Lesallan – March 8, 2026
This brief devotional for Sunday, March 8, 2026 (Third Sunday in Lent) centers on the theme of living water and the call to soften our hearts so we may receive God’s grace and peace today in Sheboygan Falls, WI. Readings for the day are Exodus 17:1–7, Psalm 95, Romans 5:1–11, and John 4:5–42 — all pointing us from thirst and testing into reconciliation and life.
Scripture for the Day
- Exodus 17:1–7 — Israel tests God at Massah and Meribah; God provides water from the rock.
- Psalm 95 — A call to worship and a warning: “Do not harden your hearts.”
- Romans 5:1–11 — Justified by faith, we have peace with God and hope in suffering.
- John 4:5–42 — Jesus offers the Samaritan woman living water that becomes a spring of eternal life.
Reflection
Thirst and Provision — Both Exodus and John present a people and a person who are thirsty. In the wilderness the community’s fear leads to complaint and testing; at the well a woman’s thirst leads to an encounter that transforms her life. The same God who struck the rock to bring water in Exodus now offers living water through Jesus in John. This movement from testing to trust is the Lenten arc: we are invited to name our thirsts and receive God’s provision.
Do not harden your hearts — Psalm 95 warns against the stubbornness that keeps us from God’s rest. Lent asks us to examine where our hearts have grown calloused — toward God, neighbor, or self — and to open them again to repentance and mercy.
Peace through suffering — Romans reminds us that justification by faith brings peace with God even amid trials; suffering refines hope rather than extinguishes it. This is not abstract theology but practical courage for daily life.
Practical Application for This Week
- Name one thirst (loneliness, fear, anger) and bring it to God in a short daily prayer.
- Practice a small act of hospitality (call a neighbor, invite someone for coffee) as a way of sharing the living water you have received.
- Sit with Psalm 95 for five minutes each morning and ask God to soften any hardened places in your heart.
Questions for Personal Reflection
- Where am I testing God instead of trusting God?
- What would it look like to accept “living water” in this season?
- How can my hope in suffering shape my actions this week?
Prayer
Gracious God, you turn our thirst into abundance and our testing into trust. Soften our hearts; give us living water that wells up to eternal life. Help us carry peace into our neighborhoods in Sheboygan Falls and beyond. Amen.
Suggested Hymn: “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” https://open.spotify.com/track/0f9U92JG3vu8BH3PTvxySR?si=6c6ffaf696084c72
—Lesallan ✝️🕊️💞
