Day 1: Repent & Renewal
Scripture
Joel 2:12-13
“Yet, even now,” says Yahweh, “Turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. Tear your heart and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.”
Devotional Reading
Lent begins with the call to repentance on Ash Wednesday. In the book of Joel, the Lord urges His people to return to Him with sincere hearts. This is not a shallow outward act but a deep inner change.
Repentance is not just about feeling sorry for our sins, it’s about stepping away from sin and into the arms of a gracious God whose forgiveness lights the way to Easter’s joy. As we turn to Him, we’re already stepping into the light of His mercy, a foretaste of the celebration to come.
Just as God extended mercy to the people of Israel, He extends that same grace to us today, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Lent is an opportunity to examine our hearts, to recognize our need for God, and to repent so that we can experience His love and forgiveness.
Reflection Questions
What does it mean to “return to the Lord”? Is it simply a change of behavior or something deeper?
What does it mean to “rend your heart” instead of just “rend your garments”?
How does this differ from outward displays of repentance?
What is one specific area of your life where you need to seek God’s forgiveness and make a change during this Lenten season?
How has His grace already begun to meet you?
Be sure to download my Daily Steps with God Lenten prayer journal! It’s free in my Gumroad shop. It’s a simple PDF download that you can print out or use on a tablet. It’s compatible with GoodNotes and other PDF annotation apps.
Each devotion here matches a page in the journal, where you can write down prayers, thoughts, and more!
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