Daily Devotion

Audio

27 Mar (Thur) – There is no health in us

Prepare

Today is Thursday, 27th of March. We continue to observe the Season of Lent by reading and praying our Morning Office. Do take a moment to be still.

Psalm Reading

Our appointed psalm for today is Psalm 15

¹ O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?
    Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

² He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
    and speaks truth in his heart;
³ who does not slander with his tongue
    and does no evil to his neighbor,
    nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
⁴ in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
    but who honors those who fear the Lord;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
⁵ who does not put out his money at interest
    and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is now,
and shall be forever. Amen.

Scripture Reading

The appointed Old Testament reading is Jeremiah 14. Here we read verses 7 to 9.

⁷“Though our iniquities testify against us,
        act, O Lord, for your name’s sake;
    for our backslidings are many;
        we have sinned against you.
⁸O you hope of Israel,
        its savior in time of trouble,
    why should you be like a stranger in the land,
        like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?
⁹ Why should you be like a man confused,
        like a mighty warrior who cannot save?
    Yet you, O Lord, are in the midst of us,
        and we are called by your name;
        do not leave us.”

Reflection

These ancient verses from Jeremiah describe very well the spiritual and psychological state of someone who is living in sin.

“Our iniquities testifies against us.” David said likewise in Psalm 51:3: “My sin is ever before me.” Our wrongdoings stay in our memory and continue to haunt us. We feel guilty, shameful and remorseful. It affects our confidence and rob us of our joy. “Why did I say that? Why did I do that? Why did I think that?” Psalm 15, which we have just read, also spells out in practical terms how we may have sinned.

We realize that our “backslidings” are many.” “Backsliding” is a term we do not use often these days. But it is a good description. For we slide backwards instead of progressing and taking hold of all that Christ has called us to be and do.

“We have sinned against you.” We know intuitively that ultimately, this is true. It is about God, not how we may look to others or even ourselves.

“…why should you be like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?” When we live in sin, God seems like a stranger to us. Instead of being a family member who is staying in our home, He is like a hotel guest who only “tarries for a night.” As Isaiah will say in 59:2, our sins have separated us from God and hide His face from us. We will also witness that on Good Friday when Jesus cried, “Eloi Eloi Sabathani, my God My God, why has thou forsaken me?” God seems far away, like a “mighty warrior who cannot save.”

The good news is that if you feel this way, that may be an important first step to healing and finding forgiveness. Here is the thing: we always see sin as an offense to God. While that is true, sin also degrades our humanity and robs us of our full potential. We will miss out on the abundant life that Jesus promised us. As the old confession from the Book of Common Prayer 1662 says, “There is no health in us.”

Again and again, throughout the Bible, when God calls us to refrain from something, it is almost always for our own good. He who has created us knows who we really are and what we really need. He loves us and is always seeking to draw us back to Him.

When you are confused, as Jeremiah said in verse 9, pray this prayer:

“Yet you, O Lord, are in the midst of us,
        and we are called by your name;
        do not leave us.”

Collect

It is appropriate to respond with the confession from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty and most merciful Father,
We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep,
We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, We have offended against thy holy laws,
We have left undone those things which we ought to have done,
And we have done those things which we ought not to have done,
And there is no health in us:
But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us miserable offenders;
Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults,
Restore thou them that are penitent,
According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord:
And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,
That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,
To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

The devotion has ended but we will leave you with this song based on Psalm 51, written by Keith Green, Create in me a Clean Heart.

Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me
Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me

Cast me not away from Thy presence, O Lord
Take not Thy Holy Spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me

Link to full Morning Office