Journey to the Cross

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY OCT 12, 2020

Pastor Tripp (My Heart Cries Out) presents a "devotional of celebration and self-examination" with these 40 comforting daily reflections for Lent. Tripp encourages readers to meditate on Jesus's sacrifice and suffering during the Lenten season and explains that, as mourning deepens, so does the capacity for joy. At the end of each devotional, he provides questions for reflection, such as "What do you need to give up, for a season or more permanently, to root the idols out of your heart?" and "what are your greatest disappointments in life, and what deeper desires do those things reveal?" Tripp suggests that readers view Lent as a season of prayer, which he refers to as both a gift of communion and internal "spiritual warfare": "To pray we need rescuing grace that will free us from the dominion of our own selfish hearts." He also discusses unwillingness as a characteristic of sin and compares it with Christ's willingness to lay down his life, and reminds Christians that Jesus's journey "didn't end with the cross but with the victory of the empty tomb." The author's typically patient explanations of scriptural lessons and insightful connections to contemporary life drive each devotion. Tripp's evocative guidance will be welcomed by fans and newcomers alike.