Trusting God's word during Lent

 Lent is just around the corner. Years ago I read an article titled, Five Reasons Not to Observe Lent, written by Aaron Damiani. My first inclination was to scoff at the title - Lent is among my favorite parts of the Church year. As it turns out, the article was not about doing away with the Lent. Rather, it was about approaching Lent in a right way. It highlighted 5 bad reasons to do a Lenten fast, namely:

 

⁃ To slim your waist line

⁃ To make God happy

⁃ To cure an addiction

⁃ To showcase your spirituality

⁃ Because it's a cool trend

 

As I read through the article, I had to admit that I have approached the Lenten season with wrong motives. Even so, as I reflect on my past Lenten journeys, and the motives behind my chosen fasts, I can clearly see some areas of my life that were reshaped for the better, and in long-lasting ways.

 

But if Lent is not the Church's 40 days to quit smoking plan...if it is not an ancient tradition for getting your best beach body before swimsuit season arrives, then what is the point? Why have 100s of millions (perhaps billions) of people down through the ages, practiced this yearly ritual of giving something up for Lent?

 

More than just "giving something up for Lent" Fasting, prayer, and alms giving are the three spiritual practices that are commonly associated with the Lenten season.

 

These practices are good practices in and of themselves, but Lent is about more than these. At its best, Lent is about helping strengthen us against the oldest and most pressing problem humanity has faced. From the beginning, our problem has been that Satan gets us to fall for the oldest trick in the Book. And do you know what that trick is? Satan's oldest trick is getting us to doubt God's Word. ("Did God really say...?)

 

This is the main weapon the great accuser has to wield against us. It is a deadly weapon...the deadliest weapon of all. God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but through a strange combination of questions, half-truths, and insinuations the devil caused our first parents to doubt God's loving word of warning, and to trust his empty promise of something better.

 

Wherever Satan rears his ugly head, there he is, calling into question the clear Word of God, and falsely promising something better. From the Garden of Eden to Christ's 40-day wilderness fast, the father of lies is there willing to promise anything if it will get us to lose faith in God's Word of truth.

 

With the 40-day fast of Christ in the wilderness, people often focus on the temptations: hunger, recognition, power and authority. However, when we take a step back and compare the words of fallen Lucifer with God's Word of truth, it becomes clear - the ancient serpent was up to his old tricks again.

 

Just before Christ's temptation in the wilderness we can hear the voice of our Heavenly Father proclaiming at the baptism of Jesus, "This is my beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased." And what are the first words out of the devils mouth not 3 verses later? "If you are the Son of God..."

 

IF? It almost doesn't matter what comes out of his mouth next. It doesn't matter if Jesus is hungry or not. It doesn't matter if Jesus wants the world to acknowledge Him or not. What matters is that Satan is up to His old tricks, trying to cause Christ to doubt the Father's Word of truth. Satan even uses Scripture, twisting it in order help call into question God's motives...His intentions...His purpose in our lives.

 

The Word says that humanity was created in the image of God...Satan says "God doesn't want you to be like Him. He's holding out on you." The Father says, "You are my beloved Son." Satan says, "If you are God's Son, prove it." The Scriptures teach us time, and time, and time again that God loves us and forgives us, that in Christ He did all that is needed to reconcile us to Himself. Satan says, "You'll have to do more if you want His love." Or on the other hand, "You have gone too far this time. There's no hope for you."

 

During Lent, people often attempt to give up certain vices in the name of being more healthy, or holy, or to gain some deeper connection with God. But all of it is vanity if it doesn't accomplish the true purpose of Christian devotion. The purpose of Lent - the purpose of the whole of the Christian faith - is simple. True Christian devotion helps us to know God more, to trust Him more, to love Him more. God's purpose in giving us the Scriptures is that we might know Him, love Him, and trust Him above all things.

 

Satan's greatest goal and desire is that we would not know, or love, or trust God.

 

Satan wants us to live opposed to God's Word and then lose hope because of our failures, and sins. But God assures us in His Word that we can trust Him. He assures us that even though we are faithless, He is faithful to His promises. In Christ, God came in the flesh to save us from Satan's lies, from our sins, and from death itself. At its best, Lent is about leaning into God's Word and growing in our faith in Christ, as we seek to live faithfully according to His Word.

 

During the upcoming Lenten journey, remember that true devotion lies in trusting God's Word. Trusting God's Word is lived out by hearing it and obeying. May we each hear God's Word, trust in His grace, and follow where He leads; through Jesus

Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen.