BROADCASTS.com

On this 8th day of Lent, we invite you to reflect on these scriptures. What is the Spirit saying to you today?

Psalm 43
Vindicate me, my God, and plead my cause against an unfaithful nation. Rescue me from those who are deceitful and wicked. You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Jeremiah 6:9-21
This is what the Lord says: \u201cStand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, \u2018We will not walk in it.\u2019 I appointed watchmen over you and said, \u2018Listen to the sound of the trumpet!\u2019 But you said, \u2018We will not listen.\u2019 Therefore hear, you nations; you who are witnesses, observe what will happen to them. Hear, you earth: I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their schemes, because they have not listened to my words and have rejected my law.

Galatians 5:13-15
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: \u201cLove your neighbor as yourself.\u201d If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

John 6:5-15
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, \u201cWhere shall we buy bread for these people to eat?\u201d He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, \u201cIt would take more than half a year\u2019s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!\u201d Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter\u2019s brother, spoke up, \u201cHere is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?\u201d Jesus said, \u201cHave the people sit down.\u201d There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, \u201cGather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.\u201d So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. \xa0After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, \u201cSurely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.\u201d Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Prayer
Dear God, sometimes we are guilty of rejecting you, and at other times we feel rejected by you. \xa0From our guilt, save us. \xa0And from the doubt of our downcast souls, save us. \xa0Remind us of the faithful care of Jesus who feeds, nourishes, and gives rest to his flock. \xa0Grant us again today a supple sense of our freedom in Christ so that we might walk in the good paths, loving you and our neighbours as you have loved and cared for us.

\xa0