Lent, a Season of Hope: Preparing Our Hearts for Easter ~ Day 1
Welcome to a daily devotional guide for the Lenten season, taking us on a journey to Easter Sunday. A traditional Lenten devotional series is 40 days, with writings for six days each week. Sundays will be included in the series but will be set aside as “celebration days” for the posting of scripture verses, hymns, and spiritual songs. My prayer is that you will be blessed, inspired and filled with a renewed love and commitment to the Savior during this Season of Hope.
Joel 2:12-13
“’Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’ 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.'”
Growing up in a military family that was not particularly religious, we attended church only occasionally at the protestant chapel on the local base where my dad was stationed at the time. At school I was intrigued—and a bit jealous—that a number of my classmates were excused during lunch break to attend church with their parents, returning with smudges of ashes on their foreheads marking the first day of Lent. Years later, after placing my faith in Christ, I came to understand the true significance of Lent—that it isn’t about the ashes or a rigid ritual to keep or a requirement for His acceptance and love but, rather, it is a special time set aside, by personal choice, to draw nearer to God.
One may choose to fast for a period of time or refrain daily from a particular food or habit. Our scripture verse today says, “Rend your heart” which means to come to the Lord with “weeping and mourning” over personal sin with a heart of repentance. When we humble ourselves to do this, we are met by a forgiving, gracious, loving and compassionate God. The subjects of prayer, fasting and repentance will be touched on more fully in the days ahead.
Join me, won’t you, over the next 46 days, until Resurrection Sunday, as we draw near to the Father and deepen our love for Jesus. May we open our hearts to what God has in store for us during Lent, this Season of Hope, as He prepares us for Easter.
Father in Heaven, as we prepare once again to focus on the redemptive message of the Cross, open our hearts to receive all that You desire for us to consider in the coming weeks. Ignite the flame of Your Holy Spirit to give us a teachable heart with a desire for these things: more time spent in Your Word, a spirit of repentance, more effective prayer, and a heart of charity towards others. In Your name we pray, Amen.
