February 19

Psalm 51

Link to Bible Verses: Psalm 51

Hospitality: Giving space to others without demands or expectations.

Desperation for mercy flows out of this Psalm verse! We’ve all been there, haven’t we? We’ve made decisions, said things (or not said things), acted (or not acted) in certain ways, and we feel terrible about ourselves. Feeling lovable seems unimaginable sometimes. So (eventually) we turn to God. Why? For mercy, yes. For forgiveness, yes.

Maybe we also turn to God because we know God holds space for us without demands or expectations. We can show up, just as we are. God holds space for all pieces of us—the good, the bad, and the ugly (and the beautiful, of course). God’s hospitality is merciful. And God’s mercy is hospitable.

Thank you to Linda Land-Closson for writing our 2026 Lenten devotions.