Our Cry of Repentance

Meditations for Ragamuffins

Ash Wednesday

February 14, 2024 

Our Cry of Repentance

Psalm 51:7- 10 - Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Today is Ash Wednesday and is the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is a 40-day season (not counting Sundays) before Easter marked by repentance, fasting, reflection, and ultimately celebration. The 40-day period represents Christ’s time of temptation in the wilderness, where he fasted and where Satan tempted him. The season of Lent calls us to set aside time for fasting and prayer to focus on Christ’s life, ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection.

Lent has been observed since apostolic times, though the practice was not formalized until the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. By the end of the fourth century, the 40-day period of Easter preparation known as Lent existed, and prayer and fasting constituted its primary spiritual exercises. I invite you to pray with me:

A Prayer for Lent

Heavenly Father, have mercy on us. We have fallen short of your glory and without your mercy and grace, we have no hope. Help us, by your Holy Spirit, to receive your conviction of our sin, and lead us to truly repent for our sin. As we journey through this Lenten season, we thank you for the words of Jesus, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Father, many of us will receive the mark of ashes today. Thank you that these ashes do not symbolize our ultimate reality. From dust, we were formed, but our bodies, our spirits, ourselves, await beautiful redemption and Your restoration of all things. Help us to long for the return of Jesus in final victory. Marantha, come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen. (1 Corinthians 16:22)

My Takeaway: The night is dark, but there is a Light which has overcome the darkness. He is the Light of the World - he will illuminate your pathway. Place your trust in him.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.