D E V O T I O N A L

why lent mat tersA Letter From A Pastor

The Old Testament prophet, Joel, proclaimed to the people,

“Yet even now, says the Lord, repent and return to me with

all your heart” (Joel 2:13). The season of Lent creates an

opportunity to do just that. It invites us to enter more

intentionally into the disciplines of prayer, self-examination,

and repentance. These disciplines—as significant as they

are—are not ends in themselves. Rather, they can serve as

the means by which we return to God and devote our whole

lives to Him.

This Lent devotional is designed as a tool to help you be more

attentive to what God is saying to you during this season and

give you the courage to respond as God directs. People will

often “give up something for Lent.” And abstaining from

something that’s destructive or sinful or that’s just cluttering

up life can be a meaningful discipline to help us reconnect

with God. But regardless of what you eliminate, initiate the

practice of entering into God’s presence daily through the

use of this devotional guide. Meditate on the words and create

some prayerful, quiet space for Jesus to speak. And as you

unclutter your soul, may you become more finely attuned to

what’s going on in your own life, spiritually, and to the ways

God is inviting you to live in His presence and for His purpose.

Luke

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

Day 1“Even now,” declares the Lord,

“return to me with all your heart,

with fasting and weeping and

mourning.”

JOEL 2:12 NIV

And so, it begins – the call to reorient ourselves towards the cross. We enter into this season of Lent, as Christians have been doing for cen-turies, to prepare our hearts for Easter. The resurrection is triumphant, something to celebrate and rejoice about. But first, we must take some time to sit in the brokenness, acknowledging our sin and where we have strayed from God…

The prophet Joel urges God’s people to return back to God with fasting and weeping and mourning. That’s a call for remorse, repentance, and restoration for their hearts to be made right with God again.

So, I invite you to take a moment to quiet your heart and mind. Let go of fear or guilt or shame. Be still and listen.

Can you hear the whisper?

“Return to me.”

God is calling you back to his heart today. How will you respond?

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

Rend your heart and not your

garments. Return to the Lord

your God, for he is gracious and

compassionate, slow to anger and

abounding in love, and he relents

from sending calamity.

JOEL 2:13 NIV

Gracious, compassionate, and slow to anger – what beautiful characteristics of our God. Again, Joel beckons us to return to the Lord with all our heart, resting in his good grace that comforts us in our pain and brokenness.

However, God doesn’t desire the tearing of our clothes in mourning, but rather the breaking of our hearts for what breaks his – those who are far from God, those who are in the midst of great suffering, those who are lost without hope. It breaks God’s heart when his children are hurting.

God wants us to then share in his grace, compassion, and abounding love for those around us. We can partner with him to offer hope to the hopeless, comfort to those who mourn, and be a light in the world to help point people home – home to Jesus.

Spend some time reflecting on where you need to rest in God’s grace. Who do you need to share God’s compassion with? How can you be an agent of God’s abounding love in the world today?

Ask God to rend your heart.

Day 2

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

Who knows? He may turn and re-

lent and leave behind a blessing—

grain offerings and drink offerings

for the Lord your God.

JOEL 2: 14 NIV

When was the last time you felt like you were in the middle of a storm? Suffering, enraged, frustrations were high, loneliness inevitable… or maybe you can relate to a season of apathy where you go through the motions with little care or concern. Purpose feels faded and you feel jaded.

Friends, the gentle whisper return to me is still echoing.

God’s invitation is one of mercy. It’s what Joel was calling the people to do, and it’s what we are called to do in this season of Lent.

We’re called to rest in God’s mercy – mercy embodied in the person of Jesus. To refocus our hearts, minds, and purposes towards God, and to trust in the hope that is found in Christ Jesus and the work that he did on the cross.

Do you need to reposition your feet? Does your gaze need to change? Take a step towards Jesus today. Turn your eyes towards him. His forgiveness, kindness, and compassion are available to you.

Day 3

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

I prayed to the Lord my God and

confessed: “Lord, the great and

awesome God, who keeps his

covenant of love with those who

love him and keep his

commandments, we have sinned

and done wrong.

DANIEL 9:4-5 NIV

God is in the covenant keeping business.

As seen with the promise to Abraham, the Lord has proven faithful time and time again. Even Daniel, who was taken captive from his home to live in exile in Babylon, remained confident that his God was still with him – that his God was still great and awesome.

Along with his example of faith, Daniel does a great job of modeling what true confession looks like. He acknowledges who God is and he admits his own shortcomings. He says, “We have sinned and done wrong.”

Isn’t that refreshing? To stop hiding and just admit “I’ve messed up.” There is no need to pretend. God sees it all. And God is still faithful, keeping his covenant.

Take some time today to tell God how great and awesome he is. And then take some time to confess where you’re struggling. Whether it is a sin you wrestle with daily, or a moment where your anger got the best of you. Talk to God about it. Name it, bring it to the light, and find your rest in God’s faithful arms.

Day 4

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

The Lord our God is merciful and

forgiving, even though we have

rebelled against him...

DANIEL 9:9 NIV

As Christians, we are called to walk out the kingdom of God on earth. Sometimes, this feels like Lent. We begin with high expectations and eagerness, but that eagerness tends to fade. One day, sacrificing our desire to have things go our way is easy; the next, it feels impossible.

As Daniel confesses rebellion against God on behalf of the entire Israelite community, he holds on to what he knows to be true, “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving...“

No matter how easy or difficult it is to stick with your Lenten practice or the call of Christians to act restoratively in the world, know that the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving. Though we fall short as individuals and communities, God has not given up on us.

Spend a few moments acknowledging the ways we as human beings fall short of God’s intent for the world. Lift those up as a confession to God, and find peace in knowing that God is merciful and forgiving in return.

Day 5

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

But if a wicked person turns away

from all the sins they have

committed and keeps all my

decrees and does what is just and

right, that person will surely live;

they will not die.

EZEKIEL 18:21 NIV

This sounds so simple right? If we turn from our wicked ways, we will find life instead of death. Yet, we are aware that to carry out our faith in our actions is much easier said than done. In Ezekiel’s time, Israel has turned away from God and served idols. This verse fits Ezekiel’s situation so well.

Even with all of the brokenness and disobedience, God continues his work by showing them an unrelenting grace and forgiving them–in some instances, by asking them to repent. In other instances, God forgives the people of Israel before they even asked.

This is the same forgiveness that is extended to you today.

Spend a moment reflecting on the goodness of this grace. God is longing for you to come back to him.

Pray about coming back to him.

Day 6

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

Whoever dwells in the shelter

of the Most High will rest in the

shadow of the Almighty. I will say

of the Lord, “He is my refuge and

my fortress, my God, in whom

I trust.”

PSALM 91:1-2 NIV

It is not surprising that Psalm 91 has been included in poems, canticles (hymns), worship songs, and prayers. Verses one and two specifically evoke a sort of connection we are all craving from God –– trust. We will say to the Lord, “He is our refuge and our fortress, in Him we trust.” What a beautiful reminder of the power we find in trusting God.

Friends, we can put our trust in all kinds of things–money, family, friends, education, etc. But the Psalmist insists here that there is only one place where we can be truly safe, and that is in the shelter of the Most High. Thus, if you are worrying about any of those things today, cast them aside for a brief moment and sit in the presence of God Almighty. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He will bring forth the true hope, love, and joy you are looking for.

Will you trust him today and relinquish control of the things of this world?

Day 7

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”

and you make the Most High your

dwelling, no harm will overtake

you, no disaster will come near

your tent.

PSALM 91:9-10 NIV

Where do you make your dwelling place? Initially, when we think about a dwelling place, we tend to think about our home. This is often a place where we feel safe and can rest easy. Psalm 91:9-10 uses the language of dwelling to call us to reflect on where we dwell spiritually. Can we say with the Psalmist, “The Lord is our refuge?”

The protection of those who place themselves in the refuge of the Lord wipes away all unwarranted fear. With God as our refuge we should not fear and we cannot fall. Thus, in today’s devotional time, can you answer the question of truly believing in the Lord being your refuge? What steps can you take today to come back to God’s refuge?

Spend a few moments in silence reflecting on the peace of God while returning to his refuge.

Pray about returning to his refuge.

Day 8

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

Surely he took up our pain and

bore our suffering, yet we

considered him punished by God,

stricken by him, and afflicted.

ISAIAH 53:4 NIV

The Gospel story of Jesus is the greatest story ever told. God, enfleshes himself into the form of a human, in order to usher in the new kingdom based on radical love, justice, and forgiveness. At the end of this process, God through Jesus is crucified for the sins of the world. This becomes the climactic part of the entire message. God would sacrifice his own son for the sake of saving the world.

In the time before Jesus, Israel didn’t have a messiah like Jesus. Rather, they had prophets who would call the nation of God’s people to repent. Isaiah is different. He begins to point Israel towards the future Messiah to come. This Messiah would take up our pain. He carried our suffering.

Today, can you reflect on a time when you were thankful that Jesus took on our pain and bore our suffering?

Sit in a few moments of silent reflection and thank him for the ultimate sacrifice.

Day 9

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

But he was pierced for our

transgressions, he was crushed

for our iniquities; the punishment

that brought us peace was on

him, and by his wounds we

are healed.

ISAIAH 53:5 NIV

Friends, while we go through the motions of life thinking we are doing this thing called life all alone, remember Christ’s purpose for coming. He made our grief His own, and our sorrows as if they were his. By his death and resurrection, Jesus paid the massive price for our sins and crushed the power of sin and death in our life forever - restoring us into fellow-ship with the Father. If he indeed died for ALL of our sins, then why do we decide to sometimes let him into our lives, and sometimes not?

He took away our shame, pain, and grief, but we must realize this par-don of sins and this restoration to the favor of God.

Jesus took our place. He did it just for us. Jesus’ death at the cross is LOVE that can’t be described or fully understood but, it is a LOVE that MUST be embraced by ALL of humanity.

He exchanged our sins for his RIGHTEOUSNESS. Oh, what an exchange! And by his blood we are healed.

Day 10

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

We all, like sheep, have gone

astray, each of us has turned to

our own way; and the Lord has

laid on him the iniquity of us all.

ISAIAH 53:6 NIV

Like stubborn straying sheep, we tend to stray from safety. With each of us ‘doing our own thing’, pursuing our own way and worldly pleasures. We wander away from the shepherd’s (God’s) protection. We have become lonely wanderers, where we pursue our own interests, form our own plans, and seek to gratify our own pleasures.

God sent his Son into the world to reconcile man back to himself. God himself took on human flesh to become our Redeemer. The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. God placed the amassed sin of the whole world on His beloved Son – Jesus who became that sacrificial lamb. It was the sin of the world that was laid on Christ. He paid the price for our individual SINS – but also the price for SIN. He died so our SINS would be forgiven, but also to break the power of SIN. Christ was punished as guilty, so we could be rewarded as innocent. His death not only made us righteous but gave us the righteousness of God.

Seeking God’s forgiveness is the beginning of breaking the malicious circle. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always (Psalm 105:4).

Day 11

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

Then you will call, and the Lord

will answer; you will cry for help,

and he will say: Here am I.

ISAIAH 58:9 NIV

If we go before God repenting of our sins, eager to come back to him, and fulfill our duty of serving others, he will hear our humble cry. But if we go to his presence clinging to sin, insincere and hypocritical in our worship, our calling to him is untruthful.

Our hope is the call God has for us, to change from our selfish and malicious ways that look inward and instead focus on the needs around us. We focus on serving in his temple, helping feed the hungry and clothing those in need. Truly, God expects big things of us!

As we call on the Lord during this Lent season, our prayer is that he hears our call as we reflect on the meaning and course of our lives, and as we ponder the necessary changes, not just for this time but for the year ahead.

Day 12

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

The Lord will guide you always; he

will satisfy your needs in a

sun-scorched land and will

strengthen your frame. You will

be like a well-watered garden, like

a spring whose waters never fail.

ISAIAH 58:11 NIV

We all need a faithful and perfect guide in our lives. There are many who would rather have things their own way. When that path has led to nothing but shame, grief and unhappiness, then comes the ‘Ah! I wish I had known’ moment. We all have those moments of regrets and wish we could just start over after having followed a deceitful guide.

Fear not friends! It’s never too late for the Lord to turn EVERY situation around because, he’s our Guide; he’s the Lion of the tribe of Judah; he’s the Alpha and Omega; he’s ever compassionate; and he’s the lily of the valleys. He will guide us to triumph in life as we do the will of our maker.

The Lord promises us continual guidance. The Lord promises to supply our needs. The Lord promises to be our strength when we go through the tiredness of life.

When we fellowship daily with God in the Spirit and let his word fill our hearts, we will find ourselves prepared and inspired to not only handle all that we are called to do, but to also be a spring of life through which Christ can flow into the world. Give thanks to God for his promise!

Day 13

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

Humble yourselves, therefore,

under God’s mighty hand, that he

may lift you up in due time.

1 PETER 5:6 NIV

Imagine a child learning to swim. The swim instructor can be the best teacher in the world, but ultimately if the child chooses to do whatever they wish, it will not bode well for the child. The child may place themself in a dangerous situation. It is when the child submits to the swim instructor that growth takes place. When they are older and on the Olympic swim team, humbling themselves to their instructor would all be worth it.

Humility is just as much about GIVING UP on your own human capabilities as it is about TAKING ON a submissive posture with your heart. When Jesus died on our behalf, he positioned his heart towards God’s way instead of his own. In the same way, humbling yourself to God means to let God have his way in your life instead of your own. Make your inner control-freak still and quiet. There may not be any immediate rewards for choosing God’s way and instead choosing humility; but in due time, it will all be worth it.

How can you practice humility towards God today?

Day 14

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

“‘They worship me in vain; their

teachings are merely human

rules.’ You have let go of the com-

mands of God and are holding on

to human traditions.”

MARK 7:7-8 NIV

We are all creatures of habit. We like routine, traditions, and consistency. We gather for church because that is what the early Christians did. We tithe because the offering bags are passed. When we fall into the pattern of living out our faith based on practices and traditions, we are falling into the same habits that many of the Pharisees once did. The Pharisees, religious leaders of the day, put on a good act of following all the rules of Jewish tradition, yet neglected what Jesus reminded them was the greatest commandment according to God – love.

In 1 Corinthians 13:13, we are told that the greatest commandment from God is love. As we continue in this season of Lent, reflect on the patterns that you might have fallen into that lack love. Jesus set a great example for us to live our lives in love – his actions, his relationships, and his character overflowed with love.

Instead of going through the motions of church and simply acting out of habit or obligation, do all things with love.

Day 15

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

My soul thirsts for God, for the

living God. When can I go and

meet with God?

PSALM 42:2 NIV

In the 1930s, the Dust Bowl plagued the United States as one of the worst droughts the country has ever faced. The land was so dry that even the plants and crops that were native to the area weren’t able to grow. In seasons of spiritual drought, it can seem that even the things that once brought us to the feet of Jesus and were such natural rhythms for us don’t seem to work anymore.

If you’ve never read all of Psalm 42, take time today to read that chapter. At only eleven verses, it’s a great reminder to those of us who are waiting in the desert today that God is still there with us.

Think about when you will seek God’s living water.

Day 16

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

The Lord is good to those whose

hope is in him, to the one who

seeks him...

LAMENTATIONS 3:25 NIV

What do you hope for? So many of us seek fullness in our lives by focusing our hope on the things of this world. We hope for a new job, a clean bill of health, or a new relationship. We function in this idea that we know what we need and if we can get that thing, everything else will be better. But these things are distracting us from our true source of hope. God gives us an open invitation to find our hope in him. When we are willing to release control and surrender our lives, trusting that God is at work in our midst, we can better focus our eyes and hearts on him. This may not always come easily, but in time you can feel a peace knowing that God will provide fullness in your life often better than what you could have imagined for yourself.

What is distracting you from focusing your eyes and heart on God?Is there a daily practice that might help you put your hope in God?

Day 17

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious

to you; therefore he will rise up

to show you compassion. For the

Lord is a God of justice. Blessed

are all who wait for him!

ISAIAH 30:18 NIV

Most humans struggle with balancing justice and grace. Whether the topic is politics, parenting, or the workplace, we find ourselves pulled between themes like “law and order”; “everyone needs a second chance”; “zero tolerance”; or “chill”. Our God balances compassion and justice.

During this season of Lent, as we reflect on our mistakes, we also long for the compassion provided by the Holy Spirit. We recognize the just and righteous God who commanded laws to live by and sent prophets to confront law breakers is the same compassionate God who came to earth as Jesus. Our savior embodied the true justice of loving God and loving our neighbors, not the warped rules of society, traditional religion, or political institutions. Jesus died under the laws of those who misused the judicial system and lacked mercy for those different from themselves. He rose from the dead to show us the better way.

Take a few moments to reflect on our gracious, compassionate, and just God. Receive the grace the Holy Spirit offers to you.

Day 18

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

Wait for the Lord; be strong and

take heart and wait for the Lord.

PSALM 27:14 NIV

A major part of the Christian life is waiting on God. We desire some sort of change, breakthrough, or answer, so we pray and ask God. Then, we wait on him to respond in whatever way he chooses.

In my experience, waiting usually isn’t easy. It’s hard, uncomfortable, and often forces me to let go of my control. The Hebrew word for “wait” that David uses echoes this reality. The definition describes waiting with words like “stretch,” “tension of enduring,” “remain,” “tarry,” and “wait patiently.”

In the midst of seasons of stretching and waiting for God, we aren’t left to wonder what we should do. David tells us to be strong and take heart as we wait on God. We can lean on God and have confidence while we wait because of his character and his track record. He may not show up in the exact way we want him to, but he is faithful and he will show up.

What is something you are waiting for? What is one practical way you can be strong and take heart in the waiting today?

Day 19

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

ISAIAH 40:31 NIV

These encouraging words from the Jewish prophet Isaiah came to people who were spiritually tired and weary from centuries of political leaders who did not follow God. Though we might not have fainting spells, we know what it means to feel so physically, emotionally, or spiritually weary that we can not walk another step, let alone run or rise up.

Reading stories about Jesus, he too felt tired sometimes. Forty days of temptation in the desert wore him down. Walking hundreds of miles through all seasons of the Middle East, working long days healing and teaching wore him down. Abandoned by his followers, whipped and beaten by his enemies, no wonder Jesus staggered and fell while carrying the cross!

As you reflect on what Jesus endured for us, commit to keep going in your own spiritual walk. Whether this is a season of one-step-at-a-time walking, or running and soaring as you dare to dream, keep going!

Day 20

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

I want to know Christ—yes, to

know the power of his

resurrection and participation in

his sufferings, becoming like him

in his death, and so, somehow,

attaining to the resurrection from

the dead.

PHILIPPIANS 3:10-11 NIV

Just before these verses, Paul, the author, is writing about how he once found confidence in his own flesh. He highlights how powerful he was and the status he held. But then Paul makes a complete 180 degree turn, calling all the power, status, and pride garbage.

Paul realized these things in which he found identity and security did not compare to the resurrecting power in a relationship with Jesus.Paul gave up these worldly things in order to participate in Christ’s sufferings and death, dying to himself and the things of this world, allowing Christ’s resurrecting power to work through him.

Many of us choose to give up something during Lent to help us refocus and recenter our hearts on God. But what would it look like if, like Paul, we were able to seriously begin to declutter the things in our hearts, things that are getting in the way of truly knowing Christ, not just for 40 days, but for a lifetime?

How would your relationships and life with Christ change?

Day 21

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

Sanctify them by the truth; your

word is truth.

JOHN 17:17 NIV

Too often we clutter our minds and our words with half-truths. Whether it’s what we post on social media, what we tell our co-workers about our progress with a project, or what we don’t say to family members who need to hear from us, we are not fully honest with others or ourselves.

Jesus prayed on our behalf that we would be sanctified by God’s truth. Sanctify means to set apart or make holy. God’s truth about us as humans is that we make mistakes, and that he can forgive our mistakes. When we try to hide our sins behind excuses, or when we obsess over our sins and ignore the forgiveness Jesus gives, we’re not understanding the whole truth. When we acknowledge our mistakes, turn away from our sin-stained choices, and turn towards God, we are embracing the Holy Spirit’s full truth about us.

What half-truths more often cloud your life?

This season commit to hearing, speaking, and living God’s whole truth.

Day 22

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

We wait in hope for the Lord; he

is our help and our shield. In him

our hearts rejoice, for we trust in

his holy name. May your unfailing

love be with us, Lord, even as we

put our hope in you.

PSALM 33:20-22 NIV

Self-examination during this season of Lent could cast gloomy shadows over our spiritual lives. While repentance and self-denial are meaningful themes, we must also remember the hope and joy of our new life in Jesus, whether our decision and baptism were long decades or mere days ago. The God who is our help and shield loves us enough to defeat death for us.

At Jesus’ crucifixion, he was mocked for not having the power to come down from the cross, but he demonstrated even greater power by coming back from the dead. We can trust this holy and strong Savior to never fail us, even when we fail him.

If you have not yet received the help the Holy Spirit gives at new life and baptism, when will you receive the love of Jesus?

If you already have felt the joy of new life, trust God enough to dare to encounter him in a fresh way.

Day 23

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

I wait for the Lord, my whole

being waits, and in his word

I put my hope. I wait for the

Lord more than watchmen

wait for the morning.

PSALM 130:5-6 NIV

Watchmen in the Old Testament were the people who were responsible for protecting a town or group of people by keeping guard, especially throughout the night while everyone slept. These individuals would be stationed on city walls or watch towers all night so that they could scan the surrounding area for any impending danger.

The author of Psalm 130 compares his or her waiting on the Lord to the watchmen waiting for morning. They even say that they wait more than the watchmen! Can you imagine? Waiting 30 minutes for a pizza to cook in the oven can sometimes feel like an eternity.

At one point or another we will all go through seasons where our whole being is waiting on God. One season of waiting we are all in is for Jesus to return and come to the earth for a second time.

Have you ever experienced a season of waiting on the Lord? What was it like? Was it easy or hard? How did it grow you?

Remember that we are not alone in the waiting, we have the Word of God and we can place our HOPE in him!

Day 24

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

The thief comes only to steal and

kill and destroy; I have come that

they may have life, and have it to

the full.

JOHN 10:10 NIV

Jesus came to give us life, but he didn’t come to give us just any life. He came so that we could live life to the FULL, what a gift! While we have been given this gift, we also have an enemy [the thief] who wants to squash it.

Lent is an opportunity to remember and reflect on the abundant life of Jesus and his gift of everlasting life to us. It is also an opportunity to think about the ways we are allowing the enemy to steal, kill, and destroy this precious gift. Often times he comes in very sly and crafty ways, which may keep us from noticing it right away.

Take some time today to reflect on the following:

What areas in my life am I experiencing life to the full?What ways is the enemy attempting to destroy that life?

Day 25

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

I have told you these things, so

that in me you may have peace.

In this world you will have trouble.

But take heart! I have overcome

the world.

JOHN 16:33 NIV

Have you ever experienced trouble in this world before? For most people the answer is yes, which shouldn’t surprise us because Jesus says that we will have trouble. But the story doesn’t stop there.

Jesus goes on to say that we can take heart – have confidence, be bold, be unafraid, be of good courage. Why? Because he has overcome the world!

What is a hardship you are experiencing right now? What is your mindset or attitude toward it? Is it one of peace and taking heart or one of feeling agitated and defeated?

In the midst of our troubles we can experience Jesus’ peace because we are in him. We can also walk forward with courage and cheerfulness because of his promise.

What is one way you can take heart today?

Now go and take heart my friend because Jesus has already overcome the world!

Day 26

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

For God alone, O my soul, wait in

silence, for my hope is from him.

PSALM 62:5 NIV

What things are you looking to for hope? Success, a career, a relationship, wealth, popularity, or something else?

Scripture tells us that our hope is from God alone. While I know this is true, I have been asking myself, “How does this become my daily reality?”

Sometimes it is alluring to try and find hope in something tangible, or something the world tells me will give me hope because in the busyness of my life it seems easier and more promising. But it isn’t. It never delivers.

As I have thought about this verse, I think there may be a connection between waiting in silence with God and experiencing hope from him in the depths of my soul. Can I have a deep sense of hope apart from spending time in stillness with God?

Sitting in silence with God is a discipline that takes a lot of time and practice to cultivate and it isn’t always comfortable. But if it forges hope deep within us then it’s worth it.

Take 5 minutes today to unplug and sit in silence with God. You won’t regret it.

Day 27

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

But as for me, I watch in hope for

the Lord, I wait for God my

Saviour; my God will hear me.

MICAH 7:7 NIV

The Jewish prophet Micah wrote during a time when crime was rising, people in power were corrupt, and family relationships were crumbling. Instead of joining society’s downward spiral, Micah affirmed that he would hope and wait for God’s restoration. Likewise, Jesus was angry at the injustices of his time, and when the religious and political leadership heard his truthful and piercing words, they killed him on a cross.

The Holy Spirit calls us to be like all those who have watched and waited for God’s direction, even when the culture around us drops downhill. Even when we ourselves have made lifestyle choices that disobey God, the Holy Spirit still hears us when we turn back to the Savior who died for us.

During this season of quiet contemplation and hope-filled waiting, thank God that the Holy Spirit listens, no matter how noisy the surrounding chaos.

Day 28

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

But you must return to your God;

maintain love and justice, and

wait for your God always.

HOSEA 12:6 NIV

Turning around to go back the way you came is easy when you are walking. If you’re in the middle of the woods, or it’s windy or slippery, maybe turning around is a little harder. Turning around to go back when you are driving is definitely harder. It will depend on the street, other cars around you, and more.

Turning around your life to go towards God is the hardest of all. If you were someone who uses people for your own pleasure, turning to God and genuinely loving people for who they are is hard. If you were someone who did not make real relationships because you filled your life with social media, or gaming, or binge-watching, or addiction; turning to God and loving people in real life is hard. If you were someone who didn’t care about people who were different from you because of their employment status, skin color, or socio-political opinions, turning to God and treating others with Jesus-guided justice is hard.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you with the hard turns you need to make.

Day 29

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

The woman said, “I know that

Messiah” (called Christ)

“is coming. When he comes, he

will explain everything to us.”

Then Jesus declared, “I, the one

speaking to you—I am he.”

JOHN 4:25-26 NIV

The woman Jesus meets at the well in Samaria is widely known for her relationships with men in her town. People look down on her, and talk poorly about her. She comes to the well in the middle of the day just to find a little bit of peace from it all -- only to come face to face with the Prince of Peace, Jesus, himself.

As we sit in this season of Lent and waiting, it can feel like we are just looking for a little bit of peace in the middle of it all. We’re hoping eventually all the craziness of life will stop. But the beautiful thing is that Jesus shows up right in the middle of it all to say, “I am right here.”

No matter where you find yourself today, remember that Jesus meets us exactly where we are.

Day 30

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

Those who went ahead and those

who followed shouted, “Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the

name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the coming kingdom

of our father David!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

MARK 11:9-10 NIV

While we are still a few weeks away from Easter, this passage marks the beginning of what is known as Holy Week in the Bible. Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey on what we now refer to as Palm Sunday – fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy that the Messiah would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). And that was just one example of the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled from the Old Testament.

The people who are surrounding Jesus are all shouting “Hosanna,” which actually means “save us,” in the Hebrew. And the very thing they are shouting is the thing that was prophesied that Jesus would do hundreds of years before. Jesus fulfilling the smallest of prophecies from Zechariah sets the stage for him to fulfill the biggest of prophecies when we get to Easter.

Remember today that Jesus never fails to come through for us.

Day 31

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

And he said to them, “This is my

blood, which confirms the

covenant between God and his

people. It is poured out as a

sacrifice for many.”

MARK 14:24 NLT

When Jesus shared the bread and wine at this Passover meal, he strayed from the usual way of speaking about them. Instead of relating the bread and wine to Israel’s time in slavery, he reinterprets them, saying they are a new symbol - a symbol of a new covenant.

The “old covenant” is what we find in the Old Testament. This covenant revolves around laws, which the Israelites were expected to keep in order to remain in good standing with God. When the Israelites did not keep this covenant, their relationship with God suffered.

Jesus introduces a new covenant. A covenant that does not depend on following the Law, but on the love and blood of Jesus, which transforms us from the inside out. No longer based on human obedience to the Law to maintain relationship with God, this new covenant is based solely upon the sacrifice of Jesus.

How might God be inviting you to depend on Jesus - rather than on your own efforts - today?

Day 32

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

At noon, darkness fell across the

whole land until three o’clock.

Then at three o’clock Jesus called

out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi,

lema sabachthani?” which means

“My God, my God, why have you

abandoned me?”

MARK 15:33-34 NLT

All throughout Scripture, we see people cry out to God. The Israelites cry out to be saved from slavery in Egypt, the Psalmists cry out in desperation for hope, Mary and Martha cry out for Jesus to save their brother . . . and we continue crying out today. When our loved ones are hurting, our lives are upside down, and darkness lasts for what feels like forever in our world, we join with those who came before us and cry out - Where are you, God? Will restoration ever come?

On the cross, Jesus experienced this agony and despair. As he endured the cross, he cried out, my God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Today, reflect on this truth: We do not follow a God who hears our cries and knows nothing of what it means to despair. We follow a God who knows agony, experienced separation from the Father and the Spirit, and continues crying out for restoration of all things right alongside us.

Day 33

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

Then Jesus uttered another loud

cry and breathed his last. And

the curtain in the sanctuary of

the Temple was torn in two, from

top to bottom. When the Roman

officer who stood facing him saw

how he had died, he exclaimed,

“This man truly was the

Son of God!”

MARK 15:37-39 NLT

Mark refers to the curtain that separated the area of the temple called the “Holy of Holies” from the rest of the temple. The “Holy of Holies” was traditionally viewed as the place where God’s Spirit dwelled, and no one (except for the priest) was allowed to enter it.

When the curtain, which was too tall for a person to reach the top, tore from top to bottom in the same moment Jesus took his final breath, it is as though God declared, “My Spirit cannot be contained by a curtain. From now on, my Spirit will be on the move in the world, bringing restoration to all things.”

Like the Roman officer, we cannot help but recognize when we have an encounter with Christ, the one through whom the curtain is torn from top to bottom, the one through whom the Spirit of God has been unleashed into the world. We cannot help but be changed by the power of Christ’s love on the cross.

What might God be saying to you today through these details about the death of Jesus?

Day 34

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

The place of crucifixion was near

a garden, where there was a new

tomb, never used before.

And so, because it was the day of

preparation for the Jewish

Passover and since the tomb

was close at hand, they laid

Jesus there.

JOHN 19:41-42 NLT

Can you imagine being one of Jesus’ friends in this moment? There were two people that the book of John tells us about that had to bury Jesus – Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. Imagine being them for a moment, you put all of your hope into this guy named Jesus and then you watch him die a horrific death. And you’re left standing above his body, wrapping it in linens and preparing it for burial. How did you get here?

So many times in life we put all of our hopes and dreams in something only to watch it all come crumbling down later. We’re left heart broken and standing in the rubble. How final that must have felt for Jesus’ friends for them to lay him in that tomb. But what we know now is that the story isn’t over – death didn’t get the final word and we have hope.

Remember today that even when we are standing over broken hopes and dreams, Jesus still gives us hope for tomorrow.

Day 35

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

Surely he took up our pain and

bore our suffering, yet we

considered him punished by God,

stricken by him, and afflicted.

ISAIAH 53:4 NIV

This season of Lent has not been an easy one. We’ve had to sit in the waiting and hold the weight of this season as we look forward with expectancy towards Easter. In this passage, we start to unpack another prophecy about Jesus’s death from the book of Isaiah. Those prophecies are all fulfilled in the books of Matthew and Mark, showing (once again) how our God does what he says he’s going to do – he keeps his promises.

That’s an important note for us to remember as we begin to wrap up our Lent season – God keeps his promises.

As you pray today, I invite you to ask yourself where you have seen God keep his promises in your own life.

Day 36

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

But he was pierced for our

transgressions, he was crushed

for our iniquities; the punishment

that brought us peace was on

him, and by his wounds we

are healed.

ISAIAH 53:5 NIV

The weight of what we’ve done wrong in life can start to hit us when we read passages like these. Jesus was pierced for our transgressions, Jesus was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was on Jesus and by Jesus’ wounds we are healed. Every single time Jesus stepped in, it was because of us. Jesus, being the loving Savior that he is, stepped in every time.

But the beautiful thing is that Jesus didn’t step in so that we could live lives full of shame and regret for what we had done to him. He came because he loved us far too much to leave us where we were.

As you pray today, thank Jesus for paying the price once and for all. Move forward today in freedom.

Day 37

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

We all, like sheep, have gone

astray, each of us has turned to

our own way; and the Lord has

laid on him the iniquity of us all.

ISAIAH 53:6 NIV

There’s a passage in the book of Matthew that says, “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?” That passage comes hand in hand so well with this verse from Isaiah – not just one lost sheep, but all of us lost sheep have gone our own way.

Instead of abandoning us to the wolves and leaving us to our own devices, God sent Jesus on a rescue mission for us, for all of humanity. In doing so, he took on the full weight of our sin, something he didn’t deserve, so that we could experience life with him.

Remember that there is now nothing that separates us from God because of what Jesus has done.

Day 38

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the

first day of the week,

Mary Magdalene and the other

Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake,

for an angel of the Lord came

down from heaven and, going to

the tomb, rolled back the stone

and sat on it.

MATTHEW 28:1-2 NIV

“It is finished.” One would imagine that Jesus’ last words were still ringing in the ears of the women as they approached the grave. Gone was the man they loved so dear, and with it all of the hope he had brought. It is finished. Something that is finished doesn’t usually have a next thing. ‘It is finished’ was punctuated with a period. And yet, as they went to visit the place where Jesus was lain all of a sudden the narrative shifts and maybe, just maybe, that period is looking more like a comma. What is so important that would require an angel to come and appear like this? Why the terrifying entrance? Hadn’t they suffered enough?

What about you? Are you in a season where you feel like maybe you’ve suffered enough?

Hold tight to these words: It is always darkest before the dawn.Maybe, just maybe, he isn’t finished...

Day 39

NOTESSCRIPTURE

DEVO

The angel said to the women,

“Do not be afraid, for I know that

you are looking for Jesus, who was

crucified. He is not here; he has

risen, just as he said. Come and

see the place where he lay.”

MATTHEW 28:5-6 NIV

“He has risen, just as he said.” It’s so easy to read this account after the fact and take it as literal gospel. But, can you imagine the thoughts and emotions that must’ve been going through the minds of the women that day? He has what? Wait, where is he? This angel that came on the heels of a giant earthquake is telling them that their rabbi, the man they saw crucified just a few days prior, is ALIVE –– understanding the situation the angel invites them to come and see with their very own eyes. Go ahead, close your eyes for a minute and picture what it would’ve been like to be there that day; to witness the empty grave.

While it would’ve been incredible to see that empty tomb that day, the impact of Jesus’ resurrection continues to this day. Think on the things in your own life that are evidence of that empty grave.

Meditate today on the grace and mercy extended to you as a result of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.

There is more to your story because of what Jesus has done – how might your life look differently because of that?

Day 40