First Sunday of Lent
The first Sunday of Lent brings us back to the wilderness. Each year we are reminded of Jesus’ place of testing, of privation and temptation. We are told that for 40 days our Lord was tempted by the devil but he resisted all the challenges for forty days. I wonder if we have been able to resist and keep true to our Lenten discipline just five days since Ash Wednesday?
During my teenage years, I had more than one chance to face a “come to Jesus” talk from my parents who wanted to make sure that whatever I had done wrong could not be repeated. I hated those talks but they made me a better person and guided me for the rest of my life.
Every Lenten Season we also face our “come to Jesus” talk and we are invited to”….the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance, by prayer and fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word and to make a right beginning of repentance…”
I like to compare Lent to a service that I get from a car that I bought after my retirement. Now I get a monthly report that tells me about my engine – if my tires are properly inflated, if the brake fluid or the oil needs to be changed, and so on.
Make sure that during this Lenten Season you examine the innermost regions of your soul to see if maybe you need a “spiritual oil change”. Check to make certain your “spiritual brake fluid” is full to ensure you have the ability to stop firmly when facing temptation. The time you take to look within is so important to help you function better and live closer to our Lord Christ.
We can withstand temptation because as Martin Luther put it, “one little word” spoken by us can subdue the tempter because that “little word” is nothing less than the all-powerful Word of God against which the devil has no defense.
I invite you to read and meditate on God’s Holy Word during this season of Lent, giving you all you need to surround yourself with the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.