Live on the word of God this Lenten season

Many Christian denominations follow the traditional seasons of the Church in the western hemisphere. My denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA) does, and this past Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, we entered the season of Lent. There are 40 days of Lent; the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Yet, if you count the days, you will come up with 46. Sundays during this period are not counted, so if you have given up something during Lent, like chocolate, you can technically eat it on Sunday. There is a built-in loophole.

Yet, the season of Lent is not about loopholes. Lent is modeled upon the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness right after his baptism by John the Baptist. For Jesus, it was a time focused on prayer and fasting, a time of close communion with God. Many people model this by increasing the time devoted to prayer and by fasting during each week. If you read chapter 4 in Matthew’s gospel, you will find out that this is also a time of temptation for Jesus, temptation that he did not give into. Through his battle with Satan, he instructs us what we can do to resist temptation. They are: “We live on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Do not put the Lord your God to the test. Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”

During this Lenten season, take the time to do what Jesus teaches. Live on the word of God by reading Holy Scripture. Don’t test the Lord by doing things you know you should not do. Serve God by serving other people, and join other people in the worshipping of God.

“But I am loyal and gracious to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.” Exodus 20:6

The Rev. Karen Dumey is the pastor of Hunter Memorial First Presbyterian Church in Sikeston.