Lent: Week 3

FEBRUARY 25–MARCH 2

Fasting Suggestion: Social Media and Internet Use 

You know how much we love social media around here. Just kidding. We know it can be a helpful tool. But, this week, turn off your notifications, don’t click on that news story, and don’t read that blog. Instead, every time you long to go there, set down your phone, open your Bible and seek the Lord—by yourself or with your family or a friend! 

Verse to Memorize: Revelation 5:8

Devotional by Pastor Dave Zuleger 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.…Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.––Psalm 23:4, 6

If you feel like you’re walking through a valley without any vision of the other side right now––you’re not alone. There’s a reason Psalm 23 has been a balm for the soul of so many followers of Jesus throughout the centuries. When you feel alone, it is easy to fear. And when suffering whispers of the finiteness of life, missed opportunities, and the pain of dreams lost––it’s easy to forget Jesus. 

There’s a beautiful scene in The Chronicles of Narnia where one of the characters is walking up a hill through fog so dense they cannot see. As the fog clears, they realize they’ve been walking on a dangerous precipice very near death for a long time! But, they also realize Aslan has been walking with them even when they couldn’t see him and didn’t feel him near. 

Jesus is with you. He’s running after you with goodness and mercy, if you’ve trusted in him as Savior and Lord. There will be valleys on the way home, but he won’t leave and he will get you home. Take a moment to pray through Psalm 23. Suffering is the road to conquering for those in Christ. And it’s not a road we walk alone. Let this Psalm remind you of how real the presence of Jesus is every day of your life.