Happy Ash Wednesday! Today, we step into the sacred season of Lent—a 40-day journey that stretches from the ashes on our foreheads to the empty tomb of Easter Sunday on April 20, 2025.
Lent is a time of reflection, repentance, and preparation, and I’m happy to share this journey with you through my new 40-day prayer journal, Daily Steps with God, and my Lenten devotions on my new Substack. You can find the prayer journal by clicking this link! It’s free on my Gumroad shop.
Today, as we begin, I want to start on Day 1 of the Lenten devotions—repentance. Repentance might sound like a heavy way to start, but it’s the first step to joy. It’s not only a somber duty or burden. Read on to learn what it means, why it matters, and how it sets us up for a transformative Lent.
A Call to Turn Back
The Bible verse for today is Joel 2:12-13 NKJV, which says, “’Now, therefore,’ says the Lord, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’ So rend your heart and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm.”
These words hit like a gentle thunderclap. God isn’t only asking for a quick “I’m sorry, Lord.” He’s inviting us into something deeper. He’s saying, “Come back to Me.”
In Joel’s time, God’s people had drifted away from Him. They chased idols and ignored His voice. The prophet’s call came amid looming judgment, yet it wasn’t scolding. It was a plea wrapped in hope and love. “Even now,” He says—despite the mess, despite the distance—there’s a way back. That’s where Lent starts for us, too. Ash Wednesday reminds us of our mortality (“dust you are, and to dust you shall return,” Genesis 3:19). But it’s not the end of the story. It’s the beginning of a return—a turn toward a God who’s ready to meet us where we are with His grace and mercy.
Rending Our Hearts, Not Just our Garments
In today’s study on my Substack, you’ll find a question that asks, “What does it mean to ‘rend your heart’ instead of just ‘rend your garment’?” In ancient Israel, tearing your clothes was a public sign of grief or repentance. But God tells Joel’s people—and us—that He’s not impressed with outward shows. He wants our hearts broken open before Him as we repent.
In Psalm 51:17 NKJV, David writes, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.” After his sinning with Bathsheba, David didn’t just put on a sad face—he poured out his soul. He begged God to “create in me a clean heart” (Psalm 51:10). That’s rending your heart—letting Go see the raw, messy truth and trusting Him to heal it. Repentance isn’t about beating ourselves up; it’s about breaking open our hearts so God’s light can flood in.
Contrast that with the Pharisees Jesus called out in Matthew 23:27-28 NKJV: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are all like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleaness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are fully of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” They were all about the externals—perfect prayers, long robes—but their hearts were far from God.
Lent’s not a performance; it’s a heart-shirt. What’s one area you’ve been “rending your garments”—putting on a good face—when God’s asking for your heart?
The Joy of Returning
Here’s where the joy comes in: repentance isn’t a dead end—it’s a doorway. Joel 2:12 doesn’t stop at “return to me.” It keeps going: “for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” This isn’t a God who’s waiting to punish; it’s a Father who’s running to meet us, like the prodigal son’s father in Luke 15:20: “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” That’s the heart of Ash Wednesday—we have a Father who longs to meet us where we are, and for us to return to Him.
Exodus 34:6-7 NKJV echoes Joel, “And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and sin…” This is who we’re running to—a God whose character is mercy, whose default is love. Each time we turn back, we see a glimpse of God’s response. Repentance isn’t drudgery—it’s the first step to joy because it brings us home.
A Lenten Invitation
So, what does this mean for our 40 days of Lent? In our Substack Lenten devotions, another of Day 1’s questions is, “What is one specific area of your life where you need to seek God’s forgivness and make a change during Lent? How has His grace already begun to meet you there?” Remember, it’s not about perfection; it’s about progress, one step at a time toward Easter.
Scripture backs this up. James 4:8-10 NKJV says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” Repentance is humbling—but it’s followed by exaltation, by joy. And 2 Corinthians 7:10 NKJV adds, “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” Lent’s “weeping and mourning” isn’t wallowing—it’s a godly sorry that leads to change and new life. Every tear we shed over our sin is met with God’s smile, every turn back with His embrace.
Practical Steps for Lent
Repentance isn’t just a feeling—it’s action. Here are three ways to live out Joel 2:12-13 this Lent, supported by God’s Word:
Fast with purpose: Joel mentions fasting—it’s a Lenten practice for a reason. Jesus fasted 40 days (Matthew 4:2), not to punish Himself, but to draw near to God. Choose something to give up—social media, sweets, that expensive coffee habit—and let it remind you to turn to our Lord. When you have the urge to slip, pray about it and He will be faithful and help you through.
Pray honestly: Psalm 139:23-24 NKJV says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Use Lent to talk to God about what’s really going on inside. Write it down if that helps—you can use the Grace and Mercy prayer journal for this.
Act on it: Repentance brings about change. If you’re seeking forgiveness for anger, apologize to someone you’ve hurt. If it’s selfishness, share something this week—time, money, a kind word. Matthew 3:8 NKJV says, “Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance.” God’s grace meets us when we take action to come back to Him.
I've created a free Lenten prayer journal--Daily Steps with God--which you can find on my Gumroad shop! It's free and easy to use. I made it to go with my new Substack for Lent! This is a newsletter that's free--you sign up and receive a new devotion in your inbox, which includes a Bible verse, a short devotion, and reflection questions for each day through Lent (except Sundays).
The Road to Easter
Lent’s 40 days mirror Jesus’ time in the wilderness—testing, yes, but leading to triumph. Hebrews 12:2 NKJV tells us, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Every step of repentance we take is a step toward that joy—the joy of Easter, where grace wins. The Daily Steps with God devotion on Substack is here to help us day-by-day, taking us from ashes to glory.
So, what’s your first step this Lent? What’s God calling you to turn from, and how has His grace already met you there? Drop a comment—I’d love to pray for you as we start this together. Let’s take this journey with hope, knowing that every turn back to God is a turn toward joy. Happy Lent, and here’s looking forward to Easter’s promise!
God bless,
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