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He Bore the Sins of Many

And he will divide the spoil with the strong.

Rejoice
in

the Lord:

Vashawn Mitchell- You Reign (Lyrics)

Grace and peace to you!

Lent is a season with special emphasis on the sacrifice our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ made for us. Many of us observe this time with fasting and other spiritual disciplines to foster greater reflection on the life, ministry, suffering, death and resurrection of our Messiah. As a result, we often become more aware of our sins and shortcomings and experience a greater depth of repentance in our lives. The good news is that when we confess our sins, the Lord is faithful to forgive! The even greater Good News is found in the sub-title of this devotional: He Has Bore the Sins of Many.

Who would believe such a fantastic tale...yet our God did. In coming down from God's throne in glory, embodying this flesh, sharing in our human condition, suffering and dying for our sins, and giving the grave its defeat, Jesus Christ, the Lord our God, has saved us from our sins! Hallelujah! God is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving...and the setting aside of this time to reflect on what God has done for us out of the abundance of God's amazing love.

This devotional is centered around the prophecy of the coming Messiah found in Isaiah 53. Each Sunday, with the exception of Easter, you will read through this entire chapter. While this may seem repetitive (and it is), my prayer is that you will find yourself immersed in what our Savior did to save us. All the other days, you will read through the Letters and Gospel written by John.

I pray that you will use this devotional guide to help you reflect and to draw nearer to God during this season when so many distractions vie for our attention. Each day is divided into seven segments. You will be given a song (which may be found on youtube.com), a Scripture passage, and a reflective thought within each devotion. The rest comes from your own prayerful reflection and the Holy Spirit. You may complete this time in 10 minutes or an hour-it's up to you! At the end of this email, you will find a summary of what each segment means and intends to accomplish. If you have further questions, feel free to contact me directly.

In Christ,

Min. Cheryl

Reach for the goal to win the prize:

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Remove the garbage:

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Reflect:

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Renew your Spirit: John 18

Respond:

Take a moment to note what God has now revealed to you.

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Receive God's love: The Lord is my King.

Rejoice in the Lord:

Begin your devotional time in prayer and worship. Say a prayer to ask the Holy Spirit to enter your heart and mind with insight and revelation. You will be given a song, but if God puts another song on your heart, feel free to move in the Spirit!

Reach for the goal to win the prize:

Before moving on, note what you want or need God to do in your life. This might be to deepen your relationship with God, a new job, restored relationships or to develop more generosity or patience. Whatever you're looking for from God or with God, record it here. We know, of course, that the Lord is the ultimate prize!

Remove the garbage:

We can be so distracted in our busy lives that it's important to remember that God should be our priority every day. Setting aside time to do this devotional is a step in the right direction, but we also need to confess what keeps us from reaching that goal we just named above. List that here. It may be as short as one word or as long as a paragraph.

Reflect:

Take a moment to note what God has already revealed to you.

Renew your Spirit:

You will be given a Scripture passage for further reflection.

Respond:

Take a moment to note what God has now revealed to you.

Receive God's love:

You will be given a reflective thought to end your devotional time. There is also space available to record a reassurance of God's Love that you have heard in your devotional time.

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