Matthew 4:2
“After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”
Did you know the number 40 is mentioned 146 times in the Bible? Moses spent 40 days atop Mt. Sinai with the Lord when he received the Ten Commandments. He then spent 40 years in the desert, leading the people of Egypt to the Promised Land. Rain fell upon the Earth for 40 days after Noah followed God’s calling to build an ark. The Book of Exodus has 40 chapters, and the Bible was written by 40 people. Most importantly, Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert while being tempted by the devil.
As you may know, we are currently in the season of Lent—a six week, 40 day period of fasting—modeled after Christ’s 40 days in the desert. And, as we are made blatantly aware every morning, we are also in a season of quarantine. What does that have to do with Lent? What does that have to do with the number 40?
Well…the word “quarantine” actually comes from the Latin word, “quadraginta,” which translates directly to “forty.” It seems to be no mistake that the world was taken by a pandemic during the season of Lent, the period of 40 days we use to prepare for the spiritual renewal of Easter. Typically, we take these 40 days to grow in the Word, sacrifice our luxuries, and focus on the basic values of Christianity.
This Lent is no different, only a more “Lentier” version of what we’re used to. This makes it more difficult to enter that period of spiritual renewal and peace that comes with Easter. Knowing and understanding this, we can either give up because life is tough, or challenge ourselves to grow during the uncertainty that comes with this virus. I hope you choose to challenge yourself.
Rather than focusing on what we don’t have right now, as if we were in the desert with Jesus or with Moses, try to shift your thinking to what you are blessed with. You are not hungry and in the desert. You are not traveling barefoot across thousands of miles of desert with Moses. Instead, you are living, breathing, and healthy.
Without sports and extracurriculars, you have time to feed your spiritual hunger during this Lent. Will you put your focus in the Lord, or will you stay in the desert? Take a second today to write 40 things you’re thankful for and really focus in on what God is doing right now in your quarantine and this Lent season.