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Weekly Devotional

March 23, 2009

God’s Peace be with you all.

Hosea 6:1-3  Come, let us return to the LORD; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up.  ² After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.  ³ Let us know, let us press on to know the LORD; his appearing is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth."

            The pericope above has several meanings for us this week.  First, we continue in the season of Lent.  We anxiously await the coming of Holy Week and Easter Sunday, when we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord.  We celebrate that we have been healed, that he has bound us up into his family forever.  We worship together on Maundy Thursday, the first of three Holy Days that directly lead up to Easter Sunday.

            Like those to whom Hosea is speaking, we press on to know the Lord on a closer level.  Hosea tells us that he will come like the spring rains.  This past week included the first day of Spring for 2009. We welcomed spring this year with rain, sunshine, and beautiful weather. 

In biblical times, spring meant invasion, war, and foreign occupation.  How different an outlook we now have on this yearly season.  We look forward to the flowers, the smells, and the warmer weather.  But most of all, we can look forward to the celebration of the Resurrection.  We can look forward to that joyous occasion of Easter Sunday, when we move from a season of repentance to a season of living in the light.

In our prayers this week: 

Ann, Mary, Norm, Jane and her mom, Doris and her mom, Joseph, Caleb and Maria (and family), St. John’s Lutheran Church, Rev. Gene Baker

God’s Peace,

Pastor Judson