Journeying With Jesus - 40 Days Lent DevotionalSample

I can picture the scene. In fact, most of us can see it vividly as the Last Supper is an oft-repeated piece of art in many Christian homes. The men in the painting have beards and wine goblets and wear robes. One of them looks more malevolent than the others. Of course, the mean one is none other than Judas.

Jesus shared that last meal with his betrayer. He gave Judas every opportunity to repent. In fact, Jesus called out his sin without sugar-coating anything. But Judas remained hard hearted and unrepentant. He sidestepped conviction with the words, “Surely, you don’t mean me Rabbi?”

Judas refused to acknowledge his sin. He refused to allow conviction to penetrate through the layers of prideful self-preservation.

Maybe we don’t willfully betray God, but we persist in some sinful patterns? Do we allow conviction of sin to break us?

Bringing It Home

What’s God convicting me about? In which areas of my life am I making excuses and not allowing his voice of conviction to change me?

Lean In

Heavenly Father, Show me areas where my sin is habitual, where it has gone unnoticed because of years of making excuses. Give me the power to change. Give me a heart that’s soft and pliable and open to your conviction. Amen