Deepen Your Worship: A 5-Day Devotional on Pursuing God’s Presenceنموونە

DAY 1: REMEMBER CHRIST

I Corinthians 11:23-26 (NIV)

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

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I recently read a quote from the essayist Dr Samuel Johnson, that “the human race needs to be reminded far more often than it needs to be instructed”.

Our lives are full. We fill our time, we fill our minds, we find ourselves barely able to attend to that which is immediate, let alone value that which truly has great value.

In our frenetic modern lives, we can be quick to pass over the traditions that helped the generations before us to remember Christ. But, in 1 Corinthians 11, Paul is appealing to believers not just remember a practice, tradition or the sacraments, but to REMEMBER CHRIST.

Christian worship involves calling to mind not just what Jesus did, but who He is.

So today, take a moment, why not even break bread and take the cup, and remember His body broken for you. Remember the new covenant in His blood. Remember His sacrifice. When we do so, we proclaim Jesus as the Son of God, the Saviour, the clearest and most potent reminder of a God who is not distant from the world, but who loves humanity profoundly. We proclaim His death until He returns. That is, that Christ died for the forgiveness of sins. That as we die with Christ in our sin, we are raised to new, full and eternal life in Him. And we are reminded of our great hope, that Christ will one day return.

As we remember Christ, what better way to respond than doing what Jesus did... giving thanks.

Take a moment to be reminded that you are in the presence of God, call to mind what Christ has done and who He is, and give thanks. Give thanks for the many blessings in your life.

Prayer:

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for Your broken body, for Your blood spilled for the forgiveness of sins. In this moment, I again remember Your great sacrifice. I remember Your love that compelled You in obedience, even obedience to death on a cross. I remember Your resurrection and the great hope of eternal life. And I remember Your promise that You will return, to restore the Earth and judge the living and the dead. I ask that you take all that I offer to you in surrender, that you would bless it, break it and use it for your glory and my good.