Devotionals

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

If we do not welcome and receive the God-Life to inhabit and sustain us, we will die spiritually, because the absence of God’s presence who is Life is death.

“The miracle is an acted parable, a symbol of God’s sentence on all that is fruitless’ and specially, no doubt, on the official Judaism of that age.” (CS Lewis; Miracles)

Adversity can truly cause God’s people to doubt his faithfulness; but, through all the pain and struggle, we can find God’s presence and protection still abounding. Faith must refocus our attention on the goodness of God that goes before us to take that which is wicked and cause it to serve God’s purpose of producing the fruit of righteousness in his people. The spiritual fruit God’s people were to produce would allow them to be a blessing to the nations.

In our passage from the Psalter, today, David highlights the mighty deeds of God to bring Israel to the Promised Land; a promise God made to Abraham. Therefore, God used every challenge as a way to reveal his great love for them as the chosen. God was sharing a miraculous realm that existed beyond Israel’s ability to see and understand. The miraculous blessing from heaven would continue if God’s people would follow and obey the Lord.

Psalm 105:23-45 NLT
23 Then Israel arrived in Egypt;    Jacob lived as a foreigner in the land of Ham.
24 
And the Lord multiplied the people of Israel    until they became too mighty for their enemies.
25 
Then he turned the Egyptians against the Israelites,    and they plotted against the Lord’s servants.
26 
But the Lord sent his servant Moses,    along with Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 
They performed miraculous signs among the Egyptians,    and wonders in the land of Ham.
28 
The Lord blanketed Egypt in darkness,    for they had defied his commands to let his people go.
29 
He turned their water into blood,    poisoning all the fish.
30 
Then frogs overran the land    and even invaded the king’s bedrooms.
31 
When the Lord spoke, flies descended on the Egyptians,    and gnats swarmed across Egypt.
32 
He sent them hail instead of rain,    and lightning flashed over the land.
33 
He ruined their grapevines and fig trees    and shattered all the trees.
34 
He spoke, and hordes of locusts came—    young locusts beyond number.
35 
They ate up everything green in the land,    destroying all the crops in their fields.
36 
Then he killed the oldest son in each Egyptian home,    the pride and joy of each family.
37 
The Lord brought his people out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold;    and not one among the tribes of Israel even stumbled.
38 
Egypt was glad when they were gone,    for they feared them greatly.
39 
The Lord spread a cloud above them as a covering    and gave them a great fire to light the darkness.
40 
They asked for meat, and he sent them quail;    he satisfied their hunger with manna—bread from heaven.
41 
He split open a rock, and water gushed out    to form a river through the dry wasteland.
42 
For he remembered his sacred promise    to his servant Abraham.
43 
So he brought his people out of Egypt with joy,    his chosen ones with rejoicing.
44 
He gave his people the lands of pagan nations,    and they harvested crops that others had planted.
45 
All this happened so they would follow his decrees    and obey his instructions.
Praise the Lord!

In our passage from the gospel of Matthew, Jesus responds to the unbelief of the religious leaders by using the praise of children as an example from Scripture. The Pharisees did not connect the Old Testament passage from Psalm 8:2 with the praise of the children before them. Israel’s leadership was barren and fruitless; therefore, the people did not have knowledgeable spiritual guides. When Jesus curses the fig tree, it is an example of God’s judgment on Israel for rejecting the Messiah. They had religious leaves, but were fruitless; a form of godliness but their hearts were far from accepting Messiah. Jesus reminds his disciples they must pray and trust God to produce the miraculous fruit of eternal life.

Matthew 21:16-22 NLT Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
16 They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”
“Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’” 17 Then he returned to Bethany, where he stayed overnight.

18 In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, 19 and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.

20 The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”

21 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. 22 You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”

Prayer: Lord, please continue to produce righteous fruit within the lives of your people, so we can be a blessing and spiritually feed those around us. We want to be vibrant with your life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

Our soul depends on our desire or appetite for Jesus!

“All Christians know something the Jews did not know about what it ‘cost to redeem their souls.’
(C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms)

Psalm 25 is titled, “A psalm of David” and it is a wonderful expression of David’s heart for the Lord. In these verses we see David’s spiritual appetite for God. He knows that his soul is dependent on the Lord. “David is pictured in this Psalm as in a faithful miniature. His holy trust, his many conflicts, his great transgressions, his bitter repentance, and his deep distresses are all here; so that we see the very heart of ‘the man after God’s own heart.’” (Charles Spurgeon)

David helps us to understand that God is all loving, merciful, and faithful to those who humble themselves to except His teaching. We must remember that God’s teachings always include correction, instruction, and guidance for our highest and spiritual best. Even when it doesn’t feel like it or when it doesn’t feel good, God is focused on the best for our spiritual path. David tells us that God is a friend to those who fear Him. Pastor Mary teaches often on the fear of the Lord. It is a place of reverence that can only be experienced by those who have salvation in Christ; for “the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned”. (1 Corinthians 2:14)

Friends, in verse 22 we see David’s great concern for the souls of all of God’s people, not just for himself. As believers we must keep our eyes fixated on God and love Him with our entire self, and then we must love our neighbor as ourself. It is in this selfless place we allow God to guide our souls (our minds, wills and emotions) to do what is best through us for His Kingdom.

Psalm 25:8-22 (NLT)

8 The Lord is good and does what is right;
he shows the proper path to those who go astray.

9 He leads the humble in doing right,
teaching them his way.

10 The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.

11 For the honor of your name, O Lord,
forgive my many, many sins.

12 Who are those who fear the Lord?
He will show them the path they should choose.

13 They will live in prosperity,
and their children will inherit the land.

14 The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.
He teaches them his covenant.

15 My eyes are always on the Lord,
for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies.

16 Turn to me and have mercy,
for I am alone and in deep distress.

17 My problems go from bad to worse.
Oh, save me from them all!

18 Feel my pain and see my trouble.
Forgive all my sins.

19 See how many enemies I have
and how viciously they hate me!

20 Protect me! Rescue my life from them!
Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge.

21 May integrity and honesty protect me,
for I put my hope in you.

22 O God, ransom Israel
from all its troubles.

It is important to know that all four Gospels teach “Jesus Clears the Temple” (Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48, & John 2:13-16 (this passage is similar, but it is thought to be the clearing of the temple courts). If this lesson is contained in all four Gospels, I think we can all agree that it is something we not only need to know, but that we need to understand and live by it. There are so many lessons within this teaching, but for today we are going to focus on what Jesus is teaching about our salvation and our soul and please note how it directly connects back to David’s message from Psalm 25.

When you and I welcomed Jesus into our lives, we welcomed Him into our hearts and scripture tells us that His sole purpose is to cleanse us and to make us a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). Prior to that welcome, our soul belonged to this world, but after our souls belonged to Jesus and we became a part of His Temple. God’s Temple is holy (and the Temple is Jesus), so now you and I are a part of that Temple, and we need to be seeking holiness or seeking to be more and more like Jesus (1 Cor 3:16-17). Our souls need to be under the minute-by-minute guidance of the Holy Spirit.

In today’s passage when Jesus cleared the Temple, he was clearing out the sellers and the buyers. Keep in mind these transactions were all taking place in a house of prayer to God (to Jesus, Himself). It wasn’t a marketplace for sales (which aligns with this world), it was a house of prayer (a holy place)! There was a clear spiritual battle going on between the earthly realm and the heavenly realm. The sellers were selling animals for approximately 20x the typical cost, and the buyers were there to either purchase or to witness, and either way, Jesus viewed them as one in spirit with the sellers, and not One in Spirit with Him (they too were defiling the Temple…their own souls).

Friends, the company we keep and what we do, say, think, feel, and believe is all tied to our soul…which needs to be either sold out for Jesus, or it is in direct company with this world which is run by Satan. It is that simple!

Luke 19:45-48 (NLT)
Jesus Clears the Temple

45 Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. 46 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”

47 After that, he taught daily in the Temple, but the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders of the people began planning how to kill him. 48 But they could think of nothing, because all the people hung on every word he said.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being in control of my soul. Holy Spirit, I need your minute-by-minute guidance for my soul. My mind, my will, and my emotions can grow weary, and so I need Your help. Please allow me to discern when I am wavering and to move back into alignment with You. I do not want the things or ways of this world. I want to be One with You, Jesus. I ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.
It is easier to approve of love as a principle; it is much harder to actually love God and others in the self-sacrificial ways of Christ.

“In Love, our temptation is to look eagerly for the minimum that will be accepted.”
(CS Lewis; The Weight of Glory)

Knowing the Lord will remain true to his character is where God’s covenant people must place their hope. Sometimes our pain cries out for the glorious One to come and rescue us; life brings so many challenges and we have no ability to rescue ourselves. We must learn to wait patiently for divine help knowing God will be faithful to his promises as our Savior.

In our passage from the Psalter today, David requests God’s attention based solely on the Lord’s love and grace for him. David takes a humble posture, asks for help, and prays for his inner person to be preserved and strengthened in God’s love, because David knows every adversity he faces in life is an occasion to trust divine Love. He is confident of divine love being extended to him, because David knows if God has all of him then he will have the abiding God.

Psalm 86:1-7 NLT A prayer of David.
1 
Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer;
    answer me, for I need your help.
2 
Protect me, for I am devoted to you.
    Save me, for I serve you and trust you.
    You are my God.
3 
Be merciful to me, O Lord,
    for I am calling on you constantly.
4 
Give me happiness, O Lord,
    for I give myself to you.
5 
O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive,
    so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.
6 
Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord;
    hear my urgent cry.
7 
I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble,
    and you will answer me.

Jesus brings a new covenant of love to every person who asks for salvation. In our passage from the gospel of Luke, today, Jesus is speaking with his disciples and he wants them to know how to carryout his work after his death. Evil inspired wicked men to plot the death of Jesus, but God took what the enemy meant for harm and used it to save humanity. As Jesus teaches the disciples about his sacrifice, he reminds them self-sacrifice is the way to eternal life. We must all carry our cross which is far more than just carrying a burden; we must be willing to die to ourselves. We cannot serve two masters: Christ AND our flesh. If Christ so loved us he willingly laid down his physical life to give us eternal life, then certainly we can lay down our fleshly desires in order to honor and live for him. Christ must increase; therefore, we must decrease.

Luke 9:20-26 NLT
20 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
Peter replied, “You are the Messiah sent from God!”

Jesus Predicts His Death
21 Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone who he was. 22 “The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.

Prayer: Lord, help us to make the righteous decision to lay down the demands of our flesh in exchange for your life and power. We have no desire to sit on the throne of our lives; that is your rightful place as our Savior. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

Although it may be tempting to exalt our selfish desires and expect life to revolve around us, we must guard ourselves against doing so, because that path will never lead us toward the character of Christ.

“The characteristic of lost souls is ‘their rejection of everything that is not simply themselves.” (CS Lewis; The Problem of Pain)

An exalted love of self is one of the key indicators of living in the ‘last days’ (2 Tim 3:1-2). In our passage from the Psalter today, the City of David was to be a holy place; however, it was filled with all kinds of internal issues of violence, abuse, destruction, and lies. God’s people also had external enemies who constantly threatened them.
God calls us to be a holy people being made in his image; filled with his love and goodness. It is our responsibility to live out of that holy place. Yet, we internally can hold on to some very sinful tendencies and when we do we certainly seek to justify them. We endure the evil that is external, because apart from Christ, we cannot control things in the world. Yet, we sometimes tolerate the intrusion of evil in our own souls. Evil wants entry into vulnerable hearts so it can gain a foothold of power.
In our passage from the Psalter, David is dealing with an adversary—enemy—who was once a friend. David is so broken about the situation, he turns to the Lord in prayer and asks for help. In this world we will face ‘frenemies’—a person who pretends to be a friend. We can either stress in these times or we can commit them to the Lord and ask Him to keep us safe.
Psalm 55:15-19 NLT
15
Let death stalk my enemies;
    let the grave swallow them alive,
    for evil makes its home within them.
16 
But I will call on God,
    and the Lord will rescue me.
17 
Morning, noon, and night
    I cry out in my distress,
    and the Lord hears my voice.
18 
He ransoms me and keeps me safe
    from the battle waged against me,
    though many still oppose me.
19 
God, who has ruled forever,
    will hear me and humble them. Interlude
For my enemies refuse to change their ways;
    they do not fear God.

Jesus is our True Friend and he understands our anguish in these situations; think about Judas and his betrayal. Christ brings so much Wisdom to us in how to handle life during distressing times. Therefore, we must grow in our knowledge of Christ and, in the power of the Spirit, learn to share his divine nature and qualities—which the greatest is LOVE. Do you have a desire to grow in the divine nature of Christ? If so, you have been chosen by God to be an example of grace and righteousness.

2 Peter 1:4-10 NLT
4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for choosing us to be tabernacles of your divine nature. Please continue to work your character out in us each day. We yield to your plan and purpose for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

Although it is important to find common ground when we are witnessing to unbelievers, it is equally important to protect ourselves from falling into the quicksand of spiritual compromise and false religion.

“The more we can imitate God…the more progress we shall make.”
(CS Lewis; God in the Dock)

Psalm 25:8-11 NLT
8
The Lord is good and does what is right;
    he shows the proper path to those who go astray.
9 
He leads the humble in doing right,
    teaching them his way.
10 
The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
    all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.
11 
For the honor of your name, O Lord,
    forgive my many, many sins.

Jude 1:20-24 NLT
20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

A Prayer of Praise
24 Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.
Please take time to read over our passages for today. I will be teaching on them and leading a discussion this evening during our Lenten Bible Study at 7PM. I hope you will plan to join us in person at Connect2Christ Church or online through our website as we explore the Scriptures together.

Prayer: Lord, please help us make wise decision as we seek to witness to others who may hold very different convictions for living. May we remain faithful to be made in your image of love. Holy Spirit, please help us to pray and receive Truth, so we are not pulled in different directions. Help us guard our hearts with diligence, because Satan is a liar and he is roaming this world looking to devour the faithful. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“You are certainly under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, or you wouldn’t have come where you now are.”
(C.S. Lewis; Love Expands)

King David wrote today’s psalm, and he wants us to consider the vast glory of God; and so, he places the world that God created on display for us to be reminded of His limitless glory.

Think for a moment, the same God that created the universe, day, night, sound, heaven, and the list goes on and on, created YOU & ME! So, when we sit in awe of His creation, we really should be in awe of ourselves as a strategic part of that same creation.

We cannot fully travel the path that God has for us until we fully realize that we are a part of His vast creation and strategic plan. “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:31)

Psalm 19:1-6 (NLT)

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.

2 Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.

3 They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.

4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.
God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.

5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.

6 The sun rises at one end of the heavens
and follows its course to the other end.
Nothing can hide from its heat.

Now that we are reminded of the infinite measure of God’s glory, how do we, as the Church, resonate His glory since it is clearly a part of our Family’s mission.

Think for a moment about when the Apostle Paul wrote today’s letter to the church in Ephesus, which was probably sometime between AD 60 to 100. The Church was growing, and the Light of Christ was being spread like fire by the Holy Spirit. Now think about your work for the Church. Do you aid in growing the Church, are you on fire for Jesus, and how often do you allow the work of the Holy Spirit to spread that fire for Christ through you? You might be thinking, well, I am not gifted the same way as Paul or the other Apostles, and that is fair…but, are you using your God given gifts as explosively as the Church did during the time that today’s letter was written?

Remember, YOU are a glorious creation, a one-of-a-kind masterpiece from the Master Himself, and within you are gifts He chose specifically for you to use to further grow our Family, and so those gifts need to be shared for the glory of God’s Kingdom. Never ever forget your value and open yourself up all of the time for the Holy Spirit to move through you.

Ephesians 4:7-13 (NLT)

7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say,

“When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people.”

9 Notice that it says, “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we cannot thank You enough for choosing to make us as a part of Your creation. Please forgive us, Father, when we do not consider our value in Your Kingdom. Help us to grow in our understanding of the specific plan that You have for each of us, and how it fits into Your vast plan for Your Church. Holy Spirit, please guide us to know our gifts and to be able to grow in using them for the greater good of God’s Kingdom. Also, help us to value the gifts in others and to work as One for the Family. We ask all of this in Your Holy and Glorious Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

Jesus is the Perfect Sacrifice, Shepherd, and Spirit who came from heaven to earth in order to reveal the Truth about Satan’s destructive nature of sin and God’s healing Gift of righteousness.

“You have described the downward journey well, but of the realm of light, have you no word? Nothing but that which all mankind have heard.” (CS Lewis; Poems)

In our passage from the Psalter, David shares a song that people even today continue to hold deeply in their hearts. The imagery of the Lord as our loving and caring Shepherd brings comfort for our weary souls [mind/will/emotions]. Only the Lord can bring genuine restoration for humanity. David served God as a shepherd of flocks and people, but he always knew it was the Lord who was the true Shepherd of the heart; the Shepherd of Truth. I have chosen to share this familiar passage from an unfamiliar translation, so we can bring a fresh listening ear to the Truth. God’s love is immeasurable and his grace more than sufficient for every need, so trust the Lord and invite the Spirit to fill your spiritual cup again and again.

Psalm 23:1-6 (VOICE)
1
The Eternal is my shepherd, He cares for me always.
2 
He provides me rest in rich, green fields
    beside streams of refreshing water.
    He soothes my fears;
3 
He makes me whole again,
    steering me off worn, hard paths
    to roads where truth and righteousness echo His name.
4 
Even in the unending shadows of death’s darkness,
    I am not overcome by fear.
Because You are with me in those dark moments,
    near with Your protection and guidance,
    I am comforted.
5 
You spread out a table before me,
    provisions in the midst of attack from my enemies;
You care for all my needs, anointing my head with soothing, fragrant oil,
    filling my cup again and again with Your grace.
6 
Certainly Your faithful protection and loving provision will pursue me
    where I go, always, everywhere.
I will always be with the Eternal,
    in Your house forever.

Jesus, the visible image of God, came from heaven to lay his life down in order to ransom us from slavery to sin. He now lives to Shepherd us into righteousness. No longer must we be bound by this world’s wicked ways against God, we can live to bring honor and glory to the Name above all names. To accept Christ’s forgiveness is to accept him as the High Priest [Holy One bringing Atonement for sin] and Shepherd [Holy One bringing Righteous Guidance]. We can now live as worshipers with clean consciences, free from the fear of death by the gift of eternal Life, and free from the power of sin. Let’s think about it this way, we are free to live for Jesus! We do not have to follow the world or our sinful flesh. Instead, we can chose to follow the Son who leads us into the promises of the Father.

Hebrews 9:11-15 NLT Christ Is the Perfect Sacrifice
11 So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come [or about to come]. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12 With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.
13 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds [dead works] so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 15 That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for putting everything for the world’s salvation into place. As well, we thank you for our salvation and liberty found only in Jesus our High Priest. We pray for the world to hear the Truth and receive salvation from your Righteous Hand. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

When you and I are waiting on God to rescue us from the challenges of life and the work of evil, let’s invite Christ to sustain and reward us, during the wait, in any way fit for his purpose.

“Once the feet are put right, all the rest of him will follow.”
(C.S. Lewis; The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe)

In the Psalter, salvation is viewed and presented as God reaching down to rescue his chosen people from an evil world; therefore, in the Book of Psalms salvation does not include the wicked who have no fear of the Lord. Salvation rescues the faithful, judges sinners, and renews God’s rule of righteousness.

In our passage today, David waits patiently for God to rescue him; therefore, David’s faithfulness is rewarded: 1) God raises David out of despair and fills him with hope [joy of Christ]; 2) God sets David’s feet on a solid foundation while he waits [Christ our Cornerstone]; 3) God brings peace and clarity to David’s mind [mind of Christ], and 4) God fills David’s mouth with praise [witness to Christ].

Psalm 40:1-5 NLT (VOICE) A Psalm of David
1
I waited a long time for the Eternal;
    He finally knelt down to hear me.
    He listened to my weak and whispered cry.
2 
He reached down and drew me
    from the deep, dark hole where I was stranded, mired in the muck and clay.
    With a gentle hand, He pulled me out
To set me down safely on a warm rock;
    He held me until I was steady enough to continue the journey again.
3 
As if that were not enough,
    because of Him my mind is clearing up.
Now I have a new song to sing—
    a song of praise to the One who saved me.
Because of what He’s done, many people will see
    and come to trust in the Eternal.
4 
Surely those who trust the Eternal—
    who don’t trust in proud, powerful people
Or in people who care little for reality, chasing false gods—
    surely they are happy, as I have become.
5 
You have done so many wonderful things,
    had so many tender thoughts toward us, Eternal my God,
    that go on and on, ever increasing.
Who can compare with You?

All of these rewards given to David foreshadow the Gift of salvation for the world found in Christ. In our passage today, Paul reminds us Christ—the Anointed One—and love for him must be the controlling force in the lives of believers. That means we seek to see things from Christ’s perspective and obey his instructions because we long for the genuine spiritual Life he alone can give.

Christ revives every repentant heart and restores us to our proper image. Transformation and change are essential to the joy of our salvation; so, the Anointed One speaks Life into our stoney hearts and obedience into our worldly perspectives. Christ’s love places our feet on the righteous path and pointed in the right direction for relationship with the Father.

II Corinthians 5:14-15 NLT
14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us [urges us on]. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life [Since one died for all, then all died]. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the salvation you offer, the choices you provide, and the rewards you bring to the faithful. You are so good! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

“Pitch your demands heaven-high and they’ll be met.” (C.S. Lewis; Poems)

Psalm 78:23-39
23
But he commanded the skies to open;
    he opened the doors of heaven.
24 
He rained down manna for them to eat;
    he gave them bread from heaven.
25 
They ate the food of angels!
    God gave them all they could hold.
26 
He released the east wind in the heavens
    and guided the south wind by his mighty power.
27 
He rained down meat as thick as dust—
    birds as plentiful as the sand on the seashore!
28 
He caused the birds to fall within their camp
    and all around their tents.
29 
The people ate their fill.
    He gave them what they craved.
30 
But before they satisfied their craving,
    while the meat was yet in their mouths,
31 
the anger of God rose against them,
    and he killed their strongest men.
    He struck down the finest of Israel’s young men.
32 
But in spite of this, the people kept sinning.
    Despite his wonders, they refused to trust him.
33 
So he ended their lives in failure,
    their years in terror.
34 
When God began killing them,
    they finally sought him.
    They repented and took God seriously.
35 
Then they remembered that God was their rock,
    that God Most High[a] was their redeemer.
36 
But all they gave him was lip service;
    they lied to him with their tongues.
37 
Their hearts were not loyal to him.
    They did not keep his covenant.
38 
Yet he was merciful and forgave their sins
    and did not destroy them all.
Many times he held back his anger
    and did not unleash his fury!
39 
For he remembered that they were merely mortal,
    gone like a breath of wind that never returns.

Revelation 3:19-22 NLT
19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.

20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.
22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

Please take time to read over our passages for today. I will be teaching on them and leading a discussion this evening during our Lenten Bible Study at 7PM. I hope you will plan to join us in person at Connect2Christ Church or online through our website as we explore the Scriptures together.

Prayer: Father, please help us gain a greater awareness of how deeply you love us and desire to commune with us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: During this Lenten season, every devotional will begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis (author and theologian), followed by two readings: 1) A passage from the Psalter and 2) a writing from one of the Old Testament prophets or New Testament authors. We will look at both passages as a whole through the fulfilling work and wisdom of Christ—Truth.

As believers, we need to see death as not only Satan’s unholy weapon against humanity, but as God’s holy weapon in Christ to conquer death and save those who call upon his name for eternal life.

“Christ shed tears at the grave of Lazarus and sweated blood in Gethsemane: the Life of Lives that was in Him detested this penal obscenity not less than we do, but more” (C.S. Lewis; Miracles)

Death is a difficult mystery for every human being to fully understand, explain, or face. The first response is fear. When humans are facing grave situations, nothing good seems to overshadow what is visible before us. Death appears larger than Life. In our passage from the Psalter, today, the psalmist praises God for responding to his cry as he faces a near-death experience. God allows this worshiper to be led into prayer, as well as experience being delivered from the cunning grip of death in order to reveal the power of divine Love and Life for humanity. Death may come to claim all natural creation; however, God calls humanity into a supernatural Life beyond the grave. Like the psalmist, humanity must pray and seek God’s mercy.

Psalm 116 NLT
1 
I love the Lord because he hears my voice
    and my prayer for mercy.
2 
Because he bends down to listen,
    I will pray as long as I have breath!
3 
Death wrapped its ropes around me;
    the terrors of the grave overtook me.
    I saw only trouble and sorrow.
4 
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
    “Please, Lord, save me!”
5 
How kind the Lord is! How good he is!
    So merciful, this God of ours!
6 
The Lord protects those of childlike faith;
    I was facing death, and he saved me.
7 
Let my soul be at rest again,
    for the Lord has been good to me.

This testimony for the psalmist reminds us of the permanent salvation put into place by our Savior—the Life of Lives—who leads us by faith as an example to follow. In our New Testament passage today, the author of Hebrews reminds us Christ went outside the existing religious system and laid down his sinless life on God’s holy altar—the Day of Atonement—and he paid the death penalty for humanity. The old covenant system of ongoing animal sacrifice for sin has been fulfilled and our sinless Messianic Lamb has called believers into Life eternal. Life forever awaits beyond the grave for those who identify with Christ the Righteous One. Unfortunately, death and suffering belong to those who identify with this sinful unrighteous world and choose to reject Christ. May we follow the Savior out into the world each day and tell others about the eternal Life beyond death our Christ has made available.

Hebrews 13:11-16 NLT 11 Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. 13 So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. 14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. 16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping your children put fear and death into perspective, today. Let us cast our gaze upon you the All-powerful Author of Life. Holy Spirit, help us to continually keep the Kingdom in view as we live in this temporary world. Empower our witness to the Truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.