Easter Devotional

What Exactly is Lent?

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They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount u with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 KJV

So, you might ask, “What exactly is Lent? Great question! Well, in general, Lent is the time from Ash Wednesday until either the Wednesday before Easter, Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday depending on what tradition you follow. You also might wonder why, since there is no record of anyone in the Bible observing this 40-day period, why should we? For starters, it is never a bad idea to set aside special times for seeking God’s will and purpose. We call it, “Waiting on the Lord” and waiting comes with God’s promise of strength and renewal. Some people may choose to fast certain foods or commit to special acts of service during these weeks. However, you choose to honor the season, the most important thing of all is to focus on Jesus. For me personally it brings me back to the excitement of my first months of faith in Jesus (Which just happened to be on Easter Sunday!)

During this Lenten season we should come each morning with an open-heart and ask Jesus for a brand-new insight into His word and for His will for our day. During these weeks it is okay to slow down and live more quietly so that we can hear what God is saying. Just as the song tells us that Jesus lay silently in the grave, until Easter, we can practice a bit of that silence as with faith we joyfully look forward to that coming day. My prayer is that during these weeks ahead we may see with fresh eyes the Lord Jesus and fall in love with Him again as we remember His Last Supper, His Cross, His empty grave, and most of all our Risen Lord!

“An ounce of love is worth a pound of knowledge.”
John Wesley

Devotions for Lent

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Here in the middle of winter, it is hard to believe, but we are just a little over a week away from beginning the season, commonly called Lent. Though the word, “Lent” doesn’t appear anywhere in the Bible, it is nonetheless a good opportunity to refocus our thinking and our lives around the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Ironically, this year, Lent begins on Valentine’s Day. Now don’t try the excuse, “Honey, I would have bought you chocolates, but I thought you had given them up for Lent!” Though we all have different customs concerning Easter, one thing all of us have in common with believers from the days of Jesus is that it comes unexpectedly. In fact, if we were to examine the scriptures carefully, it might appear that the Romans, who sealed the tomb and set a guard over it were more concerned about the resurrection than the disciples. After all, Mary and the other women did not come to the tomb to witness a miracle, their plan was to bring spices to complete their traditions for burial. Later, when they went back to report the visions of angels and an empty tomb, no one was more shocked and unbelieving than the disciples. Though Jesus had taught them over and over that He was to die, be buried and raised on the third day, not one of them understood or believed it to be possible. But on that “One Unexpected Morning” the story of the lives of every man, woman and child on earth was changed. Jesus died for our sins, and was buried in a rich man’s tomb, just as Isaiah 53 had foretold. He could not be kept in the grave and was raised, just as David prophetically tells us in Psalm 16:10. Yet, no one was waiting to see the miracle at the moment that the angel rolled back the stone. The Roman guards were terrified, and the rulers of the people remained unbelieving even after their reports. Peter and John ran to see what they had not even imagined in their wildest dreams and on resurrection morning Jesus came, unexpectedly for us all, but exactly as He had promised all along! If you are looking for a devotional resource this Easter, “One Unexpected Morning”, is a 40-day Lenten reader in both large and regular print as well as in eBook form. The link below is for the large print version, but you should be easily able to find the others from that page.

Easter Devotional

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Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that 
the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. John 20:1

I know, some of you may be asking yourselves, “Easter already? Why in the world is he talking about it so soon?” But the reality is that Ash Wednesday is just two weeks away (February 22nd)! Though each of us may observe the season of Lent a little differently, most of us find that it is a great opportunity to refocus our heart on the basics of our relationship with Christ and remember again His last days as we look to the Cross, the Tomb and Resurrection morning. These daily readings are simple with each one connecting to a single verse and small story. Together they lead step-by-step to the miracle of Easter morning, and my prayer is that you will be touched and changed, and that the good news of the resurrection of Jesus will bring the hope of Christ to your heart. Since it sometimes helps to write down in our own words what God has done in our lives, at the end of this book is included a short journaling section. This gives a space where you can put down in your own handwriting, how God has worked the miracle of faith and the love for Jesus in your life. Your story can be both a reminder for yourself as well as a legacy you can share with those closest to you. For me, Easter is special because that is the day in 1972, when I gave my heart to Jesus Christ. I call it, “My Easter Miracle.” But my experience was only possible because Jesus suffered for me, He willingly gave His own life so that a selfish young man could be forgiven and saved. I had spent my time pursuing pleasures and running away from responsibilities, and yet Jesus came. He saw me and loved me so much that He died and then broke through the power of death to walk out of the grave on Easter morning. How grateful and amazed I am each time I remember His story again!

This year’s devotional book is broken into six sections, each of approximately one week. The link provided below is for the large print edition (eBook is also available). The regular print will be available in a couple of days. Here in our local community, we use this large print edition as a part of our nursing home outreach each Easter. The residents love seeing that it is specially for them in a print size that is easy to read. So, whether you choose to purchase a copy for yourself or not, please pray that our outreach will be effective in touching the lives of the residents who come to our services. They are looking for hope, and encouragement at one of the loneliest times of their lives. God bless you and let me know if you have any questions about either the book or our nursing home ministry.