Lenten Devotional: February 21, 2026

by Rev. Elyse Nielsen

Lenten Feast

Read: Isaiah 25:6-9 NIV

On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

Yesterday, you learned about the Lenten fast. While Lent is traditionally a season of fasting and abstinence, Sundays are considered feast days because they celebrate the Resurrection. The forty days of Lent do not include Sundays, and these Sundays are meant to be treated as “little Easters.”

So lean into the joy. Embrace the richness of togetherness as a weekly reminder that Easter is coming.

Six days a week during Lent, feel the pinch of your fast. Let it remind you, in some small way, of what Christ experienced. Refrain from temptation. Lean on Christ. Allow the hunger, the space, or the absence to draw you closer to Him.

But on Sunday, take a break. Remember that Christ sacrificed Himself so we do not have to sacrifice our lives in despair, but instead become living sacrifices—lives fully surrendered and fully alive. We live this out in part by celebrating Holy Communion, practicing the ultimate joy of Easter, and affirming our new life in Christ.

Easter—our salvation—is coming! That is something to celebrate.

So yes—eat the ice cream. Enjoy the steak with bacon, sautéed onions, and mushrooms. Watch the guilty-pleasure show you gave up for Lent. Have the second glass of wine with your charcuterie and a friend. Splurge on the extra guacamole. Spend the extra time.

And perhaps add something new: a spiritual practice, a meaningful conversation, a moment of gratitude.

Lent is not meant to be only about reduction and abstinence. Those practices are vehicles—ways to clear space so that life-giving habits, deeper faith, and healthier boundaries can grow. Fasting makes room for feasting. Discipline prepares the heart for delight.

On Sundays, embrace the new life you have in Christ—a life that is lavish, enriched with deep relationships, overflowing with grace, and maybe… a few extra calories.

Friends, practice Lent fully: fasting, prayer, giving—and feasting.

Easter is coming.

Prayer:   Thank you, O Holy One, for little Easters and our true joy that comes from you. May we rejoice in our salvation through you and enjoy the good gifts you have given us along the way. Amen.