Wednesday January 18, 2023

Today is Wednesday, January 18 and we are exploring what it means to be full and empty for Christ.

In the quiet dawn I seek the fullness of God’s presence. I empty myself of numerous concerns, dismiss presupposed priorities and relinquish the chatter of my mind. I focus on the God who loves me and wants the best for me. Jesus, I long to be yours.

Pause and Pray

Holy Lord God, I am no longer my own, but yours. Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you, exalted for you, or brought low for you; let me be full, let me be empty. Amen. (The Wesleyan Covenant Prayer, part 1)

I praise the glory of the Lord my God from dawn to dusk with the words of Psalm 50.

The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth. Psalm 50:1-2

Pause and Pray

The shores of Galilee enjoyed an extensive fishing industry during the time of Jesus. Jesus calls four of his disciples (all fisherman) as they labored along the rocky coastline. These are ordinary hard working men clocked-in on a run-of-the-mill day. In the following passage from the gospel of Mark, the fishermen drop whatever they are doing in response to Jesus’ invitation. They leave everything behind on the shoreline to follow Jesus – their boats, their nets, the day’s catch, their livelihood, their friends, home, family and future. James and John even leave their father Zebedee in the boat and go.

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. Mark 1:16-20

These early disciples follow Jesus without hesitation. They let go of their past. They give up their former way of life. I am invited to do that as well. Empty myself of priorities. Turn away from prior loyalties. Reject places I formerly put my confidence. Renounce the idols I made for myself. Rebuff the things of this world. Let go of worries, concerns and preoccupations. Relinquish poor habits and selfish behaviors. Spurn former achievements, success, status and accolades. I become empty. Like empty fishing nets and idle boats, I let some things go, walk away and leave it behind on the shoreline. To follow him.

Ask: What do I need to set down and leave behind in order to better follow Jesus? What am I carrying into the future that needs to be left in the past?

Pause and Pray

Jesus, you are the Lord of my life. Thank you for the invitation to follow you. Like the disciples I am busy preparing my nets for the work I have decided to do, yet you invite me to experience something new. Where will you send me to fish for people? What will I need to leave behind to follow you? I set it down without delay. I abandon it on the shoreline to be overtaken by the rising tide of the world. I read the words from Mark again and listen for the message you have for me.

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. Mark 1:16-20

Ask: What image, word or phrase stands out to me when I slowly read this passage? What is God trying to say to me through these words of scripture?

Pause and Pray

Whatever words strike me today, I ruminate on them and wait to see what the Lord is trying to speak into my life. When I remember my past journey, perhaps I have already abandoned things to follow Jesus. I consider their value to me now. As I ponder the future, I ask what Jesus might want me to surrender on the shoreline and leave behind so that I can move forward with him? What negative attitudes and emotions need to be relinquished? What things (both tangible and intangible) do I value and clutch onto that prevent me from following Jesus more faithfully?

Pause and Pray

Lord Jesus, come and tread upon the shoreline of my heart. Reveal those things I value more than you; nudge my soul to relinquish them in favor of a closer walk with you. I want to grow deeper in my journey with you in this new year. Show me how to leave behind the shiny things of this world and follow you into the good work you have for me. Amen.

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 1 Peter 1:18-19

I leave this time of prayer freed from the burdens of this world, energized to serve Christ in whatever way he invites me.

Amen