February 21, 2026 

Isaiah teaches in 58:10-12 that true faith is measured not only by prayer and worship but by mercy in action. When God’s people care for the hungry and meet real needs, their light rises, their strength is renewed, and they become rebuilders of what has been broken. Compassion becomes a pathway through which God brings healing to others and renewal to our own hearts.

Devotional: Lent is not only about what we give up. It is also about what we give away.

Isaiah 58 reminds us that the heart of this season is more than private reflection. God calls His people to a faith that reaches outward. Fasting and prayer matter, but they are meant to open our eyes to the needs around us. Worship becomes real when it moves our hands and feet.

The promise in this passage is striking. When we pour ourselves out for others, God promises to bring light into our own darkness. When we care for the hurting, He renews our strength. When we help repair what has been broken, we become part of His restoring work in the world.

That is a powerful picture of what Lent can be.

So often we think of spiritual growth as something that happens only inside us. Isaiah shows us another way. Compassion shapes us just as much as prayer. Serving others becomes a form of repentance, a turning away from self-centered living toward Christ-like love.

The disciples glimpsed Jesus’ glory on the mountain, but they were sent back down to live out what they had seen. Lent works the same way. God meets us in worship and reflection so we can return to everyday life ready to love more faithfully.

Isaiah calls God’s people “repairers of broken walls” and “restorers of streets with dwellings.” Those are beautiful Lenten titles. They remind us that this season is not only about ashes and confession. It is also about hope, healing, and rebuilding.

You don’t have to change the whole world to live this passage. You only have to notice the need in front of you today.

A meal shared, a burden lifted, a kindness offered, these are holy acts. They become small resurrections in ordinary places. Lent invites us to let our faith become visible through mercy.

As we walk these forty days, God shapes us into people whose lives help rebuild what has been worn down by hurt and hardship.

Action: Choose one practical act of mercy to practice this week, serving a neighbor, donating to someone in need, or offering help where it is needed most. Let that be part of your Lenten discipline.

Prayer: Lord, during this season of Lent, open our hearts to the needs around us. Teach us to fast from selfishness and to feast on compassion. Use our small acts of kindness to bring light into dark places. Make us rebuilders and restorers in Your name. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Thought for the Day: Lent becomes real when mercy becomes visible.

Lent is not only about giving things up. It is also about giving ourselves away in love. Isaiah 58:10–12 reminds us that when we care for others, God renews our strength and brings light into dark places. This season invites us to turn repentance into compassion and let our faith rebuild what has been broken.