In God's Grace
Daily Meditations and Prayers for the Season of Lent
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Thursday of Week One Scripture Readings: Psalter: Psalm 37:1-18 Old Testament: Deuteronomy 7:6-11 Epistle: Titus 1:1-16 Gospel: John 1:29-34 Meditation: “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will dwell in the land, and enjoy security. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:3-4) Today is a day to think and to pray about trust. We need to trust that the Word of God that has come to us through Scripture, discernment, and other people in our life is a Word that will be fulfilled. We need to recall God’s own words through the prophet Isaiah, “My Word that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11) To find true happiness we need to begin by more fully trusting God. God is a God of Covenant and has never broken a covenant made with all humanity or with a single person. However, there is more trust than our trusting God. We need to discern if God can trust us. While we are trusting God to fulfill His promises to us as a people and as an individual, are we equally as eager for God to be able to trust us? Can God trust us to keep the promises, the covenants, we make? Prayer: Precious Lord, in whom I put my utmost trust, help me daily to strengthen that trust. Likewise help me daily to give you cause to more easily trust the promises and covenants I make, not only with you, but with self and with other people. Help me to better understand that by fully trusting in you, there is nothing in life that I cannot move through. Forgive those times when I actually doubt you have my best interest at heart. It is selfish of me and falls short of the trust and praise you so richly deserve. Forgive me when I have blamed you for the condition of my life. Forgive me when it seems to me you have let me down. Truly these are utterings of a weak, frightened, and exhausted heart. Lord, it is easy to trust you when things in my life are going well. Help me to trust you when it seems, at least for the moment, that my life is falling apart around me. Remind me that there are times you calm the storm that is raging about me, and there are other times when you calm me in the midst of the storm, allowing the storm to rage on. As I move through this Lenten Season, help me to find a new level of trust in the very origin of my being. Amen *****
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About the Book
In God's Grace is a powerful and deeply personal rendering of daily meditations and prayers for the Lenten Season. There are many who have already utilized this material in a previously unpublished form and found it to be profoundly helpful as a guide toward self-examination, repentance, and reconciliation. While In God's Grace is written primarily for the Lenten Season there are some who also use it as occasional meditation throughout the year.
About the Author
The Rev. Dr. David H. Lester received both the Master's of Divinity degree and Doctor of Ministry Degree from Bangor Thelogial Semnary. He has spent a life time in service to others and is well known for his skills and expertise in pastoral counseling. Dr. Lester has authored several articles and books. He is a local church historian and has recently published "A History of East Orrington Congregational Church, Orrington Maine". He has spent over forty years teaching modern psalmody, faith discernment and meditation in individual, family and group settings. Dr. Lester and his wife, Joyce, currently live in Orrington, Maine. He serves as Pastor of Ministry for East Orrington Congregational Church, serves on the Executive Committee of the Congregational Christian Council of Maine, and serves as a Mentoring Pastor in the Mentoring Practice Program at Bangor Theological Seminary.