I ‘ve always enjoyed watching and coaching my children in sports – from the days of tee ball and biddy basketball at the YMCA to now playing for their school teams. It’s been a blessing to watch each of them play, laugh, celebrate, get mad, compete, and grow through sports.

Recently my son Wilson went to a baseball hitting coach to work on his batting. There were a lot of things Wilson was doing well, but there were also some parts in his swing that he needed to change. It was a frustrating process for Wilson. He was accustomed to swinging the bat his way and was being challenged to try to change part of what felt comfortable to him.

During one hitting lesson the coach told him there are two parts to learning. Half of learning is learning new habits, but the other half of learning is unlearning your old habits. And changing what you are accustomed to doing is an uncomfortable process, but in the end you will be better off for it.

This coach’s comment stuck with me. I thought this was a very interesting point but that it was very true to several aspects of life …… not just a baseball swing.

Most of us tend to live in a bubble. We fall into patterns and routines that are comfortable for us. Our tendency is to shy away from the challenges God may be presenting to us and create excuses for why we don’t need to do what is being called of us. It’s easy to feel inadequate and think there are others better suited to accomplish what needs to be done. God thinks otherwise. As evidenced throughout the Bible, God constantly uses ordinary people to accomplish His will.

But it’s not easy to step out in faith or take a risk for God. The good news is we never have to do it alone. Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” God is always with us and, when we allow God to live and work through us, what we see as extraordinary challenges become ordinary.

During this season of Lent think about what God is calling or challenging you to do. Be willing to step out in faith, to be brave and confident that God is with you each and every step of the way. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 11 Isaiah 41:10.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, as we begin a new day, help us to engage your will with a reckless faith. Teach us to trust in you alone and help us grow in faith. We ask you to give us the courage to step out in faith this day and every day. Fill our hearts with your spirit and let us speak your words with pride and perform your work with confidence. We thank you and love you.

Amen.
Kenneth Mims

Lamentations 3: 16-19 – He hath made my teeth to grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes; my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say “Gone is my glory, and all that I had hoped for from the LORD.” The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall!

Was this you during 2020 and 2021? If not, consider yourself lucky, for many people – maybe someone you know – were burdened with these thoughts and feelings during the current pandemic.

When the going gets tough and the future looks bleak, it is easy to give up, become confused and sink into the depths of self-doubt and depression. What to do when caught in this downward spiral? Antidepressants sometimes help; counseling – good; yoga and mindfulness activities possible.
The poet who wrote Lamentations announces his plan in verses 21-24: But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I will hope in him.”

Thomas O. Chisholm summed this up in the hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness”:

“Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth;

thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

blessings a!! mine with ten thousand beside!”

PRAYER: In good times and in tough times, may we always keep our faith and hope in You, who sent Your son Jesus to be our strength and source of courage to face all that confronts us.

Amen.
Arland Compton

Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.”

For the past thirty years I have had the opportunity to go into prison at least once a month as a part of a Kairos ministry team — well, until COVID closed the doors to us two years ago. One of the major themes of Kairos is to show the prison residents that God loves them and that God is willing and able to forgive them of all their sins.

Now you and I know that God is in the forgiveness business, and it is easy for most of us to think that God can forgive us, right? I mean our list of sins are really minor compared to those who are locked away in prison. Our list might include cheating, gossiping, lying, inappropriate thoughts, or the slip of the tongue every now and then. Our sins are rather tame compared to the sins of those in prison. We know that and so do they.

So the challenge is this — to convince them and us that God’s grace and forgiveness is extended to all. In God’s eyes sin is sin. There are no big sins or little sins. Anything that separates us from God is sinful. We are all sinners in need of God’s grace and forgiveness. But before we can receive God’s forgiveness there are a few requirements on our part. We must confess our sin, turn away from our sin (repent), and be willing to forgive others. To simply say “God I’m sorry” and think that’s all it is cheapens God’s grace.
On the Kairos weekend everyone is asked to make a list of all those they hold in unforgiveness. Now on my first Kairos team I had been a pastor for more than ten years, and yet I was able to list a dozen or more names of people that I still held in unforgiveness. I realized that I still had quite a way to go on my way to perfection. I’m pleased to report that with God’s help that list shrunk with time, and that when I make such a list these days I find it difficult to think of even one name.

So my challenge to you in this Lenten season is this. Find a quiet place and do a little self-examination. Ask God to help you see the sin in your life and then confess those sins; ask God for forgiveness and repent. Then make your own list of people whom you hold in unforgiveness. You may be surprised like I was the first time I made such a list. Set about to forgive those people. It might not be easy, but with God all things are possible.

Rev. Steve McCormick

Exodus 34:6-7 The LORD God is “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, … forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin”.

When a toddler is learning to walk, we don’t scold when they fall on their bottom. Rather, we pick them up and comfort them. Then we offer our fingers to help them regain their balance so they can try again. Our response to their “failure” is guided by our understanding that they are growing and learning. We understand that falling is a part of their learning to walk.

How might we deal with our own “failures” if we lived out of the awareness that we were still growing and learning in our faith? What kind of progress might we make?

During Lent, make it a time of Overcoming whatever it is that holds us back from being the leader, teacher, helper, or disciple that God wants us to be.

Prayer: Fill me, O LORD, with your mercy and compassion. Teach me to be slow to find fault and quick to forgive … especially with myself.

Amen.
Max K. Jackson

Isaiah 40:28-31
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint
and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.

This is a powerful passage of hope. What a beautiful picture – people soaring like eagles – majestic and strong and seemingly free of worry. I want to soar like an eagle … NOW! I want to have the power and strength from the Lord. I want to run and not be weary; I want to walk and not faint. Is this even possible? If it is possible, how? How do I soar like an eagle? The answer is in the longest, and maybe the most important, line of the passage – I must WAIT on the Lord, the everlasting God, the creator of all the earth who doesn’t grow weary. My hope must be in HIM. I must expect HIM to give power to me and to strengthen me. I must have patience and listen to HIM. I must understand that He will make me soar like an eagle.

While you wait on the Lord, go to www.youtube.com and search Phil Driscoll “Wings as Eagles.” Throughout this Easter season of hope and anticipation, listen to him sing this passage.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please give patience to me as I wait for you to restore me with your power and strength. In your precious and holy name.

Amen
Julie Ardis

Cash Halloway:

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only begotten son, so everyone who believes in him shall not perish, but will have eternal life.”

He gave His son to the earth.

Lord, I know I am a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. I believe that He died for my sins and that you raised Him to life. Amen.

Eddie Donald:

Psalm 37:13 “The Lord laughs at the wicked, for He knows their day is coming.”

Always rely on God because He is always right and believe in Jesus.

Dear God, help me believe in you always. Help me teach others your name. Amen.

Connor Smith:

Hebrews 12:2 “Let’s also run the that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up.”

In the world of track, you have a training weight and a race weight. This means you train at a certain weight, then cut off the excess weight before the big race to run faster in the race than in practice. Like in track, in the race of life it’s important to cut off the excess sin that prevents us from performing in our faith. Life is your race and your eternity is your finish line; so don’t get lost in sin.

Dear Lord, help us run our race in order to glorify you. Help us not to get tripped up on sin. Amen.

Elizabeth Anne Roberts:

Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God.”

This made me think of my grandma. My grandma has cancer and she does not fear. I pray to God she will get better. She is very kind and if you get hurt or something, she will say you will be okay. That makes me happy, and she means a lot to me. Thank you for our prayers.

Thomas Creech:

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; don’t rely on your own intelligence, Know him in all your paths, and he will keep your ways straight.”

This verse stood out to me because it is very true. It can relate to anybody, whatever they are going through. Problems in work, struggles in school, etc. If you trust in God, everything will work out. If you try to make your own path, you will make mistakes, God may not send you down the path you want, but the path that is the best for you.

Dear God, Thank you for always looking out for us and keeping us on the right path. Thank you for dying on the cross and forgiving our sins so when we stray from the path, you will make it straight again. In your name we pray, Amen.

Bella Riggs:

Proverbs 14:29 “Patience leads to abundant understanding, but impatience leads to stupid mistakes.”
This is an important verse to me because I am not the most patient person, and I’ve learned that it never ends up well. It can end in an argument with someone you care about, and can even lead to the end of important relationships. We need to be patient and understanding to others no matter what. That is what God would want us to do, after all.

Dear God, please help us to be king, patient, and understanding to everyone around us, even if they are really frustrating. Help us to be your example through your patience. In your name we pray, Amen.

Chase Denton:

Matthew 22:39 “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”
I picked out this Bible verse because it is a very simple verse but also very important. It says you should love and respect strangers, friends, and family as you would yourself. In that you may make someone’s entire day, and maybe even their whole week, by just giving them the respect and praise you would yourself.

Dear Lord, please help us love and respect others as we would ourselves, as you would do. Amen.

The other day in the youth group we studied the verses 1 Corinthians 12:1-11: “Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and Jed astray to mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”

These verses were written by Paul to the people of Corinth. He explains the different spiritual gifts people have been given, and because we all have different gifts, the body of Christ is made. Each gift comes directly from God and should be used for His purpose. I had the youth take an online spiritual gifts quiz. The youth had gifts such as evangelism, hospitality, shepherding, mercy, knowledge, wisdom, and more. As a group and individuals we were able to discuss ways in which they are currently using their gifts and how they want to continue to use their gifts in the future. One of my gifts is writing. When I have the time, I enjoy writing devotions and sermons. Knowing the church was looking for devotions to include for Lent, I wanted the youth to try a hand at it. I had them pick a verse, describe why they picked it, write something people can relate to and a prayer. For the next 2 days, I hope you enjoy these devotionals.

Rachel White

Director of Youth Ministries, TUMC

Exodus 20:1-2: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall no other gods before me.

Most of us know the First Commandment, “I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me.” Of course, that is exactly our greatest problem. We like to have other gods. This does not mean that we worship little statues set up in the family room, but it does mean that we have “things or people” that we idolize. Most especially, the three culprits we idolize are related to money, sex, and power. The whole history of man is the story of making an unholy trinity of these things.

None of us can or should give everything we own away so that we can live under a bridge in bliss. Having less money does not mean that we love money less. But all Christians are called to give sacrificially of our time, our talents, our gifts, and our service. Lent has been considered a time to GIVE UP something we hold dear; but this Lenten season, let’s make it a time of GIVING instead of GIVING UP.

Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, free us from our insecurity and fear of poverty. Enable us to give freely so that we, with empty hands, may receive You, the God of all true riches, which will endure forever through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Carol Kirven

1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now these three remain: Faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Every day I am thankful for my faith in God. I have hope that our country will survive these difficult and challenging times, that our church, community and nation will prosper. Hope that we will find good ways to solve the issues of racial, religious, and cultural discrimination, climate change, immigration, wars, hunger, homelessness, pandemics and all of the other things that cause division and strife in our world.

If we could all learn to listen with open ears, eyes and hearts, the world could be in a better place, and we could enjoy this beautiful life and planet that God had so graciously granted to all of us. I guess as a child of the 60’s I truly believe that LOVE will get us through all of our trials and tribulations.

PRAYER
Most gracious and loving Father, please guide us to be the people you would have us to be. Show us your will and help us to follow in your path. Thank you for each moment that you grant us. We love you.

Amen

Fran Castleberry

Psalm 130: 5: “I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.”

For most of my life, I’ve been interested in hymnals and have studied many of them. It’s been an effective way to learn more about scripture, authors of texts, composers, and more.

Despite differences among hymnals, there are similarities. I often find neglected hymns. That certainly seems to be true in The United Methodist Hymnal. One is Out of the Depths I Cry to You (UMH #515). Words and music are the work of Martin Luther, with text inspired by Psalm 130 and Psalm 120:1-2. Below is one of the verses:

My soul is waiting for the Lord as one who longs for morning; no watcher waits with greater hope than I for Christ’s returning. I hope as Israel in the Lord, who sends redemption through the Word. Praise God for endless mercy.

Prayer: O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light riseth up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou wouldest have us to do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in thy light we may see light, and in thy straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Stephen Winn

Isaiah 40:31: ³¹ But those who hope in the lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Lately, I find myself somewhat apathetic. I am tired of the pandemic and its associated hype. The community activities I once enjoyed are reduced or cancelled completely, some never to return. I am not happy with the political climate and national issues. I hear myself saying “I don’t care.” It is easy to get caught up in all the negativity.

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

So maybe it’s time to turn our focus to the hope that God brings to us. Hope is a gift. Hope is the seed that grows to enthusiasm for moving forward with courage. Hope shines a light on the possibilities of better days to come. Hope is positive.

Mark 10:27: Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.’

A Prayer for Hope:
Heavenly Father, I am your humble servant, I come before you today in need of hope. There are times when I feel weak and helpless. I pray for hope for a better future. I need hope for love and kindness. I pray to be filled with your light of hope and to know that all is right in the world, as you have planned, and as you want it to be. Help me to walk in your light, and live my life in faith and service. In your name, I pray,

Amen.

Anonymous

This past year was full of some amazing adventures and wonderful things that happened to me and my family. There have been numerous opportunities to see God’s beautiful creations and witness an outpouring of love from friends and family. But with those moments of joy also came profound sorrows. There were moments I didn’t feel God’s presence and I questioned His goodness. I found myself realizing that sometimes I have to choose to believe He is good and He is who He says He is. An active, cognitive choosing.

These lyrics give us a reminder that He is constant …
“In every valley, He has been faithful to provide
Even in shadows, He scatters darkness with His light
In every season, He has sustained me with His Word
And like a Good Shepherd, He leads me steady and secure

Oh, look what God has done
He’s been here all along
All through the changing of the tides
He’s been constant, He’s been kind
Oh, look what God has done
His love surrounding us
All through the fire and the flood
He’s always been enough”
(“Look What God Has Done” -Corey Voss, Madison Street Worship)

No one knows what the future holds. Most likely this year will be full of really good things paired with some really difficult things. I’ve never been able to believe those two can coexist:

Pain and joy, sorrow and rejoicing. I’m an all-in or all out kind of person. Things are either all bad or they’re all good. But I think in this last year I realized that’s not true – sorrow and joy do coexist. They have to. I hope we all can look back and see Him in our stories. The way He has woven things together in unimaginable ways. And I hope we can look ahead, with expectation of what He can and will do next.

I have recently experienced great joy and strong sorrow. But those experiences have taught me that though ‘… weeping may endure for a night… joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

What a great promise and soothing truth.

Gretchen Meyers
(inspired by Ann Elizabeth Mccreight)

I Chronicles 16:10-12:

¹⁰ Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. ¹¹ Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always. ¹² Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles and the judgments he pronounced.

How wonderful to realize first thing in the morning when we first wake that God causes the sun to rise for us. It is a joy to wake up and talk with him again; pause to listen and reflect on his grace and peace.

David the psalmist talked a lot about mornings, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (See Psalm 118:24) For me this verse is a great way to start my day.

As we proceed with our day take a moment to look in a mirror and say: “I am going to have a good day because Jesus loves me.”

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for my blessings and challenges each day. Guide me to remember the wonder and glory of being a Christian.

Amen

Carolyn Klaege

Mark 12: 28-31 The scribe said to Jesus, “what are we to consider the greatest commandment of all?” “The first and most important one is this,” Jesus replied–“‘ Hear, 0 Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.’ The second is this, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Every morning of my life when I have my devotionals and prayer time, I thank God for a new day and for HIS love; then I ask him to help me live the Golden Rule to the very best of my ability. I know that is a “tall order” for all of us, but what if we all made an honest attempt every day to treat every person we see with the utmost respect and truly took every opportunity to love others the way we want to be loved.

During Lent I challenge all of us to consciously treat each other the way we want to be treated. Hopefully, after doing this through Lent, this will become a habit.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for teaching me the Golden Rule. Please give me the strength and courage to love my neighbor {that means everyone) as myself. In your precious name, I pray.

Amen!

Anne Walker

Over the past couple of years …. late 2019 into 2020 and 2021 into 2022, we have been witnessing so many changes and stresses with unusual concerns in many areas of our lives. Due to the possibility of catching a multitude of most distressing viruses, I often turned to and prayed Psalm 91 and other scriptures with promises that God hears us and is with us. Praying scripture out loud out of my own mouth for my own heart to hear has been a very good experience in calming and focusing my mind on who is in control of everything, after all, and it is not me. God is who we call upon when we pray; Jesus Christ is the one, as Christians, that we run to. I review his promises. I know they never tell us we will never go through life’s ups and downs, but that he will be with us in the midst of them.

” … I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are mine”, says the Lord. (Scripture Isaiah 43) … I am the Lord your God your Savior. .. you are precious in my sight …. Do not fear, for I am with you … “

Psalm 91 (NKJ) Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God

91 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

³ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the ^[a]fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
⁴ He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and ^[b]buckler.
⁵ You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
⁸ Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

⁹ Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
¹⁰ No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
¹¹ For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
¹² In their hands they shall ^[c]bear you up,
Lest you ^[d]dash your foot against a stone.
¹³ You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

¹⁴ “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will ^[e]set him on high, because he has known My name.
¹⁵ He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With ^[f]long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”

I hope that in any struggles, losses, or concerns you may have had in the past few years have prompted you to seek the friendship of the one who knows you better than anyone else will ever know you – and that is Jesus Christ. I pray for you a future with new beginnings as we all have room to grow in our relationship with the Lord we profess, and, with God’s guidance, with each other.

I have a lot to learn about ways to grow in my Christian faith and walk. Jesus said “ABIDE in ME.” I have found in talking with others who are trying to grow in their prayer lives and in their understanding of the walk of faith in this Christian life, that in seeking him and in reading his word, we can find a wisdom certainly beyond what we are capable of coming up with by ourselves. Not only wisdom,
but peace. The small group bible study I am in has really been a blessing in studying God’s word and having fellowship with other believers.

It has been my great privilege, also, to be able to contribute to the functioning of the Trinity UMC Media ministry and get the services streamed to social networks online and recorded. The recordings are posted to the TUMC website. I enjoy the process and videotaping, photography, sound, etc. I appreciate all of the people involved in making it happen every week – my co-workers, the talented singers and various instrumentalists and musicians (you ROCK!) and the leadership of Charlie, and the scripture and sermons shared by our minister Joseph James! I think it is important to have fellowship; so make it to the church as you are able. Do not just worship alone always. It is important to get involved and show up too…it is an encouragement to your soul. Got will bless you.

Psalm 16:3 As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for your patience in our life and presence with us in every instance of worry. The Lenten season before Easter is a time to reflect and to celebrate what is means to follow Jesus and the love he represents that was demonstrated in his sacrifice and work of redemption. Thank you, Lord, as you pour your light into a darkened world and into any darkness in my life, and also as you shine the light of your love into anyone who looks to you for answers to life’s questions in every area of life.

PS. 19 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, 0 Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Amen.

Susan Ward

I guess you never know where inspiration will strike. I read that the theme for this year’s Lenten devotions would be Hope. Shortly after seeing that, I picked up the newest edition of the South Carolina Wildlife magazine and read these words in the opening letter by Robert H. Boyles, Jr. Director of the SC Department of Natural Resources. He quoted his grandfather’s regular prayer thanking God for “past blessings, present bounty and future hope.” What beautiful words.

Yes, the words are beautiful, but where does our hope come from?

Later that day I opened my daily devotional book and there was the story of Zacchaeus. The story is so familiar to us. Zacchaeus is a hated tax collector and no person any self-respecting Jew would be around. One day Jesus is coming to town, and Zacchaeus, being a very short man, climbed a tree to get a better look at Jesus. Jesus saw him, saw his need, told him to come down and that he, Jesus, would come to Zacchaeus’ house to eat with him. We know it was a life changing event for Zacchaeus. What we might not think about is the tree. God planted the tree in that particular place to be there that day when it was needed. God knew years before what the need would be, and God provided.

The words to the old familiar hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” keep running through my mind:

“Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed thy hand hath provided; great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”

Prayer: Lord, help me place my hope in your great faithfulness. You know my need, and you will provide. It may not always be what I think I need, but you will provide what I truly need. In Jesus name I pray.

Amen.

Sandie Cone

Romans 14: 8-9 – For if we live, we live to the Lord; and we die to the lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote, “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.” Jesus did this for us. Paul in Romans 14 wrote, “If we live or if we die, we do it for the Lord Jesus.

The church is the place where people have placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. All Christians are the recipients of God’s grace, and God has given us all gifts, to be used to further His kingdom.
During Lent is a good time to identify these gifts and go to work. God’s way of carrying on His work on earth is to give us gifts that we can use to serve Him.

What gifts do you have? In the Hartsville District Lay Servant Classes given each year is one titled Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts. It is a ten-hour class and is very informative. You might want to check it out.

Remember that God created “you to be you” and to do what only you can achieve. Don’t you think you should be doing what God wants you to do, No Matter What!

Prayer: Thank you Lord, for providing me with what it takes to be in relationship with You. Help me to use the gifts you have given me.

Amen.

Max K. Jackson

Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

As we enter this time of Lent, let us keep in mind that counting our blessings can actually make us feel better. While that sounds simplistic, gratitude is a demanding complex emotion that requires self-reflection, the ability to admit our dependency on the help of others, and the humility of recognizing our own limitations.

Being grateful causes us to overcome the tendency to dwell on problems, annoyances, and grievances rather than more pleasant encounters. Focusing on blessings can help ward off depression and build resilience in times of stress, grief, and the uncertainty caused by COVID-19. The ability to be positive is about 50% genetic according to some studies, and the rest is determined by experience. In large measure, we can choose how we respond to the world. If we look for reasons to be grateful, we are more likely to find them. Rather than reflecting on negatives, recalling those who have touched you in positive ways can bring more energy, more optimism, more social connections, and more of a sense of wellbeing.
I keep close at hand a paragraph that I find encouraging and sustaining.

I believe God hears our prayers and cherishes them. I believe He answers by sending his Spirit, giving us strength, peace, and insight. Sometimes the answer to our prayer is “this is life in all its variety. Make your way through it and never forget I love you.”

Prayer: Our Father, we gratefully acknowledge that you have been faithful to us, and we have thankful hearts for your many blessings. You have assured us of your love and saving grace, and that brings us comfort. In Christ’s name, we pray.

Amen.

Laura Ayers

Psalm 4: 6-8 –

There are many who pray:

“Give us more blessings, O Lord. Look on us with kindness!”

But the joy you have given me is

more than they will ever have with all their grain and wine.

When I lie down, I go to sleep in peace;

You alone, O Lord, keep me perfectly safe.

Many of my friends have shared with me the value of accepting a discipline during the spiritual season of Lent. Some have taken the opportunity to correct an unpleasant habit or reject the temptation offered by unhealthy food or drink. Those can be good disciplines if, when craving what is denied, we remind ourselves of the real reason we have entered into this 40-day season of self-denial.

I have other friends who, instead of denying themselves some pleasure, attempt to embrace a serious discipline to grow in the life of the spirit – of God’s spirit. Some begin a serious attempt to engage in regular and intentional prayers. Perhaps they use the prayer concerns listed in the church bulletin or make a weekly list from requests on Facebook and from other friends. They have found that such a list and with a designated time, they are better focused on the reason such disciplines have become a part of this holy season.

Psalm 4 alerts me to the reason we focus on new directions and disciplines in our spiritual life. The more we become aware of God, the more joy we experience and the better we sleep.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for calling us to a renewed focus on our spiritual life. Help us recognize that as we increase our focus on You, the more we become open to real joy, and better sleep.

AMEN.

Rev. Dr. Regi Thackston

Trinity UMC Pastor Emeritus