Ash Wednesday

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Scripture Joel 2:12-13

12  “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,

          “return to me with all your heart,

       with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;

13        and rend your hearts and not your garments.”

       Return to the Lord your God,

for he is gracious and merciful,

       slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;

and he relents over disaster. [1]



Devotion

            Today being Ash Wednesday signals the beginning of the Christian season of Lent. A season of fasting and repentance. Two things that are in short supply in this world. We would rather laugh and feast than weep and fast. Our sins, however, demand weeping and mourning.

            We who are complicit in the sins of the age. We show a disregard for the law of the Lord. We sneer as we break the commandments. Saying God does not see he does not stop us from our sinning. We laugh and celebrate as we sin against God.

            Yet God says he will be merciful and relent from punishing us for our sin if we will simply acknowledge them before our God. If we will but repent and truly begin to love our God with all our heart, mind, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves, God will forgive us our sins and restore our spiritual and physical health.

            Millions of Christians around the world will take the ashes on the forehead this day.  As a sign of their willingness to repent and seek after God. I pray that this year the desire will turn into reality. Millions will truly “rend their hearts” and seek after the face of our Lord. That through this season we will be humbled before God. We will mourn for our sins and cry out to God that we might receive mercy.

            The liturgy of the ashes used for the imposition of ashes on this day includes the words “from dust you were made to dust you shall return” is a humbling reminder of the fragility of life. May we face this truth head on today and weep as we face the greatness of a God who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love for his frail children of dust. Willing that none should perish but that all be raised to eternal life.



Prayer:

            Father forgive us our sins this day as we come before you in fasting and repentance. We forsake our sins this day and return to you. Give us your strength as we seek to be loyal to you above all others. May our repentance be true and lasting this year. May this Lent be a time of self-examination and return to you. May we truly offer up worship and praise that is acceptable in your sight. To God be all the glory. May God’s children of dust worship the one who breathes life into all people. Amen.


[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Joe 2:12–13.

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