Almighty and gracious Lord,
As each new day dawns, grant us comfort in you and in the blessing that your mercies are new every morning. Grant us the comfort that whatever the age and wherever we may find our feet planted, your children are in your hands, the One who is the beginning and the end. The One who opens the door to eternal life, the door that no one can shut.
Lord, You draw us to you and confront us with your Word. You draw us to you and comfort us with your Word. You draw us to you and confront us with our sin that we may be comforted by your grace. You draw us to you and we are confronted and comforted with the cross.
In Christ, lifted on the perch of the cross, we see the frailty of our own lofty perch.
Our own towering pride, nailed to the tree.
The arrogant elevation of our own self-sufficiency, nailed to the tree.
Our belief in and pursuit of our own kingdoms and our own righteousness, nailed to the tree.
King Jesus, On the cross You have taken all of our pride, all of our idolatry, all of our unbelief, all of our sin as your own. By your mercy we are crucified with you, so that in you we have your resurrection life. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Repent us Lord, with the assurance that your Kingdom is at hand. Rest us Lord, in the truth that you are the God of our salvation yesterday, today, and forever. Have us rejoice and walk in the newness of life in You. AMEN.