Read:   Psalm 138 and Matthew 7:7-12

PSALM 138:   “Thank you! Everything in me says “Thank you!”      Angels listen as I sing my thanks. I kneel in worship facing your holy temple and say it again: “Thank you!” Thank you for your love, thank you for your faithfulness;   Most holy is your name,  most holy is your Word.   The moment I called out, you stepped in;   you made my life large with strength.

When they hear what you have to say, God, all earth’s kings will say “Thank you.”  They’ll sing of what you’ve done:  “How great the glory of God!”  And here’s why: God, high above, sees far below; no matter the distance, he knows everything about us.

When I walk into the thick of trouble, keep me alive in the angry turmoil. With one hand strike my foes, With your other hand save me. Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now.

MATTHEW 7:7-14   “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?

“Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get.  “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.

Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday, Easter weekend. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means “spring.” The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation and preparing to begin his ministry.  Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others.  Lent helps us to prepare our hearts for the fullness of the meaning of Easter.

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