Devotions For Lent – Day 12

Just As I Am

“There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”
(Romans 8:1)

Read Psalm 25:1-10.

I watched her closely. She had not moved from where she was standing. She was paralyzed by fear but even more by guilt. It was at that moment, she remembered a hymn often sung in our church.

“Just as I am, without one plea — But that Thy blood was shed for me.
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am Thy love unknown — Has broken every barrier down.
And to be Thine, yea Thine alone, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

The words of that hymn would not let her go. The barriers in her heart were beginning to crumble. You come to Jesus empty-handed but His love fills you to overflowing. Think or write about the sins you may need to take to Jesus today. Next to each one, write one way that He shows His love to you.

Prayer Starter:
Dear Jesus, thank You for removing every barrier, especially . . .

Devotions For Lent – Day 11

Making Peace

“In Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.”         (Colossians 1:19-20)

Read Romans 5:6-11.

Words, hurtful words were spoken. Doors were slammed. She was left alone. There was no peace. No peace within the house or within her heart.

Peace is not an easy thing to restore — not in the heart, not in the home, and certainly not in the universe. Consider that as you re-read today’s Bible verse. Jesus died to make peace in the universe, on the earth, and, most important of all, in your heart.

When Jesus gave up His last breath, the veil tore and a door was opened once again, and “you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, [Jesus] has now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before [God]” (Colossians 1:21-22).

Imagine yourself, standing before the King’s throne, no guilt, no shame, simply holy and blameless. Think or write about what thoughts and feelings that picture creates within you.

Prayer Starter:
Jesus, in You there is peace. Help me to remember that, especially when . . .

Devotions for Lent – Day 10

No Longer Hidden

“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”     (Isaiah 59:2)

Read Isaiah 59:16-21.

Curtains are meant to create a separation between two things, to hide one thing from the other. The veil represented the separation of a holy God from an un-holy, sin – stained people.

Remember the woman from the introduction to these devotions? The curtain off her unworthiness kept her at a distance. She felt that her past mistakes made it impossible for her to come into the light of forgiveness, so she suffered in the darkness of her sin.

The cross changes all of that. God no longer hides His face from you. Jesus suffered that punishment for you. The Father turned away from His own Son so you can receive His blessing: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26). What words in those verses draw you in, closer to your Savior? Think or write about them.

Prayer Starter:
Lord, I often feel unworthy to draw near to You. By faith in Jesus, give me boldness, especially with . . .

Devotions for Lent – Day 9

The Dividing Wall

“He Himself is our peace . . . And has broken down in His flesh the
dividing wall of hostility.”        (Ephesians 2:14)

Read Isaiah 59:1-15.

New England is known for its iconic and scenic stone walls. One particular wall is known as “The Spite Wall.” It was built out of a disagreement between two neighbors. It stands 11 feet high and it’s wide enough that four men can walk side by side on top of it. The neighbor just kept adding stones until the day he died. That is a lot of spite.

Praise Jesus that He doesn’t add stones to a wall every time we sin! In fact, it is just the opposite. Jesus surrendered Himself to be crushed by the wrath of His Father. In His death, He broke down the wall of hostility. It was God’s plan from the very beginning so that there would be no walls separating us from Him. Take a few moments to think of or draw a picture of a stone wall and label the stones with things that have built walls in your past.

Prayer Starter:
Jesus, You were crushed with the wrath I deserved. Help me to show my thanks by knocking down the walls in my life that separate me from others . . .

Devotions for Lent – Day 8

Go Away

“He who opens the breach goes up before them; they break through and pass the gate, going out by it.”         (Micah 2:13)

Read Isaiah 45:15-25.

The first time I saw The Wizard of Oz, I was stunned and sad when they finally got to the castle door, only to hear the guard say, “The wizard says, ‘Go away!’” How could this be?

Yet, in real life, everything about the temple said just that — go away. Even when the high priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year, the other priests would tie a rope around his ankle. That way, if he were struck dead in the presence of God, they could drag him out of the temple without risking their own lives. Want to volunteer? The temple was a fearsome place. Then the veil was torn. When Jesus ascended through the heavens, he went before us to be with the Father.

One day, we, too, will enter the veil fearlessly, but until then, we can come before God confidently in prayer. Do you know someone who lacks the confidence to pray? Write a prayer interceding for that person.

Prayer Starter:
Jesus, you have broken down every barrier. Give me the confidence to come to You now with . . .

Devotions For Lent – Day 7

Top to Bottom

“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.     (Acts 4:12)

Read Ephesians 2:1-10.

RIIIIP! This was not your normal everyday bedroom curtain being torn. It started 60 feet up in the air and ripped through fabric nearly 4 inches thick. The tear came all the way to the ground.

Religious scholars believe that, due to its enormous size, 300 priests were needed just to carry the curtain. This is not something that ripped easily! But yet, it did rip, top to bottom, tearing completely into 2 pieces.

What no human being could do by human strength, God did by the death of His Son. The debt of our sins was paid by Jesus alone. Only the torn flesh of Jesus on the cross can give us the confidence to enter into the presence of God. Take a step back and reflect on the things in your life that only God could have done.

Prayer Starter:
Jesus, Your blood alone cleanses me. Your death alone gives me life. You alone, Jesus, give me the strength to . . .

Devotions For Lent – Day 6

First Sunday in Lent

For those who observe the 40 days leading up to Easter as the season of Lent, Sundays are a time of rest and celebration within the journey. Sunday is viewed as a “little Easter.”

On this first “little Easter,” take time to read and pray over 2 Corinthians 5:19, (NLT) “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them.”

Today is a good day to reflect and give thanks for the rest and peace that is yours this day. When Jesus was buried, so were your sins. In Christ, God does not keep count of any of them any longer. Rest, not only from the routine of the weekday, but in the work and resurrection of Jesus, through whom God was reconciling the world to Himself.

Devotions For Lent – Day 5

Unbound Compassion

“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but My steadfast love shall not depart from you, and My covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”
(Isaiah 54:10)

Read Isaiah 54:5-10.

The altar in the front of our church was only 50 feet away, but it might as well been 50 miles. Too much had happened. She couldn’t imagine breaking the separation, coming closer. Have you ever felt that way? Think or write about that today as you read and consider these words from the song “Jesus, I Will Ponder Now.”

If my sins give me alarm and my conscience grieve me,
Let Your cross my fear disarm; Peace of conscience give me.
Help me see forgiveness won, by Your Holy passion.
If for me He slays His Son, God must have compassion.

Prayer Starter:
Thank You, Jesus, that once and for all my guilt and sin are pardoned. In the torn veil, there is hope and peace for . . .

Devotions For Lent – Day 4

Cherubim Keeping Watch

“You shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it.”
(Exodus 26:31)

Read Genesis 3.

The Garden of Eden was perfect! Then we hear this; “He drove out the man, and . . . He placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24).

Cherubim were carefully sewn into the veil — keeping watch in order to keep us out. The message was a clear reminder of what was lost in the Garden. If it were not for sin, the only chapters in the Bible would be Genesis 1 & 2, and then Revelation 22. Everything in between tells us how God worked a way to once again give us access to the tree of life.

In the torn veil, the Son of God reveals complete and eternal access to the Father. Today, think about what it means to you that NOTHING stands in the way of you coming to Him.

Prayer Starter:
Jesus, You died on a tree so that nothing could stop me from coming to You. Savior, I come near to You today because . . .

Devotions For Lent – Day 3

The Veil

“The veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy.”
(Exodus 26:33)

Read Exodus 26:31-35

Today’s churches are very welcoming to guests. The Jewish temple gave a different message: STAY OUT! Only the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies and only once a year. The curtain or veil that hid this area was constructed in such a way that no one would or could even accidently trip into the Holy of Holies: 60 feet tall, 20 feet wide and 4 inches thick. The message was clear: You are not welcome.

As I stood with the lady I told you about on Day 1 at the back of the church, her guilt and shame created an invisible curtain, screaming to her, “You don’t belong here.” But on Good Friday, the curtain tore in two, giving us free and full access to the holiness of God.

Think of or draw a picture of a curtain torn or pulled apart. In the opening, think of or write a word that reminds you of a time when God welcomed you in.

Prayer Starter:
Jesus, your death opened the way for me, but sometimes I lack the confidence to come to You, especially when . . .