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Pastors Page
The Quiet and
Reflective Season of Lent
FOR THE LORD
UNDERSTANDS HOW WEAK WE ARE; HE KNOWS WE ARE ONLY DUST. OUR DAYS ON
EARTH ARE LIKE GRASS; LIKE WILDFLOWERS WE BLOOM AND DIE. THE WIND
BLOWS, AND WE ARE GONE--AS THOUGH WE HAD NEVER BEEN HERE.
BUT THE
LOVE OF THE LORD REMAINS FOREVER!
–Psalm 103
After Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led him out into the
desert, where he stayed for forty days. The prophet Elijah once
fled into the desert and stayed there for forty days. While in the
desert, Jesus was tempted by Satan, and Elijah struggled with doubts
and despair. For Jesus and Elijah, the time in the desert was not a
time of great joy--but it was an important time--a time of silence,
a time of reflection, a time of struggle with temptation.
Lent is not
far away! It’s the Christian season that precedes Easter, and it
begins with Ash Wednesday I like to think of Lent—symbolically—as
time we spend in the desert. Like the time Jesus and Elijah spent
in the desert, Lent lasts for forty days. And also like the time
they spent in the desert, Lent is not a time of great joy; rather,
it’s a time of reflection—a time to examine our lives, our hearts,
and our walk with the Lord. It is a holy time, a solemn time, a
time when we are to withdraw—spiritually—into the desert of
self-examination.
I
encourage you, during the upcoming forty days of Lent, to spend some
time in the desert. Try to spend some time alone with God. Try to
spend some time in silence. Reflect upon your life and your faith.
Are there sins in your life that you need to acknowledge and ask God
to forgive? Are there areas in your life needing improvement? Are
there relationships which need restored? Do you need to draw closer
to God?
Lent is the time to ask such questions. It’s a time to take a long,
hard look at yourself and your life. And, traditionally, it’s also
a time to remember our own mortality: to remember that in the large
scope of things, our days here on earth are very brief. The Bible
reminds us of this somber fact over and over again.
Our days here on earth are very brief, but our days in Heaven will
span eternity! That’s why Jesus tells us to store up treasures in
heaven—not on earth. It’s my prayer that during this upcoming
Season of Lent, we will all take time to reflect on our lives, ask
ourselves where we’re storing our treasures, and draw closer to the
Lord.
God’s Peace
and Grace,
Pastor Randy |
