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God's Words For US
by Cecelia Lester
We often wonder how we come to celebrate Lent, a time of preparation for the commemoration of the resurrection of our Lord.
Why 40 Days?
“The number 40 was not chosen randomly. Forty is a number associated with times of intense spiritual preparation and significant transition in the Bible.”(1.)
*Noah and his family in the ark.
*Moses spending time in the desert before God called him to the task of rescuing His people and building a new nation. (2.)
*Jesus being the then desert, wrestling with temptation before he embarked on his public ministry. (3)
The Celebration of Lent
Not all faith groups observe Lent. When I was in high school, I met a girl who was of the Catholic faith. She told me she gave up cookies that year. One of the source books I read told me that the people of the Anglican tradition also observe the practices of fasting and introspection. (4)
As I view the 40 days of Lent, it is a time of introspection and spiritual growth as we spend quality and quantity time with the Lord.
One of my devotional books I read is entitled, “40 Days of Decrease” by Alicia Britt Chole. In it she reviews the history of Lent and the viewpoints of various men of church history.
Before the Cross
On reflection about the cross, Alicia Britt Chole quotes Leonard Sweet (5),
“On the cross leadership dies. On the cross success dies. On the cross, skills die, and excellence dies. All of my strengths—nailed to the cross. All of my weaknesses—nailed to the cross. All my yearnings for bigger and better, for anything other than Christ himself—nailed to that same cross. (6)
Should we not consider the shedding of ourselves and our personalities as we survey the Cross on which Jesus willingly gave His life for you and for me?
1. Pauses for Lent, by Trevor Hudson, p. 6 © 2015, Upper Room Books, Nashville TN 37212
2. IBID.
3. IBID.
4. IBID. p. 5
5. I am a Follower, The Way, the Truth, and the Life of Following Jesus. © 2012Thomas Nelson, Kindle edition. Page 153.
6. 40 Days of Decrease by Alicia Bitt Chole. P.30 © 2015, W Publishing (Thomas Nelson), Nashville TN
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Cecelia Lester has been serious about her writing for over two decades..
She composes Christian essays and posts them to her blog quietspirit-followingmyking.blogspot.com/
She has served in a faith-based organization, Grace In Action by writing two newsletters and searching for possible grants.
In July 2017, she published her first book, 'Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy.'
She and her husband of 54 years live in central Indiana. They have one grown son.
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