Day 9 of Lent: March 14, 2025

A Lenten Devotional on Isaiah 1:13-17

“Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” – Isaiah 1:16-17

Reflection:

When I played sports, I always started the season strong—practicing hard, giving my best effort, and pushing myself to improve. But as the season dragged on, there were times when I started going through the motions. I’d show up, run the drills, and do what was expected, but I wasn’t really growing or helping my team. And, of course, it never took long for a coach to notice. That’s when they’d step in—redirecting me, holding me accountable, and, as they’d say, kicking me in the butt to get me back on track.

Isaiah’s words remind us that sometimes our faith can be like that. We show up for worship, we say the prayers, we go through the motions—but if our hearts aren’t in it, if we’re not living out God’s call to justice and mercy, then our worship loses its meaning. God, like a good coach, calls us back—not just to practice faith but to live it.

Lent is our season of accountability, our reminder that faith is not just about rituals but about real transformation. It’s God’s way of kicking us in the butt and getting us back on track. We are called not just to look faithful but to be faithful—seeking justice, correcting oppression, and loving others in tangible ways. This is the path from ashes to alleluia.

Question:

Where in your life have you been going through the motions? Take time today to recommit to a spiritual practice—not just for routine, but for transformation. Find a way to seek justice or serve someone in need as an act of true worship.

Prayer:

God of mercy, I confess that sometimes I go through the motions, saying the right words but failing to live out your love. Wake me up. Redirect me. Hold me accountable. Help me move from empty routine to true faithfulness, so that my worship is not just words, but a life lived for you. Amen.