Today's Daily Lesson comes from Psalm 44 verse 22:
22 Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
There is a story about a young candidate for the office of ordained ministry in the Presbyterian Church who was put through quite the ringer by her examining Presbytery. She was a she -- which some of the elders on the board did not like as they thought the office of the pastor ought strictly to be reserved for males. Even worse, the young woman had foregone the usual course of study at one of the Presbyterian seminaries and had instead chosen Duke Divinity School, a Methodist school. For these transgressions she was tried by fire with each step along the ordination course. Finally, it came to the end of her examination, the final judgment soon to be rendered, and one of the staunchest of old guard Presbyterianism and strict Calvinism raised his hand to ask yet another question of the young lady. "Ms. Smith," he said, "I see you are quite studied and resilient; but just one final question. Are you be willing to be damned for the glory of God?" "Oh yes sir," the young candidate said. "In fact, not only am I willing to be damned; I am willing for this whole Presbytery to be damned -- for the glory of God, that is."
A prayer for today:
Have thine own way in my life today, LORD. I give myself, my hopes, my dreams, my ambitions, and the totality of who I am to you and to your will. Drown me in the forging fire. Spin me on the potter's wheel. Shape me, use me, set me aside, dash me to the ground in a thousand pieces, and raise me up again a thousand times -- for your glory, purpose, and praise. Kill me all day long on this journey called Lent; and raise me up anew in the destination we call Easter. In the name of the one who laid down his own life that I might take up mine. Amen.
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