2017 Belmont University Lenten Devotional GuideSample

When I read Psalm 32, I feel very much connected to the journey that the psalmist is spiritually navigating. As a student, I often try to manage my future with my own desires, expectations and hopes. In some way, everyone can relate to this writer whose strength has become dried up and whose doubts, troubles and mistakes have become very heavy. In admitting our sins and difficulties to God, we are greeted with acceptance and forgiveness. It is written, “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover in my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” Following this confession, the psalmist feels relief, security and strength from the Lord. When we acknowledge our inability to control our lives, we find that a steadfast love surrounds us and gives us comfort and peace.

In Exodus, we learn about the nature of the God that reaches back to us. When God enters the scene with Moses, the whole dynamic changes. “A God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” This is a God who wants to journey with us through our difficulties and accept us in the reality of our flaws. He is powerful despite our failed expectations and inherent flaws; the Lord our God has mercy and grace on us, love and faithfulness for us. God knows that we will become weary but gives us His word and promises to lean on when we find ourselves bound by the heartache of the world. Matthew 18 offers a beautiful image of God’s joyful and welcoming nature. Spiritual highs and lows may cause us to feel like the sheep that falls away. When we do have these moments of uncertainty, God doesn’t reprimand us but instead welcomes us back with joy and acceptance. God rejoices when we choose to acknowledge our flaws and put our trust in Him. Through our heartaches, mistakes and disappointments, God is there to greet us in prayer and walk with us through the journey.

MARY BARBER
Sophomore
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major