Lent
April 6, 2017

Scripture Reading: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

Open to me the gates of righteousness,
   that I may enter through them
   and give thanks to the Lord.

This is the gate of the Lord;
   the righteous shall enter through it. 

I thank you that you have answered me
   and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the chief cornerstone.
 This is the Lord’s doing;
   it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
   let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
   O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! –Psalm 118:19-25

Learning to live in the everyday of God’s joy is hard. It should not be. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines joy as the emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good:  pleasurable feelings or emotions caused by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one loves or desires. The Psalmists often call on us to rejoice, celebrate our joy. The problem is we are hesitant to enter the gates of the Lord, to fully pass through the threshold of God’s love. Perhaps we are unwilling to accept that in God’s Kingdom the expectation of good is for all. Do we measure the worth of the good that comes to us in comparison to the good that comes to others? Perhaps we are not willing to recognize that the object of our love and desire is a lesser god that we might have to give up or at least place in its proper order. To enter into the gates of the Lord means a full commitment.

While I struggle still with rejoicing in the Lord always, I have learned over time that the doors closed to me were minor roadblocks in my life and the doors that opened to me, often following having one slammed in my face, took me on paths I never imagined I would every walk and it was good. Please understand, I do think it important that we learn from our mistakes. Sometimes when we have been sent to the bench whether for a rest or because we fouled out or to recover from an injury, staying engaged, watching the game, can give us necessary insights to do better when we get back on the court. When we get down on the world or down on ourselves, we waste precious time and energy.

It all starts with entering that gate. Joy is the byproduct of fully comprehending that God’s love will sustain us through anything while honing us as instruments of God’s love in the fulfillment of God’s Kingdom.

Prayer: Lord, let your joy shine through us as we journey in your service. Amen.

*See at http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/joy

All scriptures are quoted from the new Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.