"But they that wait upon The Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31
February 22, 2024
Promises Kept
We brace ourselves for the Lenten season. There is a certain dread to it. The theme is sacrifice. We choose to give things up, to fast, to spend more time on our knees. The bright lilies of Easter seem terribly far away.
But I am reconsidering the notion of Lenten sacrifice this year, focusing on promises kept instead.
God promised to rescue the Israelites from Egypt, and then to save them from themselves. He kept the promise.
He promised to send us a savior, Christ The Lord, to save us once again -- from our disbelief and our worst, most unfaithful instincts. He told us he would do this -- in the Old Testament. By sending Jesus, he kept the promise.
In our contemporary lives, he keeps promises every day. The promise of a sunrise. The promise of overcoming grief and loss. The promise of a child's smile. The promise of grace. And the promise of resurrection.
It's that last kept promise that we focus on during the Lenten season. A well-meaning friend got in touch recently to let me know she was thinking of me on the first anniversary of my brother's death. I was startled by the condolence, I realized, because I have come to focus less on his loss and more on his life. Celebrate birthdays, yes, but not the day of death.
Life is a promise kept. Forgiveness is a promise kept. God keeps his promises to me every day.
In return, He asks that I keep a few as well -- to live in his word and act on his purpose. Surely we must acknowledge the betrayal of Judas and the hypocrisy of those who waved palms and then watched Jesus crucified. That is necessary.
But it is also essential that we pitch forward toward that moment of astonishment when Jesus demonstrated to the women at the tomb that he had kept his ultimate promise to them -- and to us -- and risen again.
If any one of us can keep a fraction of the promises to one another that Jesus keeps to us every day, we will be so much closer to keeping our promise to him.
On my weariest days, this is my favorite promise:
"But they that wait upon The Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." -- Isaiah 40:31
Sister Gwen Ifill (Deceased)**
Member
**Lent 2014
Prayer: Lord, guide my heart towards your promise. Amen
Lent 2024
We invite you to join us in reflection, meditation and prayer for a season of renewal, repentance and rejoicing from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday.
Each day is a reflection representing the thoughts and aspirations of the members and friends of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church expressing what the season of Lent means to them. Their wide range of perspectives describe how this time of renewal, repentance and rejoicing has been and will be used to focus on Jesus’ life, crucifixion and resurrection.
Read along with us each day or download the book to read and write along with us offline.
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