Lent Devotional

"He turned to me and heard my cry for help... My sins have caught up with me, and I can't see any longer. My sins are more than the hairs of my head. I have lost all hope." - Psalm 40:1-12

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Hello, my name is Dirk Ahrendt. I currently serve as the Lead Director of Praxisinstitute Evangelization in the Free Evangelical Churches in Germany, a denomination with 500 churches, plus 50 church plants. I have been a Strategic Partner with Fellowship Dallas for six years. Part of my current work is helping and consulting with churches to change their culture of evangelism and learn how to reach people in this challenging time of following Jesus.

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What I see in Psalm 40 is Jesus hanging on the cross, with two criminals beside him. One of the criminals knows that, although Christ is innocent, he has been condemned to death on a cross, and in the final breath of his life he pleads, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answers: "Today you will be with me in paradise." This encounter echoes David's cry for help directed toward God in Psalm 40. Even in the final moments of His earthly life, Christ is a God of forgiveness, looking with love upon each person. And even if the number of our sins is greater than the number of hairs on our heads, it makes no difference: Christ forgives us and we have eternal hope in Him, counter to what David communicates in the back portion of verse 12. This is profound and one of the essential reasons why Jesus came into our world, why He died, and why He rose again. His death and resurrection are personal for me and for all who ask for the forgiveness and hope it brings.

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This leads me into worship and gratitude. At the same time, it leads me to repentance, because it always includes this: forgiveness makes my life free. Guilt no longer rests on my shoulders; it lies at the bottom of the sea (Micah 7:19). This enables me to live in profound gratitude and worship to Jesus. Jesus calls his followers not only to seek forgiveness, but also to forgive those who have sinned against us. This can be deeply challenging, but even here God is on our side: when you forgive, you no longer need to accuse others, and in doing so you bless them. It is a blessing to be able to forgive. It is not a burden that Christ places on our shoulders; it is an invitation to walk upright and free as we move into the future. Unforgiven sin can bind us inwardly to the sinner and to the moment of injury, holding us emotionally captive. Christ wants to free us from that, so that without bitterness toward others and with a radiant, Christ-shaped identity and with that posture, we can live into our future well.

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These verses from Psalm 40 and the realization of how great and important forgiveness is, lead us to honor God and bless others. Without forgiveness, our world and my life would be bleak and depressing. But we have hope! It is a great gift that leads to deep gratitude, to worshiping God, and to the realization that forgiveness is a blessing.