging sea?
Jesus, when you gonna wake up?
When you gonna wake up?
How can you sleep when we’re in need?
[Outro]
So won’t you rise up?
Won’t you rise up?
Won’t you rise up?
Won’t you rise up?
Won’t you rise up?