Week sixteen 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 sin. The practice of lawlessness in our daily lives.
Bible Reading
Liturgy – New City Catechism
Question 16: What is sin?
Sin is rejecting or ignoring God in the world he created, rebelling against him by living without reference to him, not being or doing what he requires in his law—resulting in our death and the disintegration of all creation.
1 John 3:4
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
Prayer
Holy, Heavenly, Perfect Father. My sinful heart is seemingly always in rebellion towards you. It schemes and it plots to lull me into a false sense of surity. A false surity that is a breeding ground for pride and self-righteousness. I can feel the allure of sin all around me. Enticing me. Making unrealized promises. Mixing in this dreadful poison into my mind, drop by miniscule drop. Tainting my every step.
But You are steadfast and faithful You shine the light of your gospel into the deep, dark, forgotten nooks of my heart. You show me my sin and engage with me as a tender Father. A tender Father full of mercy and grace. Calling me to repentance. Strengthening me to repentance. Then… you bring healing and comfort and forgiveness. Your mercy is ever more than my sin. How many times may I call upon you for forgiveness? A thousand times a thousand times and forevermore. There is no bottom or shore to the sea of your forgiveness. Your mercy and grace only grows more deep and rich.
You are my hope and my salvation. You are my everything. Lord, teach me to keep my eyes clear and focused on Jesus alone. To not cast my gaze backwards or to the side. But to simply keep looking at my beautiful Savior who goes before me. Who comforts me. The One who has told me that his heart is gentle. His heart that is gentle toward me.
Worship
His Mercy is More
Praise the Lord
His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness
New every morn’
Our sins they are many
His mercy is more
What love could remember
No wrongs we have done
Omniscient all-knowing
He counts not their sum
Thrown into a sea
Without bottom or shore
Our sins they are many
His mercy is more
Praise the Lord
His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness
New every morn’
Our sins they are many
His mercy is more
What patience would wait
As we constantly roam
What Father so tender
Is calling us home
He welcomes the weakest
The vilest the poor
Our sins they are many
His mercy is more
Praise the Lord
His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness
New every morn’
Our sins they are many
His mercy is more
What riches of kindness
He lavished on us
His blood was the payment
His life was the cost
We stood ‘neath a debt
We could never afford
Our sins they are many
His mercy is more
Praise the Lord
His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness
New every morn’
Our sins they are many
His mercy is more
Our sins they are many
His mercy is more