Devotion Booklets for Seasons of the Church Year Lent 2018 | Page 60

Give Up Death and Take in Life
Thursday, April 5th
Psalm 23:6
You have your good days. You have your bad days. But no matter the day, one thing remains constant.
God's goodness and God's mercy will be present today, tomorrow, next week, and next year.
God's goodness and mercy won't leave your side, no matter how matter how heavy the cross you carry
is. Your weakness will not remove God's strength. The Lord is not going anywhere. He will stay by your
side. He will show you mercy.
Goodness comes from God even though you aren’t always good. Everyone sins. Everyone has been
selfish at least once in their lives. Everyone struggles to put God first in their lives. God’s goodness is so
amazing because it is undeserved.
God does not give you what your sins deserve. We call that mercy. God in his mercy will continue to
forgive you. He restores you. He helps and protects you, despite the fact that sinners like you and me
deserve punishment. God instead brings mercy.
Because of God's mercy you have something even better than all the goodness combined in all the
earth. You will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Heaven is your home. Give up death and take in
and appreciate your eternal life. You will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Prayer: Jesus, you are alive. You live and provide me with goodness and mercy every day. Remind me
of your blessings when I wrestle with doubt. Comfort me with the hope of eternal life when I am sick.
Bless my loved ones and keep them in your tender care. Keep my place in heaven in front of me and
help me live a thankful life to your glory. Through you, and through you alone are all things possible.
Amen.
Activity: God fills our lives with so much goodness and mercy. He does not want that goodness and
mercy to be a secret. He wants us to share that goodness and mercy with other people. Think of
someone who is going through a hard time. Write them an encouraging card that reflects the goodness
and mercy God has given you. If someone you love in the hospital or in a retirement home, make it a
priority on your calendar to visit them soon.
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