Christian Reflection and Prayer

Read Psalm 35.

TEXT: Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life
from the power of the dog (Psalm 22:20).

Jesus pleads for His Father to deliver His soul and His
life from the sword and the power of the dogs. The sword
includes the cross itself, the instruments by which Jesus
was tortured, and by which He is dying. The dogs, of
course, are the enemies that have pursued and
surrounded Him.

Jesus makes a strong assertion about His soul and His
life-they are precious in His Fathers' eyes. They are so
precious in fact that Jesus will shortly commend them
into His Father's keeping.
 
Your soul and life are also important to God. Other people
may stand off and value you little; you may even think of
yourself as unimportant. But you are extremely precious
to God, so precious He gave His only-begotten Son to
save you. You are especially valuable to Him since Jesus'
blood has cleansed you of your sins.

Your soul and your life are precious in God's eyes, but are
they precious in yours? Jesus points out He only has one
soul, one life. Likewise you and I have but one soul that
will stand before God's judgment throne, one life in which
to cling to Jesus Christ as Savior. Do you feed and nourish
your soul with God's Word, and with Holy Communion? Do
you gather with your brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ
each week to strengthen one another? Do you value the
eternal life Jesus Christ has won for you and given you
through His Word and Baptism?

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, show me the great value Your sacrifice
has given my soul and my life. Help me nourish this faith
with my brothers and sisters in church, and to share Your
salvation with all people. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)