Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him: ‘I saw the Lord always before me, Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken, Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’ Acts 2:22-28

As I start thinking about writing these devotionals, I often look up the reference to the scriptures in the back of the hymnal. One of the hymns linked to this passage in Acts 2 was #704 “To My Precious Lord” in the Glory to God Hymnal. Sometimes I am a bit puzzled at the references because I guess I am expecting a literal interpretation of the scripture in the words of the hymns. This time, although I was unfamiliar with the hymn, I was delighted by the story told within this song, the story of the penitent woman who brings the flask of fragrant oil to wash Jesus’ feet. The verses reflect the prose of David as he sees the Lord before him – always.

Jesus, who for my sake walked the road to Calvary,
With each step has marked the imprint of His love for me.
Jesus, who for my sake had His feet nailed to the cross,
With His blood has washed and healed me, paid the heavy cost.
When in clouds of glory You come back to earth again,
Jesus, with Your love, embrace and claim me as Your friend.

Prayer

Dear Lord, as we continue to live our daily routines past the celebration of Easter, keep our hearts thankful that You do mark our days with Your love, that You do embrace us as Your friend and that You sacrificed all for us. Please help us keep the joy of the Easter celebration close to our hearts while sharing your Good News. Amen