2021 LENTEN JOURNEY: GOD HAS AN APP FOR THAT!
“Scripture is . . . useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
In 2010, Apple trademarked the phrase “There’s an app for that.” It was meant to call attention to the claim that Apple’s cell phone was superior because it had over 250,000 apps available. “Apps” is short for “applications,” a program that does something on a computer. By 2020, Apple’s online store had 3 million applications.
The concept of receiving help “from above” did not begin with Apple. Ancient people also looked “up” for help. But they weren’t looking to interface with what computer geeks call “the cloud,” but the One whom they thought was seated above the clouds: God. And while their cosmology was wrong, they were right in the fact that we can look “up” to God for help. That is because God Himself has said that He is willing to help us. In Isaiah 41, for instance, God said “Fear not . . . I will help you.” That is because God has a solution for every problem we may face.
But to discover God’s solutions, we need to turn to Him. We need to ask Him to reveal the solution to us. And then we need to let Him bring that solution about. This is what the Apostle James was talking about when He said “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God . . . and it will be given to you.” For that reason, we will be moving through the book of James during Lent this year in an effort to “download” the “wisdom apps” God offers us for some of the difficulties we encounter in life. So, read the book of James through entirely. Then re-read the specific verses listed before each Sunday so you are ready to “download” the “wisdom apps” God wants to give you.
And don’t forget to invite someone else to join you on this Lenten journey so God might help them find solutions they need. The scriptures to read each week are as follows:
For February 17, read James 1:1-12
For February 21, read James 1:13-27
For February 28, read James 2:1-13
For March 7, read James 2:14-26
For March 14, read James 3:1-12
For March 21, read James 3:13-18
For March 28, read James 4:1-12
For April 1, read James 4:13-17
For April 2, read James 5:1-10
For April 4, read the Easter stories
April 2: Healing Our Afflictions
Over the last year, hundreds of thousands of people have died from coronavirus. Over the last year, millions more were hospitalized because of that virus. And a year later, thousands now test negative for the virus, but have continuing health problems because of the damage it did. And that was only the results of the… Read More »
April 1: Prioritizing Our Investments
Leo Tolstoy is known for his epic work War and Peace. But another one of his writings is even more powerful. It is titled How Much Land Does a Man Need?, and tells the story of a farmer named Pahom. In that writing, Tolstoy tells how Pahom hears that a chief in a nearby country… Read More »
March 28: Restoring a Broken Heart
In 1929, Rudolph and Adolf started the Dassler Brothers Shoe Company. Rudolph was the salesman and the designer. In 1939, they provided shoes to Jesse Owens for the Berlin Summer Olympics. This caused their business to bloom. But just a few years later, their relationship died. In the middle of the night, Rudolph angrily moved… Read More »
March 21: Alleviating Foolishness
A country boy heard that the circus was coming to town. So on the day it was to arrive, he was standing on the sidewalk when a train pulled into the station, the circus rolled off, and a parade moved past him to travel to the empty lots where they would set up their tents.… Read More »