Lent: The 40-day bridge
“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6).
We beginning a season of Lent on Ash Wednesday 10th Feb 2016, and lasts forty days and culminates in the Passion Week and then the celebration of Easter. We will be learning about spiritual disciplinees during our Wednesday and Sunday services. It is now time to seek the Lord; it is time to return to the Lord with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning (Est 4:3, Joel 2:12). In this season of Lent we earnestly seek to be reconciled to God, to possess our promised inheritance, and to be prepared for faithful ministry. Seven Biblical instances involving 40 days and 40 nights are helpful in these matters:
Pardon – Reconciliation with God:
1) The 40-day ultimatum for Nineveh’s destruction was cancelled when they turned to God with prayer, fasting and repentance (Jonah 3:4-10). You too can similarly attain this reconciliation with God.
Promise – Promised Inheritance:
Before you reach your promised breakthrough, there is a valley to cross; the ‘valley’ of 40 days before you arrive at that victory, the place of freedom and abundance, the promised inheritance.
2) The 40-day rainfall that caused a great flood was escaped by Noah and his people through faithful obedience to God and His providence (Gen 7:17-18).
3) The 40-day tormenting confrontation of Israel by the Philistine Goliath was cut short by David in the name of the Lord God Almighty (1Sam 17:16, 45-50).
4) It took Moses’ spies 40 days to survey the Promised Land and report. Joshua and Caleb’s encouraging account after the survey was the nation’s ticket into the land (Num 13:25, 30).
Passion – Preparing for Greater Ministry:
5) Moses received the Ten Commandments after 40 days of fasting and devotion – alone with God – at Mount Horeb (also called Sinai) (Ex 34:28). This was the foundation of the rest of his ministry.
6) Elijah received instructions at Mount Horeb about his final phase of ministry and his successor after 40 days of fasting and seeking God (1Kings 19:7-8). This would establish his legacy.
7) Jesus launched his ministry after 40 days of prayer and fasting and defeating the devil in the Judean wilderness (Matt 4:1-2, 17).
Yes, even Jesus Christ had his moments of self-denial and suffering. I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy word.
God bless you as you all.