Lent Devotional

My name is Jeff Harding, and I am privileged to serve as the Student Pastor here at Fellowship. I have been in my current role since July 2025, but my history with Fellowship goes back further. During my time at Dallas Seminary, I served for nearly three years — first as a volunteer high school small group leader (Oct 2009 – July 2010) and later on staff under Mike Heinz as the Junior High Program Director (Aug 2010 – May 2012). I met my wife, Faith, during that time while she was serving as a junior high volunteer. We will be married for 13 years this April and have two children: our son, Deacon (6), and our daughter, Story (2). It is such a blessing to be back home at Fellowship Dallas!

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This psalm, while technically a hymn, carries the tone of a lament with phrases such as "Out of the depths I have cried" (v. 1), "the voice of my pleadings" (v. 2), and "my soul waits" (v. 5). Regarding our heart posture, it is always beneficial — better yet, necessary — to approach God with a contrite heart. I see Christ as the answer to several themes within the psalm: the identification of God as the one who holds and dispenses forgiveness (v. 4) and abundant redemption (v. 7), and the yearning to wait in hope for the Lord and His word (v. 5–7). Most of all, Christ is the fulfillment of the psalmist's powerful closing statement: "And He will redeem Israel from all his guilty deeds" (v. 8). Praise God for His goodness and wisdom in knowing exactly what — or rather, Who — His people would need.

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Growing up, I sometimes viewed eternity as a double-edged sword, wondering, "How can God ignore everything I have done or will ever do? Will the judgment continue even though I'm saved?" I praise God for the patience, mercy, and "abundant redemption" the psalmist describes. Verse 3 addresses that concern clearly: "If You, Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds, Lord, who could stand?" Indeed, no one could, for the Lord is perfect and despises sin. Thanks be to Christ, who died for us and removed the weight and penalty of those deeds — they are not listed somewhere waiting to bear down on us in eternity. Lord, forgive my ignorance and my dismissal of Your overwhelming, unconditional love for us... for me! Accordingly, this psalm makes me grateful that the Lord answered the cry of not only His people but all of creation by sending Jesus to redeem and reconcile us to the Father.

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I hope this passage inspires gratitude and a firm belief that the Lord keeps His promises. He was faithful to us first by bestowing upon us an undeserved and all-sufficient Savior. So many in our communities continue to wait in hope for something — whether it is the resolution of a problem, deliverance from danger, or simply to be truly seen and loved. During this season of Lent — which Thad reminded us on Ash Wednesday is the time when the church historically increases its intentionality in making disciples — let us treat this psalm as a cultural cry for a need many do not know how to fulfill. Let us point them toward the only One who can meet their needs now and for eternity: our King and the name above all names, Jesus.