Lent Devotionals will resume tomorrow
after today’s Sabbath rest to reflect, refresh, and worship Him.

“For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:9-12)

Jesus had already told them during His earthly ministry, but they didn’t understand.  Jesus gently rebukes them in Luke 24:25 saying to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” 

They thought they’d understood what the Scriptures said,
after all, God speaks in plain language.  His prophets spoke for God to them, right?
The Word of God is infallible,
and they were expected to understand it as truth, right?  Where’s the disconnect?

Interpretations can be tricky things because it’s way too easy to layer our expectations upon what God would do (or should do) in a circumstance or even a WWJD (What Would Jesus Do). 

The two men on the Road to Emmaus were so entrenched in their own expectations about what the Scriptures said that they couldn’t see outside of the box of their own making…and that box is the reason they were sad, dejected, demoralized, and depressed.  Had they understood that their hopes were just slightly off, but in a really big way, they would have been rejoicing.  And that’s precisely the point Jesus is going to make!

Principle: Scripture is infallible; Interpretations are not.

Questions for further thought:

Why is it important to hold Scripture tightly but our interpretations loosely?

If Jesus’ first advent (His birth through His death/resurrection) was subject to a range of interpretations, why might His second advent (the Return of Christ) be susceptible to the same flaws of human misunderstanding?

What books of Scripture are most likely to be misinterpreted?  Why?

How does God correct our expectations?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit whom You promised will make all things known to us.  Open our eyes, Lord, to Your truth revealed as corrective to the blindness of our fixed expectations.  May we always be discerning so we will follow You in all our ways.  Amen.

===

Lent began Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025, and will continue until Resurrection Sunday, Easter (April 20, 2025). I hope you’ll join me and be prepared to have your eyes opened. I know mine have been in writing this series, “The Way it Had to Be.”

The author gratefully acknowledges Grok XI for assisting with this year’s pictures.
Technology can be amazing.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2025 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

“Seeing His Love with New Eyes” was the topic for 2024 and it explored looking at God’s love beyond the superficial and trite notions of love. They are archived beginning February 14, 2024.

Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.

A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 

Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 

ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.

Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.

Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.

Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.

Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.

The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.

Revelation in 40 devotionals for 2022 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.

“Created to Display His Image” explored what it truly means to be made in God’s Image and the profound significance of that fact. They are archived beginning February 22, 2023.

Sometimes, the most lasting truths come by way of reminder.  For example, the women who had come to the tomb and found it empty had been told (by the angels and Christ Himself) to REMIND the disciples (His brothers) of what He had previously told all of them.

He told them.  They didn’t get it.  Cue do-over.

Likewise, when the two men on the Road to Emmaus were listening to Jesus reveal Himself in the pages of Scripture…think about it: they weren’t being given new information.  By way of reminder, they were given both grounding and new context and a reminder to see the old information they already knew, but as foundation revealed in new ways.

Principle: Reminders identify importance.

Questions for further thought:

Think of a time when you needed a reminder of something.  It could be big or little.  What did a reminder do to your goal of accomplishing the task?

How does reminder differ from telling or teaching?  It’s often said that women are not supposed to teach men things based upon 1 Timothy 2:12. I hear that all the time. Even non-believers know that one.  Square that with the angels, and even Jesus Himself saying to report, remind, and remember. For example:

Matthew 28: 6 [Jesus] is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.  7 Then go quickly and tell Hs disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.’ Now I have told you….[But then], 9 “Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” He said. They came to Him, clasped Hs feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see Me”. (Matthew 28:6-10)

The parallel version is in Mark 16:6-7 and says, “just as He told you.'”

Luke’s Gospel reports “Luke 24:6 He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'”  8 Then they remembered His words.”

Prayer: Thank You, Father for the gift of memory, for the emphasis You place in Scripture over and again, to remember what You have done.  Help us to remember all You have spoken to us in Your Word and all You have done throughout history.  Help us to remember the Cross and to drive home the significance of that event in the scope of eternity. Be glorified in our lives and in our remembrance, Lord.  Amen.

===

Lent began Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025, and will continue until Resurrection Sunday, Easter (April 20, 2025). I hope you’ll join me and be prepared to have your eyes opened. I know mine have been in writing this series, “The Way it Had to Be.”

The author gratefully acknowledges Grok XI for assisting with this year’s pictures.
Technology can be amazing.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2025 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

“Seeing His Love with New Eyes” was the topic for 2024 and it explored looking at God’s love beyond the superficial and trite notions of love. They are archived beginning February 14, 2024.

Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.

A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 

Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 

ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.

Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.

Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.

Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.

Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.

The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.

Revelation in 40 devotionals for 2022 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.

“Created to Display His Image” explored what it truly means to be made in God’s Image and the profound significance of that fact. They are archived beginning February 22, 2023.

Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself. 

Two faithful Jewish men, walking home from the Passover feast, have a stranger join their conversation.  He treats them as neither apostates nor backsliders, but faithful men with whom He can reason.

Jesus takes the time to show them that He’s been in the Scriptures all along.

Moses and all the Prophets is shorthand for the Old Testament or the Jewish Tanakh (Torah, books of the Law—that’s Moses, Nevi’im—the writings of the Prophets, and the Ketuvim—the historical writings, the chronology of Israel and the “wisdom literature” Psalms, Proverbs, etc.).  By way of reminder, the New Testament had not been written yet which takes a fuller amount of time to display, by quotation, that Jesus has been in the Scriptures all along. The men on the Road to Emmaus didn’t have the New Testament. They had something better. They had the Living Word walking with them.

Principle: The Bible: It’s all about Him.

Questions for further thought:

In what way were the two men uniquely privileged to hear the basics of the New Testament from the lips of the Risen Lord?

Should there really be two testaments or are they actually connected in the eyes of God?

Why do some people treat the Old Testament as if it no longer applies?
Why do some people prefer a “New Testament God” of love and peace and diminish a holy Old Testament God of wrath?

Examine what these Scriptures (just as examples) say about Jesus:  Isaiah 40, Isaiah 55, Isaiah 61, Psalm 16, Psalm 110 and Psalm 118.

Prayer:

Thank You, Father, that You are the same yesterday, today and always.  You have not changed, and we humbly confess that we fail to see that Your holiness is precisely why humanity’s sin is so offensive that Jesus had to come to rescue us.  We praise You for Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us!  We love You, Lord.  We praise You.  Be glorified as we share You in Your fulness to a world for which Jesus died.  Amen.

===

Lent began Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025, and will continue until Resurrection Sunday, Easter (April 20, 2025). I hope you’ll join me and be prepared to have your eyes opened. I know mine have been in writing this series, “The Way it Had to Be.”

The author gratefully acknowledges Grok XI for assisting with this year’s pictures.
Technology can be amazing.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2025 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

“Seeing His Love with New Eyes” was the topic for 2024 and it explored looking at God’s love beyond the superficial and trite notions of love. They are archived beginning February 14, 2024.

Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.

A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 

Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 

ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.

Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.

Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.

Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.

Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.

The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.

Revelation in 40 devotionals for 2022 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.

“Created to Display His Image” explored what it truly means to be made in God’s Image and the profound significance of that fact. They are archived beginning February 22, 2023.

Everyone’s faith journey starts somewhere.  In the flow of the story, it’s understandable how Jesus needed to go back to the beginning because starting from their assumptions, the two men on the Road to Emmaus couldn’t see outside of their own perspectives on reality.

Jesus didn’t look like a guy who’d had a crown of thorns, pierced side, nails in His hands and feet looking like a bloody victim.  He obviously looked regular enough that they just thought He was a visitor.  Dead people just don’t march out of tomb, fold up their grave clothes up to leave them neatly folded.  It had to be something, but what? 

If you take a single point and send a ray out, if it’s off by even the tiniest bit at the outset, the error will get amplified until you’re WAY off, and it gets worse the farther away you get.

Jesus brings the question back to Scripture.  Luke 24:26 “Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?”

Principle: Accuracy is important.

Questions for further thought:

How did their assumptions about the Messiah with a tiny bit of erroneous understanding lead them to despair?

Why, in some cases, is it better to course-correct by going back to the beginning instead of trying to tweak it back from off-target?

Prayer:

Thank You Lord Jesus for the gentle correction You give us as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  May we always see Your Way, embrace Your Truth, and find in You, Life everlasting.  We praise You, Lord.  Lead on, Savior, lead on!  For Your glory, Amen.
===

Lent began Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025, and will continue until Resurrection Sunday, Easter (April 20, 2025). I hope you’ll join me and be prepared to have your eyes opened. I know mine have been in writing this series, “The Way it Had to Be.”

The author gratefully acknowledges Grok XI for assisting with this year’s pictures.
Technology can be amazing.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2025 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

“Seeing His Love with New Eyes” was the topic for 2024 and it explored looking at God’s love beyond the superficial and trite notions of love. They are archived beginning February 14, 2024.

Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.

A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 

Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 

ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.

Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.

Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.

Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.

Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.

The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.

Revelation in 40 devotionals for 2022 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.

“Created to Display His Image” explored what it truly means to be made in God’s Image and the profound significance of that fact. They are archived beginning February 22, 2023.

Luke 24:26 “Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?”

The two men walking on the Road to Emmaus had been dejected, pondering the events of the Passover when they’re interrupted by someone who they think is a stranger.  Then this encounter with the Risen Christ takes a profound turn.

Rather than a commiseration crasher, they discover they’ve encountered a teacher.  And not just any teacher.  The Teacher.  Only they just didn’t know it.

Giving them some grace, they didn’t have the NT to explain what theologians have spent centuries outlining, pondering, investigating, and proving.  But they had something better: Christ Himself.

Principle: Correcting the record is easier when one is open to listening.

Questions for further thought:

What types of things keep us from a willingness to listen to other viewpoints?

Before the Holy Spirit was given, how would these two men know the Truth?

How did Jesus’ asking a question invite them to reconsider their assumptions?

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for being a gentle teacher, for reminding us of the things You said through the advocacy of Your Holy Spirit.  We praise You for the work of the Holy Spirit and how He opens our eyes and corrects our view regarding our sin and His righteousness. Thank You that His mission is to bring about a life change, with our being born again in Christ before You return in judgment.  Thank You for this wonderful gift!  Amen.
===
Lent began Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025, and will continue until Resurrection Sunday, Easter (April 20, 2025). I hope you’ll join me and be prepared to have your eyes opened. I know mine have been in writing this series, “The Way it Had to Be.”

The author gratefully acknowledges Grok XI for assisting with this year’s pictures.
Technology can be amazing.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2025 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

“Seeing His Love with New Eyes” was the topic for 2024 and it explored looking at God’s love beyond the superficial and trite notions of love. They are archived beginning February 14, 2024.

Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.

A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 

Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 

ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.

Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.

Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.

Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.

Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.

The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.

Revelation in 40 devotionals for 2022 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.

“Created to Display His Image” explored what it truly means to be made in God’s Image and the profound significance of that fact. They are archived beginning February 22, 2023.

[Jesus] said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe
all that the prophets have spoken!” (Luke 24:25)

The two men walking on the Road to Emmaus were not unfamiliar with the prophets.  They’d even recognized Jesus as a prophet.  They just didn’t recognize Him as He was walking with them.

They, no doubt, understood as Peter did: 2 Peter 1:19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

That was the role of a prophet.  So, while they may have known in their heads plenty about the prophetic Word, they didn’t expect its fulfillment in the Crucifixion.  Their interpretation needed adjustment.  They needed someone to teach them, enlighten them, so the day dawns and the morning star rises in their hearts.

Principle: Pay attention to the Word. But ask the Holy Spirit to interpret for you.

Questions for further thought:

The Holy Spirit had not come yet.  How could people be expected to understand without someone explaining things to them?

The grief these two men had been experiencing was laying the groundwork for someone to offer them hope. How had it given them a willingness to listen?

Prayer:

Thank You, Father, for the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Help us to divide Your Word rightly and lead us into all righteousness for Your glory.  Amen. 
===
Lent began Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025, and will continue until Resurrection Sunday, Easter (April 20, 2025). I hope you’ll join me and be prepared to have your eyes opened. I know mine have been in writing this series, “The Way it Had to Be.”

The author gratefully acknowledges Grok XI for assisting with this year’s pictures.
Technology can be amazing.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2025 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

“Seeing His Love with New Eyes” was the topic for 2024 and it explored looking at God’s love beyond the superficial and trite notions of love. They are archived beginning February 14, 2024.

Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.

A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 

Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 

ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.

Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.

Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.

Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.

Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.

The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.

Revelation in 40 devotionals for 2022 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.

“Created to Display His Image” explored what it truly means to be made in God’s Image and the profound significance of that fact. They are archived beginning February 22, 2023.

Lent Devotionals will resume tomorrow
after today’s Sabbath rest to reflect, refresh, and worship Him.

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?” Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36)

“For He chose us in [Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love, He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will–to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment– to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. (Ephesians 1:4-10)

[Jesus] said to them, “How foolish you are,
and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!”
Luke 24:25

Let’s make sure we know where we are in the narrative.  The two men were walking, discussing the events of recent days on their return from the Passover.  Suddenly an eavesdropper joins in their conversation. They think He’s ignorant.  They tell Him the evidence so far that they think He doesn’t know, and suddenly, He says “How foolish you are.”

They still don’t know that He’s Jesus. 
To them, He’s Mr. Buttinski, a conversation crasher.

Principle: Connecting dots is a process, taking both time and information.

Questions for further thought:

It was a soft rebuke, but it was a rebuke, nonetheless. How do you think they might have felt initially about a perceived ignorant Buttinski rebuking them? Take the time to consider they are not cardboard cutouts but men with flesh and hearts and minds and egos…

Think about the phrase “slow to believe.”  Does this mean they are stupid or that revelation takes time and information?

What does all this say about their mental state and humility?

In Acts 8, we see a similar process.  Acts 8:29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” 30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. 31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” 34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.”  Identify the similar process to what the two men experienced.

Prayer:

Thank You, Lord Jesus, that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” You have outlined a process “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:13-15). We praise You for those who hear and accept Your Word.  Amen.

===

Lent began Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025, and will continue until Resurrection Sunday, Easter (April 20, 2025). I hope you’ll join me and be prepared to have your eyes opened. I know mine have been in writing this series, “The Way it Had to Be.”

The author gratefully acknowledges Grok XI for assisting with this year’s pictures.
Technology can be amazing.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2025 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

“Seeing His Love with New Eyes” was the topic for 2024 and it explored looking at God’s love beyond the superficial and trite notions of love. They are archived beginning February 14, 2024.

Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.

A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 

Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 

ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.

Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.

Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.

Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.

Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.

The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.

Revelation in 40 devotionals for 2022 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.

“Created to Display His Image” explored what it truly means to be made in God’s Image and the profound significance of that fact. They are archived beginning February 22, 2023.

“Then some of our companions went to the tomb
and found it just as the women had said,
but they did not see Jesus.”
Luke 24:24

The testimony from the women was accurate.  Proven.  It was true.  The tomb was empty.  And women aren’t strong enough to move a huge stone up and out of the opening to carry a dead man out without leaving some evidence of that. 

Confronted with the miraculous, they just concluded the fact of the tomb being empty.

Scripture records that “they did not see Jesus.”  Not some of them saw, a few of them saw, the chosen ones saw.  None of the companions who went to the tomb saw Jesus in or at the tomb.

Principle: Universal. No one saw Him. Believing without seeing is the goal.

Questions for further thought: 

Will we believe without seeing?  Why can we believe without seeing?

Will we take Him at His Word?  How does our picking and choosing Scriptures to accept result in refusing to take Him 100% at His Word?

How is believing what He says… connected to believing… Him? (Read John 1 for further insight). How does believing Him differ from simply believing in His existence? How does believing without seeing set the pattern for us today?

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for the Word made flesh who made His dwelling among us.  Thank You that we can see Jesus in His Word.  Give us eyes to see clearly and to be seeing more so every day. We love You.  Amen.

===

Lent began Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025, and will continue until Resurrection Sunday, Easter (April 20, 2025). I hope you’ll join me and be prepared to have your eyes opened. I know mine have been in writing this series, “The Way it Had to Be.”

The author gratefully acknowledges Grok XI for assisting with this year’s pictures.
Technology can be amazing.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2025 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

“Seeing His Love with New Eyes” was the topic for 2024 and it explored looking at God’s love beyond the superficial and trite notions of love. They are archived beginning February 14, 2024.

Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.

A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 

Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 

ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.

Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.

Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.

Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.

Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.

The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.

Revelation in 40 devotionals for 2022 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.

“Created to Display His Image” explored what it truly means to be made in God’s Image and the profound significance of that fact. They are archived beginning February 22, 2023.