A Consuming Fire Week 1 : Just Come!

5-Day Lenten Devotional based on the message: Just Come

Day 1: The God Who Holds Everything

Reading: Psalm 95:1-7

Devotional: The God who holds the mountain peaks and ocean depths in His hands also holds you. This is not a distant, disinterested deity but the Creator who claims you as His own—"the people of His pasture, the flock under His care." Today, consider the vastness of God's power contrasted with His tender care for you personally. You may feel small, unqualified, or out of place in His presence, yet He invites you to come anyway. Your worthiness doesn't depend on your resume or your recent track record; it depends on His character. He is both mighty King and gentle Shepherd. Respond to His invitation today by simply showing up in His presence, just as you are.

Day 2: Don't Harden Your Heart

Reading: Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95:8-11

Devotional: The Israelites saw God's miracles yet complained at the first sign of difficulty. How quickly they forgot the Red Sea parting and manna from heaven. We shake our heads at their stubbornness, but how often do we do the same? When life gets hard, do we remember God's past faithfulness or immediately question His goodness? A hardened heart isn't always rebellious—sometimes it's just forgetful. During this Lenten season, resist the temptation to romanticize your "Egypt," whatever God has rescued you from. Don't let present discomfort erase the memory of past deliverance. Soften your heart by rehearsing God's faithfulness. Write down three ways God has provided for you, and let gratitude guard against complaint.

Day 3: Walking Through the Wilderness

Reading: Matthew 4:1-11; Exodus 13:21-22

Devotional: Jesus walked through the wilderness before you did. For forty days He faced temptation, hunger, and isolation—yet He never sinned, never hardened His heart, never turned back. The wilderness is not a place of abandonment but of preparation. Just as God led Israel with a pillar of cloud and fire, He goes ahead of you in your difficult seasons. Lent invites us to name our wilderness experiences honestly—the dry seasons, the uncertain times, the places where comfort is stripped away. But here's the promise: the wilderness is not godless. God's presence doesn't disappear when life gets hard. Today, ask yourself: Am I trying to escape my wilderness, or am I willing to meet God in it?

Day 4: No Condemnation in Christ

Reading: Romans 8:1-4, 38-39

Devotional: You may feel spiritually underdressed, like you don't belong in God's presence because of your messy week, broken past, or distracted heart. But here's the truth that changes everything: in Christ, there is no condemnation. God has done what you could never do—He sent His Son to satisfy the righteous requirement you could never meet. Nothing can separate you from His love. Not your failure yesterday. Not your weakness today. Not your fear about tomorrow. The invitation to "come" isn't based on your readiness but on His grace. Stop standing at the doorway, observing from a distance. Step all the way in. God doesn't tolerate your presence—He welcomes it, purchased by the blood of Jesus.

Day 5: Just Come

Reading: Psalm 95; Hebrews 4:14-16

Devotional: Three times in Psalm 95, God invites us to come: walk with Me, approach Me, enter fully into My presence. This Lenten journey leads us to the cross, where we see both the horror of our sin and the height of God's love. Jesus walked the road to Calvary so that the invitation to "come" would never be revoked. Hebrews tells us to approach God's throne of grace with confidence—not because we're worthy, but because Jesus is. As you continue this Lenten season, resist the urge to stay at a safe distance. Don't harden your heart. Don't let busyness drown out His voice. Just come. Come with your questions, your doubts, your broken hallelujahs. He's already made you welcome.