Come Back To God
LENT DEVOTIONAL 2026 | DAY 1
Luke 1:1–25 (NIV)
By Alvin Chia, Lay Leader, Local Church Executive Committee
READ:
Luke 1:1–25 (NIV)
The passage records the surprise visit of angel Gabriel to Zechariah to announce the good news of the soon-to-be miraculous birth of John the Baptist, the man who would prepare the way for the Lord Jesus Christ. The fearful encounter was an overwhelming experience for Zechariah who was performing his duty as a priest to burn incense in the temple of the Lord. While Zechariah had been praying for a child, the news caught him by surprise and was, to an extent, simply unbelievable, given the very old age of both Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, who had not been able to conceive. For his disbelief, Zechariah’s tongue was dumbed until the birth of the child when he was asked to name him. For Elizabeth, it was reflected that she was grateful for God’s favour and quietly acknowledged that God had taken away her disgrace among the people (v25).
More significantly, the angel Gabriel foretold the greater plan of God to use John the Baptist to go before the Lord Jesus Christ to bring back many people to the Lord their God. He would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (vv16–17).
On this Ash Wednesday, we come before God to reflect on our relationships with Him. God loves us and wants us to come back to Him. Regardless of our situation or circumstance, the gospel of hope in Jesus Christ provides the channel of grace for us to come back and be reconciled with God. Like Zechariah, we may think it is too late or unbelievable. For God, nothing is impossible and the message is a simple one—He loves us and wants to have a close relationship with us. So, come home to God!
The sacrifice of Christ on the Cross is more than sufficient to atone for all and any of our sins. The season of Lent presents a wonderful opportunity for us to rededicate our lives and commit to repentance and reconciliation. 1 John 1:9 reminds us that, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”. So, do not delay. Do business with God immediately. He is like the father waiting for the return of the prodigal son.
May we also be grateful like Elizabeth for God’s favour. Very often, we take God’s blessings for granted. Similar to Elizabeth, we can learn to acknowledge His favour and extend the same to people around us, especially those who are close to us.
We must also do our part to be missional and lead others to God. May we as a church continue to play our part in the various outreach ministries to reach out to the least and last in our society.
Dear Lord, thank You for Your sacrificial love and the desire for reconciliation of all. Forgive us for our wayward and selfish actions, and the many times we have taken Your love and mercies for granted. On this Ash Wednesday, we seek Your forgiveness and surrender ourselves to You once again. May You grant us the strength to live our lives in honour of You and to extend the same grace and mercies to others around us. Give us the boldness to bring someone back to You this Easter. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
[ Reflection Questions ]
1. How does the message of God’s reconciliatory love encourage you?
2. Zechariah prayed for a long time for a child. When the message “God has heard your prayer” came from angel Gabriel, he doubted it. Do you have similar experiences? How can we be more trusting of God?
3. In this season of Lent, how can you bring someone back to God? How far would you challenge yourself to be missional and bold to witness for Christ this Easter?
