Thursday – February 19
Scripture: Joel 2:12–13; Matthew 6:1–6
“Return to me with all your heart.”
Return implies we have wandered. And
wander we do—not always dramatically, but subtly. We drift toward self-protection, distraction,
resentment, and spiritual numbness.
The prophet Joel calls not for performance but for authenticity: “Rend
your hearts and not your garments.” Jesus echoes this in the Sermon on the Mount. Pray, fast, and give—not to be seen, but to be
transformed.
Moderate religion is comfortable. Lent is not about comfort. It is about realignment, a re-ordering of our
lives.
To return to God is not to grovel, but simply to come home. It is to remember who we are: image-bearers
called to love mercy, do justice, and walk humbly. It is to remember that faith is not a badge we
wear but a life we live.
Perhaps the question for today is simple: What has quietly replaced God
at the center of my life? Achievement? Anxiety? Outrage? Security?
Returning is less about distance traveled and more about direction faced.
God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast
love. We do not return to a harsh
taskmaster, but to a reconciling Father, a welcoming Christ, a Spirit who
reshapes our longing into holy longing.
Reflection Questions:
- What subtle drift in my life
needs correction?
- Where have I confused religious
appearance with spiritual depth?
- What would wholehearted return
look like for me right now?
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