Pastor Mary Haley

Over my lifetime, I have been blessed with many wonderful family members and friends who have been there when I needed them most. These people have known my heart and have chosen to believe the best about me even when others did not. I am also aware that this has not been the experience for everyone reading this devotion. Some know the pain of standing alone. Yet there is a powerful message in both our Old Testament passage and in Christ’s living example about the power of standing alone.

In the book of Joshua, the Israelites had finally entered the Promised Land, but they still needed encouragement to leave behind their old patterns of idolatry. God does not want just a portion of our lives—He desires all of it. He calls us to exclusive devotion to Him. Each day we must choose whom we will serve. We cannot serve both God and the world. We must reject the idols around us and commit our lives fully to the will of God.

Joshua 24:15 (NLT) “But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.”

Our pure and loving Savior, Jesus, experienced a moment when even those closest to Him fell away. Surrounded by friends for much of His ministry, He found Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane facing the cross. In deep anguish He told His disciples, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38).

Soon an angry crowd approached. In that moment, the disciples who had promised they would never abandon Him fled into the darkness. What did Jesus do?

Even in the midst of overwhelming sorrow, He turned to prayer. He cried out to the Father: “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39).

Jesus chose obedience. He chose the Father’s will rather than His own comfort.
We also make choices every day. If we are wise, we will follow the example of Joshua and Jesus. We will choose this day to serve the Lord, trusting that His will—no matter how difficult in the moment—always leads to what is ultimately best for our lives.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us with a faithful love that never abandons us. Forgive us for the times we allow the distractions and idols of this world to compete for our hearts. Help us to choose you each day with renewed devotion. Give us the courage to follow your will even when the path is difficult. Like Joshua, may we declare with confidence that we and our households will serve the Lord. And like Jesus, may we surrender our desires to yours, trusting that your plan is always good. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Since John and I have moved back into our home following Hurricane Helene and the long process of house restoration, I have been walking our dog, Gracie, through the neighborhood. As we walk, I notice the condition of the homes around us. Some houses have been bulldozed and reduced to empty lots. Others sit in the slow and careful process of restoration. And still others appear abandoned—quiet, empty, and showing no signs of life. Those empty houses stir something in my heart.

As we make the Lenten journey with Jesus toward Jerusalem and the cross, I cannot help but think about His experience of abandonment. As He hung on the cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). Jesus understood what it meant to be forsaken. He felt it when many who once followed Him walked away. He felt it when His closest friends fell asleep in the garden of Gethsemane. He felt it when His disciples scattered in fear. And He felt it most deeply as He hung on the cross, bearing the weight of the world’s sin.

Perhaps you know that feeling. Maybe you have felt forsaken by family or friends. Maybe someone you trusted walked away when you needed them most. That kind of abandonment can lead to deep suffering and loneliness.

If so, take heart—Jesus understands. He knows the ache of being left behind. He knows the pain of human rejection. Yet even in that suffering, He never stopped making the journey the Father had called Him to make. He kept moving forward in obedience and love. When the burden grew heavy, He reached upward for strength—and the Father was always there.

Because of this, Jesus is not distant from our pain. He is acquainted with our suffering and present in our loneliness. When people around us fail us…When those we hoped would stay leave…When we feel forgotten or unseen…Jesus remains faithful.

Psalm 27:10 NLT The psalmist reminds us of this promise: “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.”

What a comforting truth. Even in the deepest moments of abandonment, we are never truly alone. The Lord draws near. He holds us close. He walks with us through the broken places and begins the work of restoration.

Just like the homes in our neighborhood that are slowly being rebuilt, God restores hearts that feel abandoned.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you know what it means to be forsaken and rejected. Thank you for understanding the pain we sometimes carry in our hearts. When we feel abandoned by others, remind us that you are near. Hold us close when we feel alone, and give us the strength to keep walking the path you have set before us. Restore the broken places in our hearts and fill us with the assurance of your abiding presence. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This past week, while unpacking boxes and trying to put things away in the house, I cannot tell you how many times I’ve said, “I’ve lost [fill in the blank] and I have no idea where it is! I just had it moments ago!” lol But did I really lose it? No. I simply set the object down somewhere in the house, walked away, and momentarily forgot where I placed it. The house is not lost. The item is not lost. I left it somewhere inside and moved on without it.

In the Gospel of Luke, we read that Mary and Joseph have made their annual journey to Jerusalem. After the Passover celebration, they began traveling back home to Nazareth. Jesus, now twelve years old, would have been traveling either with the group of men or the group of women. Each parent assumed He was with the other. At the end of the first day’s journey, when it was time to stop and rest, they realized something alarming—Jesus was not with either of them. Unknowingly, they had left Him behind in Jerusalem. They hurried back and found Him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening and asking questions—fully engaged in the things of His Father (Luke 2:42–49).

As we walk our Lenten journey toward Jerusalem, reflecting on the life and mission of Christ, this passage gently asks us a searching question: Are we traveling with Jesus, or have we unknowingly continued on without Him? Sometimes we say, “I feel like I’ve lost Jesus.” But Scripture reminds us that He is never the One who wanders off. He is always about the Father’s business. If distance has formed, it is not because Christ moved—it is because we stepped ahead, lagged behind, or insisted on our own direction. We have not lost Him. We have simply, for a moment, walked our own path.

Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT We are promised, 6 So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

He goes ahead of us.
He does not abandon us.
He does not get lost.

The invitation of Lent is not merely to remember Christ’s journey—but to realign our steps with His. To return, if necessary. To seek Him intentionally. To position ourselves again in the place where He is working, teaching, and fulfilling the Father’s will in and through us. So, let’s not assume we are walking with Him. Let us intentionally follow Him and his Word. Because when we stay close to Jesus, we are never truly lost.

Prayer: Father God, during this sacred Lenten journey, search our hearts. Reveal to us any place where we have unknowingly walked ahead of You or lagged behind. Forgive us for the times we have assumed Your presence without intentionally seeking Your direction. Lord Jesus, You are always about the Father’s business. Help us to be about it too. When we grow distracted, self-directed, or impatient, gently call us back. Give us humble hearts that are quick to return and willing to follow closely. Holy Spirit, align our steps with Christ. Teach us to walk in courage and confidence, trusting that You go before us and never abandon us. Strengthen us to choose Your will over our own and to remain faithful on the journey to the cross—and beyond it. We do not want to travel without You. Lead us, Lord. We will follow. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen

Each day, we make choices. We may choose from many options—sometimes too many—and those choices determine our outcomes. Thoughts, feelings, and actions are all choices. God, in His love, has given us free will, and depending on what we choose, our lives are formed and shaped. Through Book of Deuteronomy 30:19, the Lord declares, “I have set before you life and death… Now choose life.” We are given the sacred responsibility of choosing between spiritual life and spiritual death.

God also chooses—but His choices are always purposeful and redemptive. As Creator and Shepherd, He gathers His people and leads them into safe pasture. To accomplish salvation, the Father chose to send His Son, Jesus, into the world. Then He chose an ordinary man named Joseph to raise that Son.

Joseph was not a king, priest, or prophet. He was a carpenter. He never speaks a recorded word in Scripture, yet his life speaks volumes. He was righteous, obedient, and willing to trust God when circumstances made little sense. When faced with confusion, social pressure, and uncertainty, Joseph chose obedience over opinion, faith over fear, and surrender over self-protection. This quiet, faithful man played a vital role in bringing about our salvation.

We have been given the same gift of free will that Joseph had. God is still choosing ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary purposes through faithful obedience. The Apostle Paul reminds us in our Lenten lesson today:

Ordinary is the beginning of extraordinary in God’s hands.

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 NLT 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

Perhaps the world has made you feel insignificant. Perhaps you feel unseen, overlooked, or unqualified. But Heaven’s perspective is different. The same God who chose Joseph has chosen you. The world may not recognize your calling—but God deeply loves and cares for you. You have been chosen for His purposes.

Challenge: Today, choose life. Choose obedience. Choose surrender. And watch how God turns your ordinary faithfulness into something eternal.

Prayer: Lord, when the world makes us feel like we have nothing to offer or that we bring nothing of value to the table of life, remind us that this is a lie from the enemy. You chose to send Christ for us, and You choose to use ordinary people for extraordinary purposes. Help us to choose faithfulness and obedience like Joseph. Shape our thoughts, feelings, and actions according to Your will. May Christ in us stand out in the world today for Your honor and glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Salvation is a gift, but it is also an invitation into a lifelong journey with a loving and holy God. When we surrender to Christ, something astounding begins to happen within us. He fills us with His righteous Spirit, shapes within us a righteous heart, and renews our minds with His perspective. We are never the same again. The power of the flesh begins to lose its grip as we reach to grip the Hand of God!

When the angel visited Mary, her life was turned upside down. The promise of the virgin birth was not merely information—it was divine direction. She pondered these things. She wrestled with what she knew of Hebrew Scripture and what she was now experiencing. In her pondering, faith was formed. Revelation came forth to lead the way.

In Gospel of Luke 1:38, Mary declared, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” In that moment, she aligned her will with God’s will. She did not fully understand the cost, but she trusted the Lord of the promise. The journey would be filled with questions, but faith would bring the answers.

That is where transformation begins—when we say yes.

When we give our lives to Christ, we become servants of His purpose. Servanthood begins in the small, unseen places. It is faithfulness in the ordinary. It is obedience when no one notices. Yet the Lord of heaven sees and acknowledges His pleasure in our hearts.

Matthew 25:23: Jesus reminds us of the reward of staying the course, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”

Faithfulness leads to greater trust. Greater trust brings greater anointing. And greater anointing leads to deeper glory—not for ourselves, but for our Lord. Like Mary, we are invited to ponder, to believe, and to surrender. And when we do, Christ shapes us into servants who carry His presence into the world.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for helping us ponder the things that are dear to Your heart. We love You and desire to be faithful as Your servants. Teach us to say “yes” even when we do not fully understand Your plan. Strengthen us to trust You in the small assignments and unseen places. Help us be faithful with each task You give us. Empower us to do the difficult things You require, even when we feel weak. Fill us with Your righteous Spirit, renew our minds with Your truth, and shape our hearts to reflect Your will. Lead us to the joy of hearing, “Well done.” May our lives bring You glory and lead others to Your saving grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Signs are valuable. When we travel on the road, we depend on them. There are warning signs, directional signs, informational signs, and emergency signs. Each one helps guide us safely to our destination. Without signs, confusion and danger increase.

God also gives signs—not to entertain us, but to direct us. His signs help His human creation comprehend His will and follow the path He has set before us. Signs point the way to truth. Our faith is strengthened by the signs God provides.

In the Old Testament, we see covenant signs of God’s power and faithfulness:
The rainbow after the flood
The plagues of Egypt
The parting of the Red Sea
The pillar of cloud and fire
Gideon’s fleece
The staff that became a serpent

In the New Testament, we see signs revealing Jesus’ divinity:
Turning water into wine
Feeding the five thousand
Walking on water
Healing the blind man
Raising Lazarus from the dead

There are also symbolic and prophetic signs woven throughout Scripture: the Sabbath rest, the promise of a virgin birth, and the white robes of righteousness given to the redeemed.
In today’s passage, God uses the prophet Isaiah to speak truth to King Ahaz during a time of national instability around 735 BC. Judah was surrounded by enemies. Fear filled the political atmosphere. Instead of trusting God, Ahaz leaned toward foreign alliances and human strategies.

Fear always tempts us to reach for what looks strong in the natural. But God offered a sign—not of military might, but of divine presence.

Isaiah 7:14 NLT “All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”

Centuries later, Matthew reminds us that this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus (Matthew 1:22–23). The ultimate sign was not political rescue—it was incarnation. God did not merely send help; He came Himself.

When fear comes and tries to rule your heart, remember the sign.
When instability surrounds you, remember the sign.
When you are tempted to trust in human alliances instead of divine promises, remember the sign.

The virgin birth identifies Jesus as the God-Man. Fully God. Fully human. Immanuel—God with us.

Today you will see many signs competing for your attention—headlines, opinions, fears, cultural messages. But do not overlook the greatest sign ever given. The virgin birth makes identifying Him possible. The incarnation makes trusting Him reasonable. His presence makes perseverance possible.

God is not distant.
God is not indifferent.
God is with us.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for choosing to come and be made flesh. Because You took on flesh, You understand our struggles and know how to meet our needs. Help us trust the sign You have given—Jesus, our Immanuel. When fear rises, remind us You are near. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

As we continue our journey toward Jerusalem, we now pause in the Book of Isaiah. Written centuries before Christ’s birth, Isaiah’s words paint one of the clearest prophetic portraits of the coming Messiah. Though he lived long before Bethlehem, Isaiah saw by the Spirit what God would accomplish through His Son.

In Isaiah 53:3–6, we meet a Savior who is “despised and rejected… a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.” These verses do not present a conquering king on a throne, but a suffering servant on a cross. He carried our weaknesses. He bore our sorrows. He was pierced for our rebellion. The punishment that brought us peace fell upon Him.

What a sobering truth: “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.” Left to ourselves, we wander. We choose our own paths. We drift from the Shepherd’s voice. Yet instead of abandoning us, the Lord laid our sins upon Him.

I remember a picture hanging in my grandmother’s home—Jesus carrying a lamb across His shoulders. It beautifully reflected the heart of the Good Shepherd. Jesus spoke of leaving the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep. He does not merely point the way back; He carries us when we cannot find our way home.

The apostle Paul echoes Isaiah’s prophecy in Second Epistle to the Corinthians 5:21: Christ, who never sinned, became sin for us so that we could be made right with God. The sinless One took our place. The Holy One bore our guilt. The Shepherd became the Lamb.

Today, let this truth settle deeply in your heart: You are not rescued because you found your way back. You are rescued because He came after you. You are not forgiven because you earned it. You are forgiven because He carried your sin.

May we respond not with wandering, but with surrender.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You for being the Suffering Servant and the Good Shepherd. Thank You for carrying what I could not carry and paying what I could not pay. When I am prone to wander, lead me back. When I am weak, carry me. I surrender to Your loving leadership today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In Book of Psalms 24, David asks a question that reaches into every generation:
“Who may climb the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place?” His answer is clear—only those with clean hands and pure hearts.

That standard immediately reminds us of our need. As Book of Jeremiah 17:9 tells us, the heart can be deceitful. Left to ourselves, we cannot manufacture purity. We cannot force our way into God’s holy presence.

Yet David does not end with despair. Instead, he proclaims, “Lift up your heads, O gates… that the King of Glory may come in.” The only One worthy to ascend God’s holy hill is the King of Glory Himself. And through Christ, we are invited into what we could never earn.

Gates in Scripture represent access, authority, and protection. Today, the question is personal: Are the gates of our hearts open? Jesus does not break down doors—He knocks. He desires full access, not partial entry. When we open our hearts to Him, He cleanses, restores, and reigns.

Jesus said in Gospel of Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Purity is not perfection; it is surrender. It is inviting the King of Glory to sit on the throne of our lives and trusting Him to transform us from the inside out. Today, pause and ask:

What gate have I left closed?
What room of my heart needs to be opened to Him?
Let the King of Glory enter—and let Him rule.

Prayer: Lord, I open the gates of my heart to You. Cleanse my hands, purify my motives, and reign in every area of my life. Be the King of Glory in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In our Lenten reflection on Jesus, His sacrifice, and the transformed life we are invited to live, we turn our attention to the Book of Exodus. In chapter 12, we read of God’s people enslaved under Egyptian rule. Through ten plagues, God demonstrated His power over false gods and oppressive systems, preparing to deliver His covenant people from bondage. The final plague was the death of every firstborn in Egypt—a sobering reminder that sin carries a deadly consequence tracing back to Adam. Yet God made a way of mercy.

Each household was instructed to sacrifice a spotless lamb and apply its blood to the doorposts. When the Lord passed through the land, “the blood will be a sign for you… When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Book of Exodus12:13). Judgment would not fall where the blood was present.

This moment was not only deliverance—it was transformation. Captivity became the crucible of refinement. God was not merely rescuing slaves; He was forming a redeemed people who would live under His kingship.

We, too, live in a world marked by sin—systems shaped by pride, hearts inclined toward self-rule, and flesh that resists surrender. But into this darkness came the greater Lamb.
When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Gospel of John 1:29). Christ became the fulfillment of Passover—the spotless Lamb whose blood is not placed on wooden doorframes, but applied by faith to the doorposts of our hearts.

The blood of Jesus does not simply shield us from judgment; it cleanses us and brings us into fellowship and light. “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Because of the Lamb, we are no longer slaves to sin. We are no longer bound to bow to broken systems or to the demands of our unruly flesh. Refinement now comes through the Spirit. Freedom is no longer a distant promise—it is our present realm in Christ.
Lent reminds us: the blood has been applied. The Lamb has been slain. The door has been marked. Now we are invited to live as redeemed people.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the freedom we have in You. Thank You for delivering us from the dominion of evil and from the tyranny of sin. Thank You for the power of Christ’s blood that brings salvation, cleansing, and true freedom. Teach us to live in the light as redeemed sons and daughters, walking in the transformation You purchased for us.

When we read Scripture, we must commit to reading all of it—the Old Testament along with the New—and ask the Holy Spirit to weave it into one glorious picture for our spiritual understanding. In the Old Testament, God concealed many things about Himself, yet He still called His people to trust Him. In the New Testament, we encounter the transcendent God of love and grace who comes in humility to save a perishing world. Again, we are asked to trust Him.

If we do not read the whole story, we risk misunderstanding His heart and missing the fullness of His love. His thoughts and His ways are far higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8–9). We must remember, sin is what fractured humanity. It corrupted us and blinded us spiritually. God hates sin because it harms His children. So He comes—not to condemn us—but to save us from sin and clothe us in righteousness. He is our faithful Provider.

Fix your eyes on the true picture of God–him taking your place, dying your death, so you could live and walk in his life and strength.

Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)
“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”

Prayer: Lord, You are faithful to provide for us as Your children. We look to You to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we can ask or even imagine, because You are a God of pure love. Teach us to wait in faith and to trust in Your spiritual rewards. In Jesus’ name, Amen.