“Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”
Joel 2:13
Dear Friends in Christ,
The Church season of Lent started on Ash Wednesday and takes us through the next 40 days up until Easter Sunday. Easter is the major celebration of the Church. Without it there is really no reason for Christianity to exist. St. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15 that if Christ is not raised from the dead our faith is futile. But Christ was raised, and He is alive and that makes all the difference in the world. Because Christ rose from the dead, we know that what He said is true, and that is, He is God. Because He is risen from the dead , His death for our sins is true and we are forgiven. He conquered sin and death, and we have been given forgiveness of sins and everlasting life.
But are we living like that is true? Are we too busy to spend time with God? In His word? In prayer? In service to Him and His Church? Lent is a time to think about these things, and if necessary, make a course correction. Sometimes it’s an attitude adjustment we need. Sometimes it’s something we need to start doing or something we need to stop doing. Lent is a time to ask for God’s help with those things and make the necessary changes and adjustments.
The prophet Joel issued a warning and sounded the alarm that the people had gotten off track spiritually, again, just like we do. The natural disaster that got their attention was a plague of locusts. There is no shortage of disasters and tragedies in our world either that should be getting our attention. Joel’s message was to pay attention and make changes before a worse crisis occurs that has eternal consequences.
We stand in awe of God, creator of heaven and earth. How foolish it is to try to live without Him, or try to hide from Him, and even worse, to disobey Him. Yet God’s grace and mercy is always there for us. God always offers forgiveness and hope. Remember God is sovereign. The future is in God’s hands, and so are you. The Holy Spirit confirms the Father’s love for us.
May this season of Lent be a time of spiritual renewal and growth for you. And may God richly bless you as we journey towards Easter once more.
Pastor Dan