lent | RCPC Roanoke

The Lenten Devotional theme this year is The Way of the Shepherd. The shepherd reveals a kind of power rooted not in what can be taken, but in what can be given. Not in coercion, but in care. Not in fear, but in faithful presence. The shepherd knows the flock by name, tends to their needs, searches for the lost, protects the vulnerable, and stays close—even in the valley of the shadow of death. In Jesus, that Good Shepherd takes on flesh—walking among us, feeding the hungry, healing the wounded, welcoming the outsider, and laying down his life for the sheep.

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Day 26—Thursday, March 19

Isaiah 40:10–11 See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep. There are seasons when God feels impossibly far away. A devastating diagnosis. A grief that presses the air from your lungs. In that silence, you may find yourself asking what the ancient exiles once ask

4 hours ago

Day 25—Wednesday, March 18

John 10:1-6 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never

1 day ago

Day 24—Tuesday, March 17

Revelations 7:16-17 “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:16–17 has always been there, tucked quietly into the middle of a book that many of us were taught to fear. Growing up in a Baptist church, I learne

2 days ago

Day 23—Monday, March 16

Jeremiah 31:10 Hear the word of the Lord, you nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands. He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd. The people of Israel were in exile and scattered having been judged for their disobedience. But in God’s world even the hardest times don’t last forever. God promises that the people will be gathered as sheep and restored physically and spiritually. Even though God judged the people, God never left

3 days ago

Day 22—Saturday, March 14

Ezekiel 34:11-16 For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep and will sort them out. As shepherds sort out their flocks when they are among scattered sheep, so I will sort out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them into their own land, and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by th

5 days ago

Day 21—Friday, March 13

1 Peter 5:1-4 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive

6 days ago

Day 20—Thursday, March 12

Psalm 95:6-7 “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.” This passage begins by encouraging us to “bow down in worship” and to “kneel before the Lord.” But the psalm also clearly states the reason we worship God: because we are “the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.” We praise God because He looks after us, like a shepherd looks after his sheep. B

Mar 12

Day 19—Wednesday, March 11

Micah 5:4-5 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. They will dwell secure, because he will surely become great throughout the earth; he will become one of peace. When Assyria invades our land and treads down our fortresses, then we will raise up against him seven shepherds and eight human princes. I love and appreciate prophecies from the Old Testament and the revelation of those prophecies brought f

Mar 11

Day 18—Tuesday, March 10

Hebrews 13: 20-21 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. In the early years of our marriage, Fred and I lived in Denver. On weekends we would often drive north to Wyoming to visit his parents in their retir

Mar 10

Day 17—Monday, March 9

John 10:25-30 Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me, but you do not believe because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, in regard to what he has given me, is greater than all,[ and no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I a

Mar 9

Day 16—Saturday, March 7

Jeremiah 3:15-17 Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart,who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the Lord, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem

Mar 7

Day 15—Friday, March 6

Isaiah 56:11 They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, they seek their own gain. The book of Isaiah is filled with accounts of Israel’s sin and warnings of what will come if the continuation of such sin remains the standard practice of the Israel kingdom. This passage is no different. Here, Isaiah speaks of Israel’s watchmen that are suppos

Mar 6

Day 14—Thursday, March 5

I Samuel 16:11-13 (NIV) So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers,

Mar 5

Day 13—Wednesday, March 4

John 10:11–16 (KJV) “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father:

Mar 4

Day 12—Tuesday, March 3

John 21:15-17 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to

Mar 3

Day 11—Monday, March 2

Luke 15:3–7 Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who

Mar 2

Day 10—Saturday, February 28

Matthew 9:35-36 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the Kingdom and healing every kind of disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 25:42-43, 45 - “For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I neede

Feb 28

Day 9—Friday, February 27

Zechariah 13:7 “Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the Lord Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones… Many years before Jesus was born, Zecariah foretold the crucifixion of Jesus. In his telling, the Lord described Jesus as his shepherd and the man close to Him. Following the crucifixion, Jesus’s sheep - the disciples - wo

Feb 27

Day 8—Thursday, February 26

Psalm 100:3-4 Know ye that the Lord is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are this people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name. I know the Lord is God, he made me, and I am one of his sheep. I live within his realm with thankfulness and in awe of his works. My life is so blessed with my past, my present, and yes...my future. Knowing that God has

Feb 26

Day 7—Wednesday, February 25

1 Kings 22:17 Then Micaiah said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each one go home in peace.’ ‘’ During our year of Back to Basics, the shepherd and his care of the sheep he is responsible for, is an ongoing theme. We know that the shepherd cares for his sheep and knows each by name and if one sheep is missing, he will search until he finds the sheep and return it to the flock. The i

Feb 25