Reading for today:
Psalms: 50, 59, 60, 19, 46
Gen. 39:1-23
1 Cor. 2:14-3:15
Mark 2:1-12
Unrest in our souls makes a season like Lent tough.
The temptation is to ACT… to DO.
We live with thin margins in our lives. We don’t have enough space in our lives where we can have something come at us and there is a “margin” where we create the opportunity to respond in a way that is more Kingdom minded than earthly minded.
Instead, something happens to us and we immediately snap back. Our margins are too thin, or non-existent, and we will continue in a cycle of action/reaction.
Even in the Gospel reading, we see Jesus as a “man of action.” Yet, there will be a part where Mark intentionally notes that Jesus slipped away for prayer. He built margin into his life.
There is also the opportunity in that margin to realize that God really will deal with the big issues in a powerful way. We don’t like his timing, but he didn’t ask us.
The Psalms for today call us to fix our gaze. Build space for the margins. Allow perspective to come back in.
9 He brings an end to wars throughout the earth;
he shatters the bow and breaks the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
10 He says, “Stop your striving and recognize that I am God!
I will be exalted over the nations! I will be exalted over the earth!” (Ps. 46:9,10, NET)
