Lent is more than a season on the Church calendar. It’s a journey.
The road we take from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday is not an easy one. It is a path of preparation and testing, and as we travel, we are invited to set our faces toward the cross. But it is not a road without joy, for Jesus Himself travels with us, inviting us into a deeper relationship with Him and a richer experience of His kingdom.
In the book of Jeremiah, the stones are laid for the road to Calvary. Through the prophet the Lord first revealed the mystery of the new covenant. Jeremiah announced to Israel that God was going to do something new in this world, something that would unravel the knots of sin and death and bring us back to our Creator.
Through Jeremiah, the Lord promised, “I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin” (Jeremiah 31:34), and it was Jesus who gave these words their fulfillment. Holding up the cup at the Last Supper, He made the connection to the cross clear: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20).
The book of Jeremiah recounts the last days of Judah before the destruction of Jerusalem and the sorrow of the Babylonian exile. It is itself a picture of where our sins lead us apart from the grace of God. In this account, we see our own depravity. Though our sins may differ from those of our ancient counterparts, our hearts are just as prone to wander. And it is only when we see the depths of our own sin that we can see the glory of the cross for what it truly is. During Lent, we take time to reflect on Christ’s sacrifice, and we repent of our own sins that made the cross necessary in the first place.
There is also much to gain in getting to know Jeremiah, who stands apart as a faithful man among faithless people—persecuted, beaten, and left for dead because he spoke the words God gave him to speak. He suffered for the gospel long before there was a complete and proper gospel message to proclaim. His life is an arrow pointing to Jesus, who was also obedient despite the cost, and who recognized that God-given joy is worth more than anything this world has to offer.
This Lenten season, we will follow Jesus to the mount of crucifixion, but we will do so with Jeremiah as our guide and fellow disciple for the journey. “‘Look, the days are coming’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘when I will fulfill the good promise that I have spoken’” (Jeremiah 33:14). The cross proclaims this truth, and the empty tomb assures us that our hope is not in vain.
As the content director for She Reads Truth, He Reads Truth, and Kids Read Truth, John Greco has the best job in the world. He wakes up every morning hardly believing he actually gets paid to study Scripture and write about it. He is the author of three books, Gospel Here and Now: Your Life in the Story of God, Manger King: Meditations on Christmas and the Gospel of Hope, and Broken Vows: Divorce and the Goodness of God. John and his wife, Laurin, live south of Nashville, where they daily wrangle their three small boys and dream of someday being the ones who get to take all the naps.
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93 thoughts on "The Prophet and the Promise"
Thankful for Gods promise of a new, unbroken world! We do not deserve His forgiveness but He he is a forgiving God who showed us through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus that a better tomorrow is coming. May we learn to live like Jeremiah to be the arrows so many others can join us in the new promised world!
I love how yesterday’s reflection was on being empty and ready to receive and today is about being filled. Jesus is the bread of life. With such a hard year, it’s tempting to want to fill ourselves with distraction. I am grateful for Lent calling us back to spiritual food in Christ.
I love the idea of God creating new hearts within us and filling us with his Spirit. So thankful for that promise today.
Do this in remembrance of me – Christ within, mercies that are new everyday!
Day 2
Going through lent during a pandemic. May God be our guiding light through the darkness and may we be reminded that he is our joy even in times of despair.
May my life be an arrow that points to Jesus, be obedient despite the cost, and recognize that God-given joy is worth more than anything this world can offer me . This is how Jeremiah lived, May it be true of me too.
Only when we see our sin can we see the glory of the cross. This truly struck my heart tonight. There are times that I just beat myself up because I’ve fallen off the path. It’s uplifting to know that God still found us worthy, despite our inherent sinful nature, to send his Son to give his life for us. Wow! What an amazing love!
I started this study two days ago. Already drawn in and so blessed. Thankful for scripture and for SRT investing in time and energy to create this study for us!!
Such a timely word!
I will put my law within them, I will write it in their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be my people. Thank you Lord for this promise, may it be true for me today.
I’m just starting; so thankful to have a part in this study- to see my sin more clearly by Gods gracious spirit and truly rejoice in spirit and truth in Jesus my Savior.
Today’s lesson sounds so much like our days but thanks be to God there is hope and a new covenant that we can take and trust in to our journey. It’s our turn to make a difference in this world. This is our time to be the modern day prophets that God needs us to be. Bringing Hope to the world comes at a price. He paid a debt He did not owe and we owe a debt we cannot pay unless it’s with our own lives!
Praying for perspective this lenten season. It is so easy to get caught up in worldly agendas that I have lost sight of the one true agenda. God’s agenda. Praying that I make a habit of seeking him and his truths out.
Those Lamentations verses…convicting! Praying for our communities, countries and the world. So much despair and sin everywhere we turn. Thank you Lord for your provisions and protections!
I have never participated in lent before. If I’m being honest, I’ve always seen it as the day after Mardi Gras until Easter Sunday, and everything in between I’ve never thought much about. But I felt led this year that the in between was something I really needed. The first line of this devotional really stood out to me; that the season of lent is more than a holiday on a church calendar, or what I’ve always thought it be of giving up something. It’s a journey. A path to a better understanding of what Jesus did for us, and is still doing for us today.
I am the same way! I always thought of it as being the season to give up something. I’m looking forward to learning about this journey.
❤️❤️❤️
I have never been more ready for this journey. So need a true and fresh perspective of the cross, and my sin and humanity that led him there. How scandalous His grace. How beautiful.
I’ve just joined the community today and am looking forward to connecting with others around the world.
Like Jeremiah, I want my life to be an arrow pointing to Jesus. Thankful for this community to journey with during Lent!
I thought that was such a good picture as well!
I thought that was such a good visual reminder as well!! A great picture to kinda anchor our souls on.
Yes!!
Instead of giving something up, I’ve decided to take something in this Journey.
Me as well…Lord revive my heart.
I’m hopeful that this study and lent will bring me closer to God than ever before. I’m opening my bible. Digging into his words and praying to hear from him daily. Today is just the beginning but I need to remember gods promises are true. He always fills me with the right thing at the right time.
I look forward to seeing how the book of Jeremiah ties to our Lenten journey. I’ve never done anything so focused on Lent and I’m excited to see where this study will take me.
Our hope is not in vain.
As a first time annual subscriber, I love how the year started with Genesis and continues into Jeremiah for Lent. Reading Genesis first helped explain God’s covenants and now reading through Jeremiah you see his new covenant.
Welcome Hayley!
Finding this study overwhelming. I’m new to the bible and Christianity.
Hayley, ask your questions! Everyone here is helpful in explaining. I have learned so much from all these sisters.
Hi Hayley! Welcome to the family! This is overwhelming, absolutely! Here’s the good news, you won’t understand everything about the Bible and Christianity probably ever. There is always more to learn, always new ways to grow. Some of us have been on this journey for a long time, and we love that you’re here, and are putting in the daily time to learn and grow. So, gain what you can from each day’s reading, and just keep coming back. God is faithful, and He will meet you where you are. ❤️❤️❤️
Hayley – praying for you – whisper “God please help me understand and drive out anxiety”. He will hear your voice!
It gets easier in time… I was always very intimidated by scripture. I never feel like I “got it” and everyone else seemed too. But I have clung to this. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5. Ask for him to show you even one thing to take away. He’s faithful to do so!!! And…. lean in on these woman who have been in scripture awhile… God speaks through others I believe to help us u sees tabs scripture. Ultimately the Holy Spirit is at work in you and his word will do its job in you. Keep after it.
I’ve been a Christian my whole life and work for a church and I also find it a little overwheleming—don’t feel like you aren’t good enough! We’ll just take in as much as we can and ask God to help us grasp what He wants to show us!
Lent is a journey…Lord bring me back to You,—Your truth, Your way.
Repent-return-restore and be renewed.
DOROTHY HECIMOVICH So beautifully said !
“Lord, bring us back to yourself, so we may return”
This is my anthem for this Lenten season. I pray Lord that you soften my heart. Please open my ears so I am able to listen to your word and write your teachings on my heart. Amen.
So thankful for Jesus and a Father who loves us so. “ 21Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored!
Renew our days as of old—“
So ready for this season and to dive into Jeremiah.
Amen…powerful
Kristen, wow I can identify with what you are saying. Churchmouse, once again you have hit the nail on the head, Lent is all about looking over our sins, repentance and asking for forgiveness. That sounds like a great retreat. Amen Monica Sproul, Margaret Lindsey, and Kelcy Pryor. Praying for you Tricia C.
Asking for prayers for a friend of mine, her name is Rhonda, on the 16th she fell and hurt her back. The first time that she went to get checked out for it they told her she didn’t have any broken bones. Last night she called me and said she went to the emergency room for severe back pain and chest pain. The hospital re-x-rayed her back and found out she does have a fracture. I’m not sure where or how bad right now. Thanks.
Precious Lord! I’m going to focus on just my relationship with you from this day forward. Please help me and carry me through all that is in my way towards you. I love you and you alone XX You are my one true love XX I’m so sorry for straying away from you trusting people. All I seek is your Kingdom and your Glory. Help me take shelter under your wings and build me up to be stronger and more positive. You are the Rock on which I build myself and all my hopes and dreams. Your glorious Will be done Lord God! In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen. Amen.
I pray that I would be brought into a deeper relationship with Jesus during this season. I pray that he would reveal to me the sins I have in my heart and make me more like him.
I’m looking forward to this Lenten season with you sisters. I will admit, I’m struggling to get into His word like I used to. I’m not sure why. I pray that the Lord would soften my heart to see what He is showing me through this time.
Looking forward to this new start and praying the Lord uses it mightily in all our hearts
Kelcy, I wholeheartedly agree!
Jeremiah 31:34 spoke to me. What a glorious day would it be that you can talk to any neighbor and all of them know the Lord. It is also such a blessing to know the Lord doesn’t keep track of our sins. We repent and he forgives us and don’t keep track of it when we sin again. Love this study! So powerful, and so excited to see how Jeremiah reflects in with the lent season.
Praise God! Because He reigns He will remember us, restore us, renew us, forgive us, and raise us up on the last day through Jesus’ sacrifice for us.
I am also excited to take this season of lent journey with all of you. I have never observed lent fully before. Today’s reading was so lovely. I am so thankful for a loving God who’s plan (new covenant) is to forgive my sins and remember them no more. Jesus the Word in flesh, the bread of life and our beautiful example of dying to self. I’m praying for a new awakening in us that Jesus is our all in all. I press on to take hold of that for which also Christ took hold of me, for the unsurpassed greatness of knowing jesus
I also am excited to take this journey with you all. I never really observed lent fully. I’m so thankful for a loving God who’s new covenant is to forgive my sins and remember them no more. Jesus our bread of life and our example of dying to self.
May we all sit at the feet of our Jesus this season and know Him more closely, understand Him more fully and abide in Him and share Him more faithfully. This is my prayer for this Sisterhood. Know you are Loved Abundantly.
OUR hope is not in vain! Thank you Jesus! I listened to the podcast yesterday. I am looking forward to this Lent devotional with all of you. Please continue to pray for Nathan Lewis. His dad is the one posting with updates on CaringBridge.
Sally, I agree completely!
“…For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin.” (Jer. 31:34)
“Forgiven!”
Lord, may my life reflect You more each day of this Lent season and until Your return.
Amen!
Amen!
Shouldn’t this self reflection and soul searching followed by confession be done daily, not just once a year before Resurrection Sunday?
Absolutely. We need to do it daily! The reality is we don’t, hoping this study make it a habit!
I too am excited to journey through the scriptures and follow the life of both Jeremiah and Jesus this lent season. Having just started this daily study with SRT in January I must thank you ladies for the sister bond you all have I am excited to join and fellowship with all of you. Thank you Lord for your brokenness, bloodshed, and becoming the atonement on our behalf that we may walk in VICTORY daily through the new covenant!!!
Praying for you all today as we officially start the season tomorrow. May we all feel the depth of love Christ has for us and the weight of the sacrifice He gave for us. Much love!
❤️❤️❤️
Let Thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to Thee- help me Lord to abide in you. Your boundaries and discipline bring life. Help me Lord to lean in to all parts of you.
Rebecca and Jennifer, me three! Super excited about out journey❤️
I love the words restore… return… and renew. The Lord will do the work of restoring us and renewing us… I need to be in a constant state of returning…
The link for the show notes for this week’s podcast is not working. Is there a way to get a new link for the timeline resource? I have absolutely LOVED connecting the daily reading along with the podcast. It is such an engaging conversation that points us to Jesus and to being in the Word week after week.
Here you go! I found it by going to the menu > Podcast and it was the first link there. Looks like the broken link is missing the s in https.
https://shereadstruth.com/podcast/lent-looking-to-the-cross/
Welcome Jonelle, and bless you.
Angie, thank you so much for these words. They were an affirmation of almost the very words God spoke into my heart yesterday. “Humbly kneeling, open handed-palm up…” Exactly where God wants me.
I am so thankful for this sisterhood!
I just got back from Israel, where I got to take a tour of the City of David, the excavation site for the original city of Jerusalem, and it gave me fresh insight into the role poor Jeremiah played in warning the city, trying to convince them to repent and being imprisoned while the city was destroyed. His words echo with sorrow and urgency.
We get ourselves into such a mess sometimes. Poor decision making, damaged relationships. But God. He is able to turn hearts, make things right, redeem our brokenness.
Praying that God will help me see my own brokenness and need for repentance, to see my own deep need for Him this Lenten season. And to believe that He can, and He will.
I’ve never really “observed” lent. I’m diving in this year and I’m excited for the journey.
Me too!
Same here! ❤️
It’s my first time too!! Am so excited about
Same! And my husband is reading along too.
Today’s devotion brings to mind a retreat I attended several years ago. One afternoon we were encouraged to take time alone to honestly name our sin. No glossing over. No spinning. A little exaggeration in that story? It’s lying. Worrying? It’s the sin of unbelief. Sharing a little juicy gossip? It may be false witness and it may even be murder of a reputation. You get the idea. Conviction doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt doing this exercise. I saw how truly ugly even the “smallest” sin is. Repentance was all the deeper because of the honest identification of my sin. My need for a Savior was all the more recognizable. Knowing I had One made me all the more grateful. And isn’t that what Lent is all about?
Thanks for sharing this very convicting truth.
Yes! “It is only when we see the depths of our own sin that we can truly see the cross for what it is” – I loved that part of today’s devotional.
I often think about this and how incredibly hard it is to get through one day without sin. Thanks for the reminder Churchmouse that even one sharp tongued remark has consequences.
Remembering my depravity brings me to my knees. When I see myself as He sees me I’m shocked because o the worm am I! But HE- removes the stains and doesn’t hold it against me and remembers it no more. The HOPE of salvation is my free gift. Let me never take that for granted
Thank you for this comment. I have never done an exercise like this, but it makes sense why it would be helpful. I know I am constantly in need of God’s grace but probably even more so than I realize.
Thank you so much for sharing this exercise. I can see why and how powerful that will be and over this lent season I am going put into practice this exercise
Mom of Many – you are not wandering alone. Jesus, draw her even nearer. Carry her. Hold her. Give her rest.
Kathy, I prayed and am praying for your daughters interview. I understand.
I also commend you and your husband for the mature leadership you give your church. The young pastor and assistant pastor are blessed to have the gift of your experience. What a beautiful picture of truth; the kingdom of God uses the gifts of the young, (vibrant, energetic) and the older (wisdom and discernment, grace and mercy) separately and united. I see it on the posts every day from SRT as the younger and older women meet together, so to speak, and bring glory to God, growing, stretching, and encouraging each other in our faith. God has you and your husband, Kathy, at that church, working with the youth no less doing His kingdom work. My friend and her husband support the youth pastor at their church. They host dinners monthly in their home, they go on youth retreats, and they meet with smaller groups of students. They are empty-nesters. Unlike the youth pastor, who has a young family, they have the time and resources. My friend was questioning whether this was where she is best serving. She went on a retreat with the kiddos and God clearly showed her, she is exactly where He wants her. Be encouraged sister. I picture humbly kneeling, open handed-palm up, before the throne of God, thankful for where He has you, also always ready to step out in obedience. It is what we long for. He knows our hearts. We are His.
Oh, Angie! I cannot tell you the flood of peace that has come over me this morning reading these words. Thank you. They are such wonderful words of affirmation. “Humbly kneeling, open-handed-palm up, before the throne of God.” My prayer during this season of Lent. Praising God for this sisterhood.
Thank you, Lord
There were so many posts yesterday…a beautiful start to the Lenten readings. May God be praised.
I love Jeremiah 31: 31-34! It is such a powerful passage that foreshadows what Jesus does for us on the cross. I’m excited to continue with this study guide this Lent, and to see how Jeremiah ties in with this season.
Love
I am excited to see how the book of Jeremiah ties into the season of Lent and the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am also excited to be back studying with my favorite group of women.
Melissa Smith and Meagannee Childre, I too know how it feels to have lost a child. Heather Green, Madi Black, Kaitlyn Richter and Hannah, I am in your boat, I need to get back in with the Lord. Cassie Kendall I’m praying for you and your son and that you have patience to get through it because raising children is hard but if the Lord will be with you through it. Hailey Ware the Lord knows what you need. Liz Alexander God will listen and help you with your marriage. Mari V., Nate is in God’s hands. Abigail Tarpley you will see your dog when you go to be with God. Annie Sarno, Beth S. and Jessica Nicolas I am praying for you.
Dorothy! Thank you so much!
I do pray to see the depth of my own sin. I used to beat myself up for everything. Which wasn’t good. However, also taking sin lightly or doing the comparison game thinking I’m not as bad as someone else isn’t right either. Both can have roots in pride. We know pride can take us to a fall. It’s not easy to see the depth of my sin and how depraved I could be, but that’s what I need to see. Until I get how offensive my sin is to a Holy God, I don’t understand how much I need a Savior. I don’t see how precious His Sacrifice is. I heard that the more you love Jesus, the more you want to live a life pleasing to Him. Of course, we need the help of the Holy Spirit for this. I want to be aware of my sin, disgusted by it, repent from it, and never forget the price paid and how precious and how powerful the Blood of Jesus is.
I was reminded of this Scripture while reading: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:5-11 NIV
https://www.bible.com/111/php.2.5-11.niv
Amen and Amazing!