Lent - Day Two - God is Not Distant

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025
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Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.' All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 'Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel' (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-25

Many would say that if there is a God, He is merely a spectator who does not interact with this world. In the birth of Jesus, we see the very opposite to be true. God Himself comes into this world. He takes on our flesh. Not only does He interact with this world, but He intervenes on behalf of His creation. He is born into this world to “save His people from their sins.” And God continues to interact and intervene in our lives, for our benefit, by the work of the Holy Spirit, and with the power of His Word.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, be at work in our lives. Encourage our faith, speak Your truth, and open our eyes to see all You are doing. Amen.

Go the Distance

You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands. 

Psalm 119:73 NLT

We can have a genius IQ and still lack common sense. We can read the Bible cover to cover, but if we're reading just to be able to say we read it and don't make it applicable to our lives, we are fools. It's been said that the distance between heaven and hell is 18 inches. That's the distance from our head to our heart... 

It's not head knowledge that gives us a relationship with God, it's our heart knowledge - asking Him into our hearts. Allowing Him to change them from hearts of stone to tender, responsive hearts as He promised in Ezekiel 36:26, And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

Prayer:

Father,

           You made us; You created us. Please give us the sense to follow Your commands. Change our hearts we pray so that we will follow You in spirit and in truth. Help us to go the distance, Father! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen