Devotion Booklets for Seasons of the Church Year Lent 2018 | страница 3

Give Up!
Wednesday, February 14th
Genesis 3:19
In the written record of God creating the heavens and the earth, the inspired writer spends one chapter
describing the six days of creation. He spends another entire chapter detailing the formation of man
and woman. God demonstrates that mankind was the crowning jewel of his masterpiece not only by
forming Adam and Eve differently from the rest of creation, but also by recording it at length for our
benefit.
However, before we get too high on ourselves, we read these words from Genesis 3:19. The context of
this verse and the verse itself remind us of our fallen condition. The preceding verses recall mankind’s
rebellion against our Creator. And that rebellion, which sought to raise created humans to the level of
their Creator, resulted only in the humiliating realization that even the crown of creation is nothing
more than dust without the Creator’s blessing.
Today, Ash Wednesday, Christians around the world spread ashes on their foreheads to remind
themselves of their original state in dust. This act represents our humility before our Creator and
focuses us on God’s preserving care in our lives. Knowing that I am but dust and ash leads me to one of
the great questions about human existence: what purpose does my life have? If I am dust, and I will
return to dust at my death, why even bother living?
The theme for this devotional booklet is “Give Up!” Over the coming weeks we are going to focus on
different “problem” areas of our lives that Scripture encourages us to give up on. Ash Wednesday and
this verse from Genesis 3 set the scene for the entire season of Lent. We give up in these areas because
our lives are dust and ashes.
This brings us to purpose of Lent – the purpose of Christ’s saving work. If I am dust, and my life is dust
and ashes, what purpose does my life have? Why does the Creator give his blessing to my life? The
answer is repeated again and again throughout the pages of Scripture: because of his great mercy.
God’s loving care and preservation extend to you because he is a God of mercy and love. Though Adam
and Eve proved that they deserved nothing more than dust and ashes, God promised his love had not
left them. Though we remember our natural state of dust and ash, God demonstrates his love in the
journey Christ made to the cross.
Give yourself up to the Creator who shows his love to you by preserving you every day. Give yourself up
to the mercy he shows by raising you from dust to life with him.
Prayer: Lord of mercy, continue to preserve me for the sake of your great mercy. Amen.
Activity: Either at church or your home, take ashes and draw a cross on the back of your hand to
remind yourself throughout the day of your natural state, and also of God’s mercy in the cross of Christ.
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