Lent Devotional 2024

DEVOTION – by Brad Avery:

I remember the day my brother was shipped off by the Marine Corps to Operation Desert Storm. A couple years prior, he had enlisted in the reserves as a way to help pay for college and a potential pathway to med school. Although we all acknowledged the possibility that he might be called up to support active forces, our minds reasoned with our hearts that the most action he would probably see would be national weather emergencies and community service. Mom’s voice shook that day over the phone as she told me that he would be a grunt. I didn’t know what that meant exactly, but it didn’t sound promising. I surmised that he certainly wouldn’t be the one giving orders.

A quick web search reveals that the acronym GRUNT (General Replacement Unit, Not Trained) possibly originated in WWII, where the newbies were sent to the front lines while more seasoned troops fought from behind. Although my brother enlisted as a means to an end, he didn’t do so as a means to his end. That wasn’t his calling…or at least he hoped it wasn’t.

Juxtapose that with Christ. In the beginning, Jesus, The Word Made Flesh, knew His calling. His Mission: The Undisputed Ultimate Act of Service – “give His life as a ransom for many.” Ransom is a powerful word picture for us to ponder. The Greek word in the text is lutron which translates – the price or debt for redeeming from bondage: slaves, prisoners of war, the many – sentenced to eternal death.

Jesus came to this world and flipped the script. The Great I AM, The LORD of all, The ETERNAL KING of kings became The SERVANT of all. Your servant, my servant, our enemy’s servant. We have nothing to offer…no words, no deeds, no way to repay. We can’t help Him (Acts 17:25). He doesn’t need it. John Piper puts it this way, “Our God is so full and so self-sufficient and so overflowing in power and life and joy, that he glorifies himself by serving us.”

The familiar Marine Corps motto Semper Fi, shortened from the Latin Semper Fidelis, translates “Always Faithful” …an eternal commitment to victory, prosperity, and steadfast loyalty. I am so very grateful for my brother’s sacrifice (and return home), and am truly thankful and indebted to all who have gone before me.  Their willingness to say “Here am I, send me,” has served to protect our and many other nation’s freedom.

In John’s Revelation (3:14, 19:11), Jesus refers to Himself as “The Amen, Faithful and True.”  He alone is our true Freedom. His death in exchange (ransom) for our lives. He died so that we might live. To God be the Glory!

As we celebrate that He alone has come for us, we are invited by the hymnists, Fanny Crosby and William Howard Doane to:

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice;
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory; great things He hath done.

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“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” John 12:46

DEVOTION – by John Decarreau:

One of my favorite worship songs begins with the following lyrics:

Light of the world You stepped down into darkness

Opened my eyes let me se

Beauty that made this heart adore You

Hope of a life spend with You

(Here I Am To Worship)

Every time I hear this song, I am instantly grabbed by the simplicity and depth of the lyrics.  Maybe it is because I recall the darkness that He removed.  Maybe it is because I more fully enjoy the beauty of all He created.  Maybe it is the excitement of an eternity worshipping Him with songs like this one.  Maybe it is ALL of the above.

As we get closer to Easter Sunday, it is a perfect time to remember that Jesus came into our darkness to illuminate our world through His truth…to show us a world the way God originally intended.  Living in His light shows us the physical beauty of His creation and the spiritual beauty of His plan for His people.  As the verse says, Jesus brought the light to us, it is through faith in Him that He offers eternal life.  It is through His work on the cross that we are saved from the darkness.

This worship song continues:

I’ll never know how much it cost

To see my sin upon that cross

Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down

Here I am to say that you’re my God

It’s hard to imagine the depth of Jesus’s suffering for our sins.  As His sacrifice becomes more real to us, it can drive us to a deeper place of worship in response to his unending mercy and grace.  He does not want us to remain in the darkness, He wants to draw us to Himself and strengthen us in His light.  In 1 Peter 2:9 it says “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”  This is a powerful reminder of the way God sees us in His light.

As we get closer to Easter Sunday, we can take some time to praise Him and celebrate the areas of our lives that Jesus has illuminated for us AND pray that He continues shine His light in new areas of our lives that may still be in the shadows.  Pray for continued Transformation into the light of his truth.

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“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

DEVOTION – by Sonny Lallerstedt:

If Jesus came to bring life, it must mean that either we don’t have life, or the life we have isn’t what He meant for us to have.

Have you ever heard someone say “there must be more to life than this”?

Many of us don’t even realize that there is a thief, and that he wants to steal, kill, and destroy the opportunity for life that Jesus came to give us.

Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” NKJV.

We can’t see with our physical eyes the true war from which Jesus came to redeem us. We lost our sin free/death free life back in the Garden. The thief, otherwise known as Satan, started long ago to steal, kill, and destroy our lives, to distract us, to redirect us to becoming our own god, and thinking we can manufacture our own life.

Jesus has come that we might have His life, and have it to THE FULL! 2 Corinth 5:21 says, “For He (our Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us (our name here) that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Jesus has come to set us free from the law of sin and death! Jesus has come to give us His life. When we receive Jesus into our lives by turning from our ways/our life, thanking Him for His forgiveness of our sin by His sacrifice on the cross, He comes into us by His Holy Spirit,  imparting His life in us!! Praise Him for His lovingkindness towards us that’s better than life… because it’s His Life in us!

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Jesus said, “For judgement I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” John 9:39

DEVOTION – by Andrea Cheetham:

Jesus and the disciples were walking along the road. They saw a man who was blind and wondered if he or his parents had sinned.  Jesus told the men, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”

Kids love acting out the next part of the story. Jesus spat and made mud. Then He put in on the eyes of the man, and He told him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. In faith and obedience, the man went and did as he was told. He went home with sight and a new life in Christ!

The healed man’s confidence in Jesus stands out to me like a bright, neon sign. Every time he was questioned, criticized, or mocked, he exclaimed, I was blind, and now I can see. My favorite of his responses is in verse 33, “If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”  What a courageous statement he made in front of the Pharisees. A few verses later, he is meeting with Jesus and proudly proclaims his belief in Him. This man was excited to be given new sight and a new life in Christ.

Like many of you, I have been mocked and criticized for my faith. There have been times when my confidence has waned in sharing my faith. Sometimes we don’t want to face the firing squad of criticism. However, Jesus is bigger than all that noise. He faced far more condemnation that we can imagine. Because of Jesus, the cross, and the resurrection, we can courageously and confidently share His sacrifice and love. He calls us to love Him, love others, and make disciples. Therefore, in preparation for Holy Week, may we be reminded of the blind man’s bold obedience and faith in Christ. God sent His Son so that He would be glorified as each person’s eyes were opened to the Good News. Remember the cross. This sacrifice was crucial to make a way to bring us back to life and relationship with Him. Remember the resurrection. We have the honor of proclaiming His love!

REFLECTION QUESTION:

1. Is Jesus calling you to share your faith? Reflect on the power of the cross and resurrection in your own life. Over the next few weeks, pray for opportunities to share His love and for their eyes to receive new sight in Jesus Christ!

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