Easter Devotional

What Exactly is Lent

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With next Wednesday being Ash Wednesday, I thought it might be a good time to talk about Lent. Some Christians observe Lent every year, while others simply look on with curiosity. But very few of us actually know where the whole idea came from. So, you might ask, “What exactly is Lent?” That is a great question with more than one answer! The observance of Lent began sometime in the fourth century and in general, is a period of time from Ash Wednesday till Easter. The concept of forty days is meant to mirror the time Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness. However, if you counted the days from Ash Wednesday to Easter, you would discover that there are actually forty-seven in all. The number of forty is arrived at by subtracting the Sundays and ending on the Wednesday of Holy week.

But, instead of getting lost in the math, think of Lent as a time to spiritually prepare for Easter. Some of us do this by abstaining from certain foods or activities others by committing to helping those in need. Though there is no requirement in the Bible for observing Lent, there is also nothing forbidding it. After all, it is never a bad idea to set aside time for seeking God’s will and purpose. The Bible calls times like these, “Waiting on the Lord.” This waiting is not about traditions but about hearts. When we wait God’s way, God promises to give us His strength and renewal. However, you choose to prepare for the Easter season, the most important thing is to focus on Jesus. For me personally Easter brings back the excitement of my coming to faith in Jesus on Easter Sunday! So, during Lent, I come to each morning, asking Jesus for a brand-new insight into His word and His will. Walking with Jesus will lead us along the path that He has chosen and following His path will lead us to the destination He has for our lives. My prayer is that together during Lent, we may remember again the miracles of Jesus, the Last Supper, His sacrifice of His life on the Cross, and most of all, meet with our Risen Lord as Mary did, right outside the empty tomb!

If you would like a devotional to help you along your own Lenten journey, you might consider a book which I wrote a few years ago, titled, “The Joy of Easter.” In this Lenten reader you will find meditations for the entire forty-seven-day period from Ash Wednesday till Easter Sunday. Each day includes a verse and short, simple devotional. The Joy of Easter is available both in an e-Book format as well as a large print paperback.

What Exactly is Lent?

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount u 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 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!)

During this Lenten season we should come each morning with an open-heart and ask Jesus for a brand-new insight into His word and for His will for our day. During these weeks it is okay to slow down and live more quietly so that we can hear what God is saying. Just as the song tells us that Jesus lay silently in the grave, until Easter, we can practice a bit of that silence as with faith we joyfully look forward to that coming day. My prayer is that during these weeks ahead we may see with fresh eyes the Lord Jesus and fall in love with Him again as we remember His Last Supper, His Cross, His empty grave, and most of all our Risen Lord!

“An ounce of love is worth a pound of knowledge.”
John Wesley

Devotions for Lent

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

Here in the middle of winter, it is hard to believe, but we are just a little over a week away from beginning the season, commonly called Lent. Though the word, “Lent” doesn’t appear anywhere in the Bible, it is nonetheless a good opportunity to refocus our thinking and our lives around the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Ironically, this year, Lent begins on Valentine’s Day. Now don’t try the excuse, “Honey, I would have bought you chocolates, but I thought you had given them up for Lent!” Though we all have different customs concerning Easter, one thing all of us have in common with believers from the days of Jesus is that it comes unexpectedly. In fact, if we were to examine the scriptures carefully, it might appear that the Romans, who sealed the tomb and set a guard over it were more concerned about the resurrection than the disciples. After all, Mary and the other women did not come to the tomb to witness a miracle, their plan was to bring spices to complete their traditions for burial. Later, when they went back to report the visions of angels and an empty tomb, no one was more shocked and unbelieving than the disciples. Though Jesus had taught them over and over that He was to die, be buried and raised on the third day, not one of them understood or believed it to be possible. But on that “One Unexpected Morning” the story of the lives of every man, woman and child on earth was changed. Jesus died for our sins, and was buried in a rich man’s tomb, just as Isaiah 53 had foretold. He could not be kept in the grave and was raised, just as David prophetically tells us in Psalm 16:10. Yet, no one was waiting to see the miracle at the moment that the angel rolled back the stone. The Roman guards were terrified, and the rulers of the people remained unbelieving even after their reports. Peter and John ran to see what they had not even imagined in their wildest dreams and on resurrection morning Jesus came, unexpectedly for us all, but exactly as He had promised all along! If you are looking for a devotional resource this Easter, “One Unexpected Morning”, is a 40-day Lenten reader in both large and regular print as well as in eBook form. The link below is for the large print version, but you should be easily able to find the others from that page.