Forty Days~Water~Desert~Lent~Forty Nights

~~~ First Sunday of Lent ~~~

~~~ Genesis 9:8-15 ~~~ Psalm 25 ~~~ 1 Peter 3:18-22 ~~~ 

~~~ Mark 1:12-15 ~~~

Forty Days of Lent has deep meaning for us...

God sent a great flood. It rained for forty days and forty nights,

but God saved Noah, his family and pairs of animals of all species.

Jesus is led into the desert to be tried and tempted 

by the devil for forty days and nights.

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, 

and he remained in the desert for forty days,

tempted by Satan.

Jesus was alone in the desert...a time of solitude and torment.

He was being tested by Satan...Satan needed to prove

 to himself that Jesus was truly the Son of God.

The Spirit drove Jesus into the desert.

Was this time of temptation part of God's plan?

Was it necessary for Jesus to be put to the test?

Did Jesus need to have a personal encounter with Satan?

Is this what gave Jesus his later power over the Evil One?

After these temptations in the desert the Evil One

 knew that Jesus was the Savior.

After the flood God promised to never again destroy

 the Earth with floods.

He sends a brilliant rainbow

 to spread across the sky sealing his promise.

Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those 

who keep your covenant.

God did not abandon Jesus while he was in the desert;

he sent the angels to minister to him.

The angels were not there to prevent the attacks from Satan

they were present to let Jesus know he was not alone.

God has given us our own guardian angel.

In times of temptation it is this angel 

that comes to our assistance.

The waters of our Baptism is a reminder 

of the covenant God made with Noah.

Through our Baptism waters we are saved.

Forty Days...flood...rainbow...

...desert...Satan...temptation...salvation...

Remember the Blessings of the Rainbow.

It is true there can be no rainbow without the rains.

Jesus overcame the temptations in the desert for our salvation.

Repent, and believe in the gospel.

~~~Peace~~~

Beware: Too Good to be True

First Sunday of Lent



Deuteronomy 26:4-10~~Psalm 91~~~Romans 10:8-13~~~Luke 4:1-13

 

Lent begins with Jesus going away to fast and pray for 40 days.

The devil takes advantage of his isolation and tries

 to work his evil temptations on Jesus.

 

'Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan
and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days,
to be tempted by the devil.'

 

You undoubtedly have experienced your thought processes

 being clouded when you are hungry.

You can also become grouchy and more likely to be vulnerable.

Jesus was human so the devil thought he had a chance

to make Jesus listen to his lies.

The devil grossly underestimated who he was dealing with that night.

Jesus had the reinforcements from the one who sent him;

God the Father.

  

Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.

 

The words of psalm 91 gives us the assurance

that God has given his angels to guard over us.

When Jesus was tempted he did not hesitate to call on his Father.

We must teach ourselves to make calling on the Father for protection a habit.

We must practice this way of praying when we are not in the throws of temptations.

 

 

 

God is closer than you might think...right in your heart. 

 

The word is near you,
in your mouth and in your heart—that is, the word of faith that we preach— 

 

God will not abandon or forsake you when you call on him.

 

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

When the devil is placing before you a picture too good to be true

listen to the small voice of truth inside. 

The word of the Lord is spirit and truth.

The devil may not be able to outsmart Jesus,

but we must be vigilant to his trickery.

 

The Lord is near to all who call on him.

Lord, your presence in my life makes it more likely

 that I will be able to call for your assistance.