⁹ Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Lent  is a season in the Christian calendar leading up to Easter. Lent is 40 days long because Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days before his public ministry. The Israelites, because of their disobedience and rebellion, were made to wander for 40 years in the wilderness before arriving in the promised land. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai engaged with God in receiving the Ten Commandments. In the Bible, the number 40 is often used to indicate a period of preparation and testing.

In the wilderness, nothing is hidden. We are laid bare to God. We do not have our creature comforts. We are separated from  common, daily distractions. We ultimately will return to our lives when the time of preparation is complete. We focus  our passion on God while He refines us to fulfill his calling.

We face our own challenges in growing closer to God. As we prepare ourselves for the upcoming Easter celebration, we need to acknowledge our sin. We open our awareness to everything that separates us from God. We must examine all aspects of our lives to ensure we are holding nothing back from Him.

It matters because we have all sinned. We all need forgiveness, healing, and redemption from Jesus. We confess our trespasses and seek His mercy.

We pray. We address our Heavenly Father. We make petitions. We intercede. We acknowledge Him as the source of grace that gives us life. He is the God that is “with us” because of His birth in Bethlehem, the miracle of the cross, and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

We pray, but do we still confess our sins? Are we honest with ourselves and God about how our words and actions fall short of His glory? What is He preparing us for?

Over the next 40 days, let us — as a faith community —  reflect on the love of God and the victory of the cross. It matters.

Author: Bryan Merrill

Other Lenten readings for today:

• Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
• 2 Cor. 5:20b-6:10
• Matt 6:1-6, 16-21