Is Lent Even Meaningful for You? — Vaneetha Risner
For years, I did nothing special for Lent. Good Friday would arrive, and I’d feel a twinge of guilt, realizing I’d paid almost no attention to the season or the cross. Over time, though, I discovered that even small, intentional steps—like reading a devotional or memorizing a key Bible passage—could shift my perspective. Now Lent has become a meaningful season, and every year I appreciate this time to reflect even more.
I have two favorite Lenten devotionals—Journey to the Cross by Paul David Tripp and Trusting God in the Wilderness by Ted Wueste—that I alternate each year. Both help me confront truths I’d often rather ignore. Tripp’s devotional exposes my sin and need for salvation, pulling back the curtain on my tendency to underestimate my brokenness. Wueste’s devotional invites me to see God’s presence in suffering and to embrace my dependence on Him.
Here’s an excerpt from each devotional that I hope will encourage you in this season.
A Reminder of Our Brokenness: Journey to the Cross
Day 9
I was irritated with my wife, Luella. I should’ve responded to her in a way that was patient and kind, but in my irritation, I said things to her that I should never have said. I was negative, picky, and self-righteous, and then I was silent. She was surprised and hurt. She was driving. I didn’t look at her. The car was filled with a horribly uncomfortable silence. It was as if the oxygen had been sucked out of the air. I was silent, but my mind wasn’t. In my mind a big finger of blame pointed at her. “The whole situation is her fault,” I told myself. “If she hadn’t done that, then I wouldn’t have gotten angry,” I reasoned. “I’ve talked to her about this before, but she never listens. Maybe she heard me this time. Maybe after this talk, things will be different. She needs to say something; she needs to say she’s sorry.”
You’ve been in similar situations. So let’s unpack it together. When your conscience bothers you, there are only two ways to ease it. You can point the finger of blame at yourself, confess your sin, rest in the forgiving grace of Jesus, cry out for his empowering help, and then seek the forgiveness of the person you sinned against. Or you can point the finger of blame at the other person, denying your own responsibility and convincing yourself that he not only wronged you but that he is the cause of any wrong you did. And as you do this, your sense of offense grows, and because it does, your anger grows, as does your belief that this person simply needs to change.…
One of the most significant aspects of the deceitfulness of sin is our ability to swindle ourselves into thinking that we are seldom at fault.… When you convince yourself that your sin is not so sinful after all, you also convince yourself that you don’t need God’s amazing, rescuing, forgiving, and transforming grace.
Think back to the last disagreement you had with someone close to you. Where did you point the finger of blame? When you were able to calm down and assess the situation rightly, were you able to identify any part you played in the conflict?
This excerpt reminds me how easy it is to justify my own wrongs by blaming someone else. At times, I’ve found myself rationalizing hurtful words or silent resentment. Tripp’s challenge is a wake-up call: until I see my own sin, I won’t see my need for grace. Lent helps me slow down and face those places I’ve dismissed or minimized. When I do that, I’m more willing to confess, seek forgiveness, and trust the Holy Spirit’s power to change me.
Encountering God in Suffering: Trusting God in the Wilderness
Introduction
It is in dry, desolate, lonely places that the Father does some of his best work. It is in those places where our souls become dry and thirsty that we are unwilling to settle for clichés and easy answers. The stripping and unmasking of the desert are so good for our souls. If we desire God, the wilderness is where transformation occurs.
Day 7
God had demonstrated His provision in delivering [His people] from bondage in Egypt and now they were having a difficult time appreciating His provision of manna. This manna from heaven was not enough. It failed to live up to their expectations. We often find ourselves having a hard time seeing the provision, and instead we compare it with our previous provision, or our expectations of what life would be like.
On a foundational level, God always provides what is truly needed to live a life of dependence. Let that sink in for a moment. He gives us what we truly need to live a life of dependence. How often do our ideas of provisions have more to do with living in such a way that we are independent and self-sufficient as opposed to vulnerable or dependent upon God?
What can subtly creep into our lives is a kind of transactional theology. God, I’ll do this (fasting, prayer, service) so that I’ll get that (my ideas of the good life). It’s a transaction. God never promises this kind of relationship. What He promises is himself, and our invitation is to move toward trust and dependence.
It starts with wrestling with what we really believe and then it progresses as we actually wrestle with God. We can hold all the right “beliefs” and never see those beliefs worked out in the reality of our experience. How do we wrestle with God? Quite simply, in prayer.
Perhaps our prayers might sound like this…God, I want to trust You, but I don’t. Lord, these other desires feel stronger and more powerful than my desire for you… Jesus help me… Give me eyes to see Your provision.
Wueste’s words always resonate with me. Sometimes, I run from the wilderness seasons, hoping to bypass the pain or emptiness. But in that stark landscape, I’ve discovered the beauty of a dependence that has transformed me.
The Heart of the Gospel: Titus 3:4–7
This Lent, I’m also reviewing and re-memorizing one of my favorite gospel passages—Titus 3:4–7—because it so clearly encapsulates God’s redeeming work and the roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
In these few verses, I see God’s goodness and mercy as the source of our salvation, Christ’s sacrifice that sets us free, and the Holy Spirit’s renewing power. Together, they point us to our hope of eternal life and assure us that we stand justified by grace. This passage beautifully explains the gospel and the work of the Trinity.
Making Lent Meaningful
Lent invites us to honestly face our weaknesses and discover God’s sustaining mercy. If a devotional appeals to you, it’s not too late—we’re only one-third of the way through the season. Or maybe memorize a passage like Titus 3:4–7, which clearly communicates the gospel, preparing you to share it with someone who might need encouragement. You might simply carve out intentional time each day for reflection and prayer or perhaps take a bold step to share the gospel with someone you’ve never talked to about Jesus before. However you choose to engage, I pray this Lent draws you deeper into Christ’s love and a greater dependence on Him.
