Easter Devotional
Saturday of Holy Week
Opening Prayer
Open in prayer and/or use the suggested prayer below.
“O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of Your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with Him the coming of the third day, and rise with Him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”
“O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of Your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with Him the coming of the third day, and rise with Him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”
Opening Reading
Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16 (ESV)
Option 1: Read Responsively
Option 1: Read Responsively (or scroll to the full text version below)
LEADER: In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me!
PEOPLE: Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me!
LEADER: For you are my rock and my fortress;
and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;
PEOPLE: You take me out of the net they have hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
LEADER: My times are in your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
ALL: Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!
let me never be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me!
PEOPLE: Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me!
LEADER: For you are my rock and my fortress;
and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;
PEOPLE: You take me out of the net they have hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
LEADER: My times are in your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
ALL: Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!
Option 2: Read the Full Text
In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me!
Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me!
For you are my rock and my fortress;
and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;
you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
My times are in your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!
let me never be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me!
Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me!
For you are my rock and my fortress;
and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;
you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
My times are in your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!
Song
Sing or meditate on the words of this song.
I LIFT MY EYES UP
(Brian Doerksen, Psalm 121)
(Brian Doerksen, Psalm 121)
I lift my eyes up,
Up to the mountains.
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from You
Maker of heaven,
Creator of the earth.
CHORUS:
Oh how I need You, Lord
You are my only hope
You are my only prayer
So I will wait for You
To come and rescue me
To come and give me life.
I lift my eyes up,
Up to my keeper
For you watch over me.
My help comes from You,
For you are faithful,
And you will keep my life.
(CHORUS)
©1990 Vineyard Songs Canada (Admin. by Music Services) CCLI#1791178
Up to the mountains.
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from You
Maker of heaven,
Creator of the earth.
CHORUS:
Oh how I need You, Lord
You are my only hope
You are my only prayer
So I will wait for You
To come and rescue me
To come and give me life.
I lift my eyes up,
Up to my keeper
For you watch over me.
My help comes from You,
For you are faithful,
And you will keep my life.
(CHORUS)
©1990 Vineyard Songs Canada (Admin. by Music Services) CCLI#1791178
Read & Reflect
- Read Job 14:1-2, 7-14 & Lamentations 3:19-24 and spend 5-10 minutes reflecting on what you learned from this passage. How do you see the story of Jesus’s death, burial and resurrection? The writer of Hebrews wrote that Jesus prayed fervently “to the One able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his piety” (Hebrews 5:7).
- Alternate Option: Perhaps for those with small children, read the story of “The Sun Stops Shining” (pp. 302-309) from The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.
Job 14:1-2, 7-14 (ESV)
1 “Man who is born of a woman
is few of days and full of trouble.
2 He comes out like a flower and withers;
he flees like a shadow and continues not…
7 “For there is hope for a tree,
if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,
and that its shoots will not cease.
8 Though its root grow old in the earth,
and its stump die in the soil,
9 yet at the scent of water it will bud
and put out branches like a young plant.
10 But a man dies and is laid low;
man breathes his last, and where is he?
11 As waters fail from a lake
and a river wastes away and dries up,
12 so a man lies down and rises not again;
till the heavens are no more he will not awake
or be roused out of his sleep.
13 Oh that you would hide me in Sheol,
that you would conceal me until your wrath be past,
that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my service I would wait,
till my renewal should come.
1 “Man who is born of a woman
is few of days and full of trouble.
2 He comes out like a flower and withers;
he flees like a shadow and continues not…
7 “For there is hope for a tree,
if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,
and that its shoots will not cease.
8 Though its root grow old in the earth,
and its stump die in the soil,
9 yet at the scent of water it will bud
and put out branches like a young plant.
10 But a man dies and is laid low;
man breathes his last, and where is he?
11 As waters fail from a lake
and a river wastes away and dries up,
12 so a man lies down and rises not again;
till the heavens are no more he will not awake
or be roused out of his sleep.
13 Oh that you would hide me in Sheol,
that you would conceal me until your wrath be past,
that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my service I would wait,
till my renewal should come.
Lamentations 3:19-24 (ESV)
19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
the wormwood and the gall!
20 My soul continually remembers it
and is bowed down within me.
21 But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
the wormwood and the gall!
20 My soul continually remembers it
and is bowed down within me.
21 But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
Song
Sing or meditate on the words of this hymn.
HALLELUJAH WHAT A SAVIOR
(Phillip Paul Bliss, 1875)
(Phillip Paul Bliss, 1875)
“Man of Sorrows,” what a name
For the Son of God who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim!
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood;
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Guilty, vile, and helpless, we,
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
Full atonement—can it be?
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Lifted up was He to die,
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in heaven lifted high;
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew this song we’ll sing
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
PUBLIC DOMAIN
For the Son of God who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim!
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood;
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Guilty, vile, and helpless, we,
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
Full atonement—can it be?
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Lifted up was He to die,
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in heaven lifted high;
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew this song we’ll sing
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Closing Prayer
Thank God and close your time in prayer.