02/19/2026
For those looking for a Nazarene Lent Devotional.
Devotion #1. Not God
Mark 14:12-16 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
Have you ever lived through a day that unfolded in ways you never imagined? Perhaps in the morning you woke up with a certain plan in mind, but then—for better or worse—something took place that you never predicted. Perhaps it even changed the course of your life.
That’s where the disciples were on that spring Thursday. They were in Jerusalem with Jesus for Passover, but they had no clue about what would take place over the next 24 hours. They didn’t even know where they would be celebrating the holiday! Panic ensued. Of course, everybody and your grandmother was in Jerusalem and every house was full. Not only that, but the atmosphere was so tense, you could cut it with a knife. Since Sunday, Jesus had been saying things and doing things (like flipping tables in the Temple) that really ticked off the religious leaders to the point they decided this Jesus must go. But when the disciples asked Jesus what to do, he gave a definitive answer. He instructed them to keep their eyes peeled for a man carrying water-- a rare occurrence because that was technically a woman’s job. And that guy would lead them to the probably rich owner of an extravagant house, who would be more than open to hosting Jesus. You can imagine their initial reaction, but they went. They trusted Jesus, that in is power, it all would turn out. And it did.
In some stranger’s house, likely after going to the temple to sacrifice the lamb they would cook, they got the meal ready. Who could predict what was next? Apparently, not them. And not us.
On this Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, we are reminded that we really have no idea what God may be doing and we have no clue what is really going on. We may think we do, assuming things about God and ourselves, things couched in our experiences and self-righteousness, but we really don’t. We may fool ourselves into believing we are in control, but very quickly and easily, a turn of events over the course of twenty four hours can remind us that we are not.
For, we are not God.
And we are not meant to be.
And so, Lent begins, reminding us that being a time- and space- and knowledge-limited human being is where we need to start. Though we fight against it, we need to own that fact. And we have to trust him. The next day may hold lots of things, both planned an unplanned. The next hour, day, week, month, year, and beyond may be different than we thought. The good news is that Jesus says, “it’s ok, friend. I’ve got it.” We are the wandering disciple, called by Jesus to be obedient in the odd places among odd people, called to trust his words that a random dude who shouldn’t even be carrying a water jar is going to lead us to a place we’ve never been but need to be.
Prayer: Lord God of mercy, on this first day of Lent, I come before you, aware of my weakness and need for your grace. Ashes remind me that I am dust and that without you, I am nothing. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Help me turn away from sin and walk faithfully in your ways today and every day. Amen.
