Greetings Friends!

We are preparing to take a journey together during this Lenten Season. Lent is a 40-day season in the Christian calendar for believers to be called to repent, seek, sacrifice, expect, remember, and practice. Over the next 40 days, we will journey together as we draw nearer to God. I invite you to join the journey through daily devotions, intentional prayer, fasting, and deep reflection. Our goal every Lenten season is to take seriously our relationship with God. One of the ways that we connect more with God is by taking time away from the busyness of life to “go somewhere and sat down,” in order to hear the voice of God. Our busy work does not equate to productive work or even God’s work. So for the next few days, we will read, pray, listen, and journal together.

Here are a few helpful tips to engage the full scope of this devotional:

Devotions: Each day, engage in a different devotion that is aimed to help us think, reflect, and become better Christians. There are 3 ways to engage in the devotions:

• Read the written devotions (Abbreviated version)

• Listen to Weekly Podcast (Expanded version)

• Watch Video Podcast (Expanded Version)

Visit www.jwamezsouthfield.org/lent for more information.

Prayer: After each devotion, take time to communicate with God in prayer. Commit yourself to be consistent in praying each day. Don’t forget to tell God everything, be open, honest, and transparent so that God can transform us.

Journal: Take time to write down what you are thinking. Each devotion is accompanied by journal reflection questions to consider. Reflect on how you see the Word of God impacting your life. Be real with yourself and document your spiritual journey.

Listen: Every devotion is accompanied by a suggested musical selection. As you reflect, listen to the song and let it be your reminder for the rest of the day of how God is speaking to you. You can find the songs by scanning the QR code on your electronic devices, or see the table of Musical Contents at the end of this book.

Whichever way you decide to engage, let’s make a decision, right now, to be committed to taking this journey together! I look forward to what we shall be on the other side. I’m praying with you, my friend!

Rev. Austin J. Young

Senior Pastor, John Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church – Southfield

Go Somewhere & Sat Down | Psalm 46:10

God is in control, not us. The moment we snatch control from the hands of God is the moment our lives go out of control. There is good news in knowing that God’s sovereignty is forever, for it allows us to release, relax, and remember, no matter the circumstance. When I look at the news and see the terrible plight of our world, I can release, relax, and remember that God is in control. When I have difficult days and feel helpless about what to do next, I can release, relax, and remember that God is in control. Thank God that He formed the foundations of the earth, that He tells the birds when to chirp, that He tells the trees where and how to grow, and that He is in control of it all!

Our scripture is situated in tension between the Israelites and the Assyrians. God had reassured the Israelites that they would be victorious, but their patience and faith ran short which resulted in them taking matters into their own hands. Thus, God had to demonstrate his ability to be in control. In verses 1-3, God shares that He is in control because He is our refuge. In verses 4-7, God exhibits that He is in control because He is the source of life. However, in verses 8-11, God stops speaking about it and showcases why we ought to want Him to be in control for the rest of our lives. Amidst this troubling battle, a scene of the Assyrians and their weapons lying on the ground is portrayed. The interesting detail is that the Assyrians were defeated, but not because of the Israelites’ wit, actions, or connections. They were defeated by God, concluding that if the Israelites would “Be Still and know that I am God,'' then God would take care of the situation.

This terminology “be still” is not meant to permit you to be completely idle, rather it is an invitation for us to take our hands off what God already has in control. If we fill our hands with the promises of God by faith, we won’t have room to put our hands on the situation and try to control it. So, the next time we encounter an impossible, difficult, lifeless, or even desolate circumstance, God invites us to go somewhere and ‘sat’ down and allow God to be God.

Reflect over the past month and ask yourself, in what area of my life have I been too busy, too controlling, or too distracted for God?