By Village Missionary Movement

Wednesday, 17-Feb-2021

Daily Devotion (English) – 17.02.2021

Ash Wednesday 

“Then Paul… entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification” – Acts 21:26

Today is Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is traditionally observed as a holy day by all the Christians around the world. Let us see how this practice has come into existence in our churches. It marks the onset of the Lent. 

History reveals that Ash Wednesday was observed in the churches firstly in 360 AD. In the beginning it was observed for 40 hours, then 6 days and later 21 days. On one stage, 40 days of fasting and praying was observed. Later in the 5th century Pope Gregory moved the 40-day fast period into 46 days before Easter. He instituted the tradition of marking people’s foreheads with ashes in the shape of a cross. Ashes from the burned palms of the preceding year’s Palm Sunday is used for it. 

If we overview this religious tradition in the light of the Bible, we will understand how it should be observed. Isaiah 58:5 says, “Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord?” Our Lord has clearly spoken about fasting and afflicting oneself in many places in the Scriptures. From time immemorial we have been fasting and praying but it should not end with bringing in changes only in outer man. It does not serve the purpose. There must be a total transformation in the inner man. It is not enough if our devotion to God is exhibited in ashes, sand, sackcloth and in giving up some pleasures temporarily. What matters more is a complete transformation in the heart by the renewing of the mind. And this is the desire of God. 

Beloved in Christ, I would like to end the message with the word of God that says, “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew who is inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit not in the letter, whose praise is not from man but from God” (Romans 2:28, 29). God will not be pleased with our customs, traditions and religious rites God never expects outward changes in the flesh but the inward change in the spirit. Let us be passionate to worship God in spirit and truth as He is spirit. 
-    P. Jacob Sankar

Prayer Request:
Pray for the people who are benefitted by the scheme “Food for the hungry” to become the citizens of heaven.

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