Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. You may have noticed the lesser-known holiday, Valentine’s Day, coincided with the beginning of Lent this year. I’ve been joking with people that “Nothing says romance like a reminder of our finite nature!” (Admittedly, some find this funnier than others.)

One of the texts that we read in the service yesterday evening was Psalm 51. There are three particular verses in this Psalm that I just love. Listen to verses 10-12:

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.

Reflecting on this, I invite you to ask yourself these three questions.
1) Is there anything you need to confess for God to create a clean heart in you?
2) Where do you consistently feel the presence of God?
3) When was a moment when you realized the joy of your salvation?

Pray over these verses. Think on what needs to be confessed. Think on where you encounter God. Think on the moments of your salvation. May all of these draw you into a deeper relationship with Jesus this Lenten season.

God Bless,
Jeff Rogers