Fasting

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday -- know what that is? The beginning of the season of lent.

Lent is a 40-day liturgical season that begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes at the Great Vigil of Easter. Sundays are not included in the 40-day count because every Sunday is a joyful celebration of Jesus' resurrection. Though not biblical, Lent has long been a tradition in the Christian Church, and it is thought that the tradition of the 40 days recalls the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness, fasting and being tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1-11). Lent is considered a time of penance and discipline.

We have fasted as a family from various things during lent over the years: sweets, t.v., computer, pop (aka soda). Taking the time we usually spent doing those things to instead spend time with God - reading His word and in prayer. Giving up something to grow closer to Him. This year we decided to try a meal fast. We are giving up lunches for lent this year. Instead of having food we will FEAST on God's word. Thought we would share today's "feast":

Our scripture was Duet. 30:15-20 15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

and Luke 9:22-25 22And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."
23Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?

Finding time to be still and listen to the Lord is not always an easy thing to do -- ok its an extremely difficult thing in a house with 6 kids!!! But today was a blessed time for us all to be reflecting on God's word and praying for one another together during "lunch" time.

May this encourage you to seek God and flee from temptation today!