Tearfund: Lent Devotional 38

Move forward

‘Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.”’ (Exodus 14:15)

I am writing this in Autumn, when leaves are giving themselves to the ground. There is about to be a wild silence in the trees. An aching expanse of waiting. But, by the time you read this, it will be spring. The great re-awakening where creation blossoms into life.

The seasons, created by God, can help us to understand the cycles of our own lives. The times when we need to grieve, process or petition God. And when we need to push forward.

The transition isn’t easy. Holy Week is a reminder that Jesus didn’t find it trouble-free to move forward. He spent hours kneeling in agony in the garden of Gethsemane. Blood and sweat and tears. And the immediate future wasn’t so bright either.

It comes back to surrender. Reminding ourselves that God is good and God is love – that’s why we can take a leap of faith and trust him. There was pain on the cross, but the stone was rolled away.

Name what you are holding onto that is keeping you still. Ask the Holy Spirit to help if you are unsure. Write this down and, as the events of Holy Week unfold, bring it to the cross. Surrender it to God and commit to moving forwards into the promise he has for you.

Rachael Adams
Rachael is the Editor of Tearfund's weekly prayer email.