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.

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.

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 we patiently wait to reside within our Eternal Home in the heavenly realm with Christ, we must hold firmly to His joy which is within us and surrounds us no matter what is going on, because the dark misery of this world will stop at nothing to try to extinguish the hopeful Light of Christ within each one of us.

“Either the day must come when joy prevails and all the makers of misery are no longer able to infect it; or else forever and ever the makers of misery can destroy in others the happiness they reject for themselves”
(C.S. Lewis; The Great Divorce)

In today’s psalm, David comes to the Lord in prayer and he gives his entire life to the Lord, so he gives his: soul (mind, will, emotions), body, heart, and spirit. He relinquished his own strength and placed his trust in God. When David did this he was surrounded by pagan nations, and so he knew that in order to remain faithful to the Lord that he could not trust or turn to anyone except the Lord, because He was the only One Who would guide David on the right path, others, who did not know God, would seek to steer him away from God.

You and I are in the exact same situation as David. We are surrounded by a pagan world that is seeking to deceive us so that the Satan can work to extinguish the Light of Christ within us. This realization is not something to fear, Paul teaches us about that within the next passage of today’s devotion, rather we are to remain joyful because we belong to Jesus, Who is the only One Who saves us and offers us His unfailing love.

Psalm 25:1-7 (NLT)

A psalm of David.
1 O Lord, I give my life to you.
2 I trust in you, my God!
Do not let me be disgraced,
or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.
3 No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,
but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.

4 Show me the right path, O Lord;
point out the road for me to follow.
5 Lead me by your truth and teach me,
for you are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in you.
6 Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love,
which you have shown from long ages past.
7 Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth.
Remember me in the light of your unfailing love,
for you are merciful, O Lord.

Paul tells us to do exactly what David did, we are to be led by the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit); and in order for the Spirit to have His reign within us, we must give all of ourself fully over to God. If we do not give our entire self to God we leave openings for Satan.

Paul goes on to talk about how our suffering now is nothing compared to our future glory. The closer we find ourselves to Jesus, the more we begin to see how He reveals to us those things that are from Him and those things that are of this world. The Holy Spirit guides us with a spirit of discernment to be able to spiritual know what is Truth and to follow it, it also guides us away from that which is not Truth.

Personal Story: My family traveled last week to celebrate my daughter’s accomplishment of being the valedictorian for her 2023 high school class. Although we had a beautiful time, there were so many moments that I found myself praying, more than normal, for the people around me. We were in a “big city” and although some people might think I’m being “dramatic” I felt the Holy Spirit continuously pulling on me to spiritually see what was happening around me. There were so many people hustling, and not just those who were working hard, but many who were attempting to work over one another. I witnessed a woman distraught after being pickpocket. I saw so much substance usage and heartbreaking homeless in freezing weather. People struggled to smile and to simply connect to one another. I’m not saying all of this is because I was in a “big city”, I’m saying this because the joy of the Lord in you and me (the Light of Christ) must prevail, because Satan’s misery can absolutely destroy in others the happiness they reject for themselves…and that “happiness” they reject is Jesus into their hearts. Friends, our Light of Christ MUST shine brighter than ever before, in big cities, small cities, our communities, our centers of influence, and in our own homes. PEOPLE NEED JESUS! if they aren’t exposed to Him than we aren’t doing what He commissioned us to do! If they reject Him, love them anyway, so a seed is planted that can one day serve as a reminder of Jesus’s unfailing love for them!

Romans 8:14-25 (NLT)

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

The Future Glory

18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

Prayer: Jesus, we need Your help. Please guide us to be the ambassadors that You call us to be for Your Kingdom. Allow Your Light to shine brightly through us to expose the darkness of this world so that You can bring hearts to You! Help keep us filled with Your joy and to preserve through the things of this world that are painful, because they are temporal, but our future glory with You is eternal in our real Home, thank You for that Truthful reality. 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.

God is calling us into perfection by renewing us and making us like Christ.

“Why is God so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very absent a help in time of trouble?” (C.S. Lewis/A Grief Observed)

In this passage, David is writing this psalm to give praise to the one true God and reminding us that He is the one who does the saving. People would turn to the things of the world for saving. Needless to say that those things would only provide temporary satisfaction. It will only last for a short amount of time. The life with Jesus will last for eternity. In Matthew 10:32-33, Jesus says that if you acknowledge me before others, I will acknowledge you before my Father who is in heaven. If you deny me before others, I will deny you before my Father who is in heaven. Willie Robertson, star of the show Duck Dynasty, says that stuff is temporary, but Jesus is eternal. He will take care of our enemies so that they are not a problem to us. While I am not saying that those enemies will go away forever, He will take care of them as long as we are tuned into His word and His direction.

Psalm 68:17-21 (NLT)

17. Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots, the Lord came from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary. 18. When you ascended to the heights, you led a crowd of captives. You received gifts from the people, even from those who rebelled against you. Now the Lord God will live among us there. 19. Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms. 20. Our God is a God who saves! The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death. 21. But God will smash the heads of his enemies, crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways.”

In this passage, Jesus offers a prayer of thanksgiving. During this prayer, He talks about we should turn to Him to find rest. As we go about living our lives, I believe that we would get to the point where we are on the verge of being burned out. In other words, we take our foot off of the gas pedal and start to wind down. When this happens, we would have the mentality to start giving up. I want to challenge you by saying this: rest, but don’t quit. When we are physically exhausted or tired, we would sleep in our beds. When we are spiritually exhausted or tired, we need to turn to God for our source of comfort and rest. As stated in the previous paragraph, we would turn to worldly things (alcohol, drugs, pornography, etc.). We need to turn to God, especially when we feel like quitting. Remember to rest, not quit.

Matthew 11:25-30 (NLT)

25. At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. 26. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! 27. “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 28. Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that we, as Your children, will be tuned in to what You say and not the world. I pray that we would take the time to rest, but not to quit. I pray that we would be reminded of this every single day. We cannot quit, especially when it comes to kingdom work. Lord, I pray that You will continue to fuel us every day with Your love, grace, wisdom, understanding, and mercy. In Jesus’s 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.

Creator God is intrinsically good; therefore, his instructions or commands are good and it should be humanity’s delight to yield to this Creator in obedience.

“Human will becomes truly creative and truly our own when it is wholly God’s, and this is one of the many senses in which he that loses his soul shall find it.”
(C.S. Lewis; The Problem of Pain)

Because God is good, he will never ask us to do something that is not also intrinsically good. Our role as the created is to obediently yield to the Creator and it should be a joyous response for us since God is so good; but is it? Self-surrender and a return to God’s ways of righteousness is never “easy” for a human being unless we have made loving and pleasing God with our whole lives our primary goal. In our passage from the Psalter, today, David sings about the goodness of God to rescue and protect him from people who seek to maliciously slander him in order to create conflict in his soul (war). David proclaims God as Creator, so the response of his will is to seek God’s mercy, goodness, and deliverance to thwart the plans of evil being formed against him. Evil will arise, but like David let’s yield to God with our wills because God is greater and more powerful than anything evil tries to do. God has mysterious plans to save the lives of his children from evil.
Psalm 140:1-8 NLT A psalm of David.
1 
O Lord, rescue me from evil people.
    Protect me from those who are violent,
2 
those who plot evil in their hearts
    and stir up trouble all day long.
3 
Their tongues sting like a snake;
    the venom of a viper drips from their lips. Interlude
4 
O Lord, keep me out of the hands of the wicked.
    Protect me from those who are violent,
    for they are plotting against me.
5 
The proud have set a trap to catch me;
    they have stretched out a net;
    they have placed traps all along the way. Interlude
6 
I said to the Lord, “You are my God!”
    Listen, O Lord, to my cries for mercy!
7 
O Sovereign Lord, the strong one who rescued me,
    you protected me on the day of battle.
8 
Lord, do not let evil people have their way.
    Do not let their evil schemes succeed,
    or they will become proud. Interlude

We see God’s plan for salvation manifest in the life and anointing of Christ who defeats evil. In our New Testament passage today, Paul is writing to the church at Colosse about the Laodicean church [a few miles away]. Paul wants the two churches to come together in God’s love to grow stronger in their faith in Christ’s salvation and deliverance. Paul knows heresy is trying to rise up to rob God’s people of genuine faith; he reminds them about the deception of evil. When we accept Christ into our hearts and lives, we are just beginning the journey of new life and faith in God’s goodness to save us from evil. Every day we must choose to follow Christ knowing God is intrinsically good in his plans for us. If we are not careful to follow Christ and allow the Word to revive our souls each day, we may find ourselves becoming more like the lukewarm Laodiceans than like Jesus (Rev 3:14-22).

Colossians 2:2-6 NLT
2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. 5 For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.

Freedom from Rules and New Life in Christ
6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for rescuing us from evil as we obediently stay in that safe dwelling place in Christ. We understand not everything that happens in our lives is good. Sometimes we just have to choose how we will respond when evil tries to rob our joy. Holy Spirit, help us yield to the Father’s plan for our lives each day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.