Lent: Embracing Grace
Beholding Christ, Journeying to the Cross, and a FREE Resource!!
This post is FREE to all my subscribers! But for less than the price of a good cappuccino, you not only get unlimited access to all my posts unavailable anywhere else, but also access to my poetry, special access to personal and insider updates and occasional FREE resources, all while supporting my work!
With the start of Lent just over one week away, I am thrilled to share a special Lent resource I crafted just for my subscribers, so be sure to read until the end to find out how to get yours!
Lent: Embracing Grace in the Ashes
Anticipating Ash Wednesday as the traditional first day of Lent, I pondered the significance of ashes. I stumbled across an explanation enlightening my understanding: the vertical beam of the cross drawn first on the forehead symbolized “I”, all of my willfulness. The second, horizontal beam making the cross, symbolizes the humility necessary to bow before the Cross, accepting the grace poured out through Christ’s blood. Ash Wednesday then, portrays Lent as embracing Grace in the ashes.
The illustration of the drawing of the Cross fits well inside the understanding of the ashes of Ash Wednesday representing grief, repentance and humility. Repentance for our rebellious, sinful hearts choosing our own way apart from God.
Grief over our hopelessness apart from God’s intervention coupled with the realization of the price demanded as payment for sin.
The concept of wearing ashes, covers us in the humility necessary for confession and awareness of our lives as a gift from God, which one day will return to the dust. All leading us to acceptance of the free gift of grace purchased by the blood of Christ.
Lent prepares us for grace
The word “lent” comes from an Old English word meaning, “lenthen” and often refers to the season of spring. The glorious time of the earth awakening from its winter slumber; the days growing longer as light lengthens.
Just as Advent calls us to prepare for the birth of the Messiah, Lent invites us to prepare for Easter Sunday’s celebration. For with the resurrection of Jesus, heaven’s floodgates poured out a torrent of divine grace upon God’s people.
But before the celebration of resurrection victory, we must visit Golgotha where an equal torrent of divine wrath for our sin poured down upon the Lamb of God in our stead.
Embracing grace in the ashes of sin, therefore moves us toward repentance, reflection and remembrance. And in so doing, God creates a personal Exodus for us from a life of bondage to sinful habits to the only true Promised Land of freedom in his Grace.
Lent offers a spiritual health assessment
Whether your religious beliefs include a formal observance of Lent or like me, you choose redeeming the forty days of Lent as a way of growing closer to God, Lent offers a unique experience.
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 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
At the very minimum, Lent offers a time for a spiritual health assessment. Faced with the truth of our failure in loving God with our whole hearts, and others created in his image, the reality of sin pierces deep.
Sadly, our hearts grow tolerant of sin, and indifferent to holiness through lack of diligence in spiritual disciplines, leading us back into the bondage of sin. Lent provides the perfect season for confronting casual attitudes toward sin and holiness, through introspection and dedicated prayer.
Confronting our wandering hearts and neglectful attitudes, moves us from lingering on the fringe of relationship to the embrace of deeper intimacy.
And now, I am so excited to offer my “Beholding the Lamb Lenten Resource”!!
Every PAID Subscriber will receive this FREE Resource as a digital download suitable for printing on February 28th, in time for the start of Lent. I will mail out the private link on Friday, February 28th for all of my PAID subscribers to access this newly revised devotional.
If you are not yet a PAID subscriber, upgrade to a PAID subscription by Friday, February 28th, and you will also receive this well-crafted devotional available only to PAID Substack subscribers.
As a PAID subscriber you receive full lifetime access to all of my published Substack articles, unavailable anywhere else, access to my poetry, special insider updates, and FREE Resources like this one, all for less than the price of a good cappuccino, monthly or save even more with a yearly subscription.
I am continually adding to the value of my PAID subscription option, as a thank you to all who are able to support my work and ministry. But I value ALL of my subscribers and understand not everyone can afford a PAID subscription.
If you are unable to support me at this time with a PAID subscription, I have a FREE Resource for you too! My original “Behold the Lamb” devotional with 40 names of Jesus in devotional form with scripture and journal prompts, is available for a limited time in my Blog Resource Library available to every single subscriber. While it does not include the new material, it is an outstanding resource for Lent!
You can access the FREE version of this devotional HERE, remember, the password is “serenity”.
Again, if you are a PAID subscriber, or become one by Friday, February 28th, I will be emailing you separately with a private link for the NEW devotional pictured above on February 28th, so look for my email then!
Finally…
Catch up at the blog:
Why I Said Farewell to Personal Development- Read HERE.
