"With the Lord begin your task; Jesus will direct it. For His aid and counsel ask; Jesus will perfect it. Ev'ry morn with Jesus rise, And when day is ended, In His Name then close your eyes; Be to Him commended.
"Thus, Lord Jesus, ev'ry task Be to You commended; May Your will be done, I ask, Until life is ended. Jesus, in Your Name begun Be the day's endeavor; Grant that it may well be done To Your praise forever."
"With the Lord begin your task ... and when day is ended, in His Name then close your eyes." We have been created anew in Christ Jesus and we are to do everything in His Name. As the apostle Paul summarizes, "Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (Colossians 3:17). How does that happen? How do we commend the entire day to our Lord? It is the way we live because in Baptism, our "old self," our sinful self, was crucified with Jesus. We were clothed in the new self, "which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator" (Colossians 3:10b). Each day our new self arises to put aside anger, lies, and slander. In a day commended to Jesus, we think and speak and act like Him—kind, humble, patient, and forgiving—qualities all wrapped up in love.
We are not always successful in committing our days and nights to Jesus. We start out that way, but our own selfish desires may push aside the Savior's ways. Moved by the Holy Spirit to repent, we are restored and forgiven, beginning another new day with Jesus because "the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning" (Lamentations 3:22-23a). We are forgiven because Jesus began every day for us. The Savior committed Himself to the task given to Him by His Father, to lay down His life for us. Then, at the beginning of the most wonderful day, the first Easter morning, He was raised to life so that we would have new life each day, and eternal life, in Him.
Morning and evening, created anew in Jesus, we live and work and rest in His peace, trusting Him, sharing the Word of God with each other, and praising our Lord in songs and hymns and psalms. Sometimes it is no easy task, but as we begin and end each day with Jesus, He does the same for us: "By day the LORD commands His steadfast love, and at night His song is with me" (Psalm 42:8a). We do everything in Jesus' Name because He did everything for us.
WE PRAY: Jesus, guide me as I begin and end each day with You. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, "With the Lord Begin Your Task," which is number 869 in the Lutheran Service Book.
Reflection Questions:
1. How do you stay "on task" with your goals? What sidetracks you?
2. Does beginning the day in prayer really make a difference? Why or why not?
3. How can we encourage others toward their goals without being overbearing or negative about it?
Today's Bible Readings: 2 Chronicles 21 Obadiah 2 Corinthians 8
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