What Exactly is Lent?

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.     Isaiah 40:31 KJV

So you might ask, “What exactly is Lent? Great question! Well, in general, Lent is the time from Ash Wednesday until either the Wednesday before Easter, Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday depending on what tradition you follow. You also might wonder why, since there is no record of anyone in the Bible observing this roughly 40-day period, why should we? For starters, it is never a bad idea to set aside special times for seeking God’s will and purpose. We call it, “Waiting on the Lord” and waiting comes with God’s promise of strength and renewal. Some people may choose to fast certain foods or commit to special acts of service, during these weeks. However, you choose to honor the season, the most important thing of all is to focus on Jesus. For me personally it brings me back to the excitement of my first months of faith in Jesus (Which just happened to be on Easter Sunday!) I come to each morning’s quiet time with an open-heart asking Jesus for a brand-new insight into His word and for His will for that day. Instead of racing ahead or lagging behind in my devotional readings I need to slow down so I can hear what God is saying. Walking with Jesus will lead us along the path that He has chosen. Following the path, He chooses will bring us to His destination for our life. My prayer is that during these weeks of Lent we will see with fresh eyes the miracles of Jesus, the table of His Last Supper, the Cross, the empty grave and most of all our Risen Lord!

Am I Early or Late?

Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Yes wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

I don’t know about you but waiting is far from my favorite things to do. Yet surprisingly this verse is one of my favorites because it is written as if God could read my mind. (Oh wait…Yes He can!). You see when I go to the grocery store I need a list. First I have to write the list. Then- on the good days when I remember to bring it- I read the list and check off items while I am shopping.

This verse it written like that. Wait for the Lord it begins – then after we employ the courage God gives in the battle God reminds us on the way home -you still need to wait. Our job is not over. But the most important thing for us to know about the waiting is that we do not have to wait for the Lord because He is late. He asks us to wait because we are early!

Waiting on the Lord

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint! Isaiah 40:31 KJV

Waiting for the Lord is not like waiting for the train. The train might be late, or it might have left early and you missed it! But waiting for the Lord is a sure thing like waiting for Christmas. No matter what happens we know Christmas will definitely come. We wait expectantly and even eagerly sometimes start shopping August!

Photo by Oleg Zaicev on Pexels.com

God promises that no matter what else happens we can have wings like eagles and the power to run all the way to the end of the race. I don’t know about you but looking ahead to 2021 I need God’s strength more than ever! For those who like the video this please feel free to leave your comments and likes on my YouTube channel. May God bless each of you with His strength and power as you wait on Him!