I know what you're all thinking. 2 posts in one day?! This is madness!
To be fair, I actually wrote first one yesterday, I just didn't get around to posting it until this morning. But now I have done my devotional, and I have some things to say, darn it! So read if you dare.
My reading for today was Mark 1, and good grief is there a lot of information in there or what! Let's start with Jesus' 40 days of temptation in the desert, because it's pretty directly applicable to what we're doing right now. Well, to an extent. What kinds of struggles did He face? It's hard for me to imagine Jesus being tempted by any sin, but then again, isn't that at the crux of being human? We tend to brush over things that we consider to be small sins. Like, I'm tired tonight, God won't mind if I skip my devotional. Or justifying being rude to our parents, because after all, weren't they being overbearing and annoying anyway? What about legitimizing telling those little white lies. They'll never know and it makes your life soooo much easier. But sin is evil in God's eyes - It doesn't matter how you interpret it. I just hope to end these 40 days of temptation proclaiming the Good News just as Jesus did.
We then move on to the recruiting stage, where Jesus finds His first disciples. It says James and John left their father and other hired men in the fishing boat to follow Christ. So not only did they abandon their job, but they also left these other men - their own father - high and dry. Could we do that? How would we be viewed if we left work without notice to follow a spiritual leader? I mean, these actions impact other lives. I know I'd be fired on the spot. But isn't the point that we should all be willing to do that? To trust Christ so deeply that abandoning what we know isn't even a question?
This chapter focuses a lot on healing - a great way to start out my Lenten season. This move has been difficult. Yes, I'm back home, I'm doing the job I wanted to do, I'm with people I love- but I miss Orlando terribly. I had a life there. I left wonderful people behind. I have an enormous hole that is begging to be filled. And so it's comforting to read about how Jesus heals any ailment that is brought to Him. It shows me that He can fill this emptiness that plagues me. I don't want to feel regret or sorrow for Orlando. I want to be joyful about what I had there, and optimistic about what the future holds. And if Jesus can cure leprosy and demon possession, he can certainly fix a bout of homesickness, right?
Until next time!
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