Lenten Devotional: March 30, 2023

by Rev. Bob Martin, Senior Pastor

If you stop and think about it, you are “on the way.” Whether you are busy with work or rushing your children around at all their extracurricular events, you discover pretty quickly that life seems to be on the move. Is it possible to be too busy and miss out on the opportunities God has in store for you? Perhaps. The bigger question, I think, is whether or not you will stop on your daily journey long enough to see the other things that are happening around you. In his final hours on earth, Jesus spoke on the subject of judgment and more specifically the “end times.” He said the Judge (Jesus) will separate the sheep from the goats (the good from the bad) as he spoke these words, “I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.” (Matthew 25:35-36) I find it interesting that as Jesus was heading to Jerusalem to die on the cross he stopped along his journey to assist others and to bring them hope and healing.

Action: As you survey your own journey in the days ahead, how will you stop or pause along the way to step away from your own needs and desires and help/bless someone else? What changes in your life/lifestyle will you make to spot those who are hungry, poor, sick or even in prison?