Jonathan Anietie Okuk

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity.
Joel 2:13 (NIV)

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

In this season of Lent, a period of reflection, repentance, and preparation leading up to Easter, the theme of brokenness and restoration takes center stage. Joel 2:13 calls us to “rend our hearts and not our garments,” emphasizing the deep internal work that God desires during this sacred season. Lent is an opportunity to acknowledge our brokenness, to humbly return to the Lord, and to experience His gracious and compassionate restoration.

In the spirit of Lent, 2 Corinthians 5:17 assures us that in Christ, we are made new creations. The brokenness we carry is not the final chapter of our story. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, our sins are forgiven, and we are offered the gift of restoration.

Lent becomes a journey of allowing God to transform our brokenness into something beautiful – trading ashes for beauty and mourning for joy.

As we navigate the Lenten season, let us embrace the invitation to rend our hearts before God, acknowledging our need for His restoration. May we surrender our brokenness, trusting in the promise of 2 Corinthians 5:17 that in Christ, the old has gone and the new has come. Lent is not just a season of self-denial, but a profound opportunity to experience the deep, renewing work of God’s grace, leading us from brokenness to restoration.

Reflection: How can you intentionally engage with the themes of repentance and restoration during this Lenten season, allowing God to transform areas of brokenness in your life?

Confession: Heavenly Father, as I enter this season of Lent, I acknowledge my brokenness and the areas of my life that need your restoration. Help me to genuinely rend my heart before You, seeking Your grace and compassion. I surrender my brokenness, trusting in the transformative power of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Create in me a new heart, O Lord and may this Lenten journey lead to a deeper experience of Your restoration in my life. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen