A month from today, the church begins the season of Lent, a penitential season where we prepare our hearts to walk with Jesus to the cross, follow him to his death and resurrection. Lent is a 40-day journey, beginning on March 5 and ending at Easter on April 20.
Forty day spans are important in the Bible. I write in the Beyond the Darkness Devotional:
“Noah grieved for forty days as he watched the world he’d known slip away beneath the floodwaters. Israel grieved for forty years in the desert as they wondered what their future might hold. None of these grief journeys ended when their ‘forties’ were up. Nevertheless, a quiet transformation occurred in every instance. Each person experienced a reorienting, a strengthening, and a sustaining that empowered them to face what God had next for them.”
This audio selection from the Beyond the Darkness Devotional begins a 40-day journey through the Old Testament, highlighting the presence of God in our grief. If you’re looking for a resource to accompany you through Lent this year, I encourage you to pick up a copy of the devotional. Each day offers:
an Old Testament meditation with accompanying Scripture,
a prayer to guide your heart,
and a practical grief work exercise to help you put into practice God’s truth for that day.
The message of Easter is that God delights to bring life from death, that there is nothing and no one beyond his mercy and gracious love. As you see Lent approaching, I hope you’ll find this little book a gentle companion as your journey ever closer to the heart of the gospel.
Exciting News: I’ve Got a New Book!
I’m thrilled to share with you my new children’s picture book, Hope Comes to Stay, releasing May 8! Here’s a video introduction to this special story that’s so close to my heart.
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