Lent Devotional April 4, 2026

Scripture

Psalm 143

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness;
answer me in your righteousness.
2 Do not enter into judgment with your servant,
for no one living is righteous before you.

3 For the enemy has pursued me,
crushing my life to the ground,
making me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit faints within me;
my heart within me is appalled.

5 I remember the days of old;
I think about all your deeds;
I meditate on the works of your hands.
6 I stretch out my hands to you;
my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

7 Answer me quickly, O Lord;
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me,
or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
8 Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,
for in you I put my trust.
Teach me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.

9 Save me, O Lord, from my enemies;
I have fled to you for refuge.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
Let your good spirit lead me
on a level path.

11 For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life.
In your righteousness bring me out of trouble.
12 In your steadfast love cut off my enemies,
and destroy all my adversaries,
for I am your servant.

Devotion

The Rev. Christopher Taylor ’19

I had a pretty bad day recently. It was one of those days you wish was over before reaching noon. A comedy of errors and self-inflicted mistakes caused undue stress and prolonged an already busy schedule. I could have used Psalm 143 late that evening as my head finally hit the pillow, replaying the difficulties of the day. When read as an evening prayer, I see Psalm 143 pushing us to acknowledge reality and look ahead with faith in God.

“Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust” reads verse eight in particular.

How fitting for a day like today. Tucked between the pain of Good Friday and the joy of Easter Morning, Holy Saturday is a day of quiet uncertainty and waiting in the darkness of death for what tomorrow may bring. Like the psalmist, our spirits are indeed faint and our hearts appalled at the reality of Jesus’ death. We wait with creation and acknowledge that the world is not as it should be.

Yet, we wait with hope and a faithful trust in God. Despite the bad day, despite the injustices and suffering of the world, and despite the fact that our savior lies lifeless in the tomb, we recall the works of God’s hands in all ages past. In this, we believe that the morning will bring something new and good. Until then, may we trust that God’s redemptive hand is at work amidst this waiting.

Prayer

Hey God, today is a hard day. We mourn that Jesus suffered death at the hands of others. May Your steadfast love meet us in the morning and bring a newness to life that we cannot yet see. With trust in You we pray, amen.

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