“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will again say it again; rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” (Philippians 4:4-8).
Today is the first of 6 Sundays in our lenten journey. These are not included in the 40 days of sacrifice. The 7th Sunday after Ash Wednesday is Easter. Therefore, it is the Sabbath of the Sabbaths as we celebrate our Lord’s resurrection. On these Sundays we will take a sabbath pause in our meditation on the sacrifice of Jesus and meditate on the blessings received due to that sacrifice.
Today we worship through Paul’s words above.
#1. We rejoice in the Lord for He is near. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus we can enjoy fellowship with our Creator and Lord.
Sing to the Lord today!
#2. Don’t worry about anything…pray about it…with thanksgiving. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus we can be thankful for all things and take our cares to a God who cares for us.
Try this exercise: Take out a blank sheet of paper and get a timer. In 5 minutes write down as many things as you possibly can that you are thankful for. “Anything worthy of Praise”, as Paul says, no matter how small or silly. If you don’t fill the paper try it again.
You are blessed!