Beginning of Lent

Today is commonly referred to as Ash Wednesday. We are enduring a blast of "ole man winter" in Louisville this week. We have seen our largest snowfall in several years as well as brutal cold (at least by Kentucky standards). But none of that can compare to the suffering that Christ, our Savior endured for each of us. He brought to earth God's plan of salvation for the human race. Our early ancestors, Adam and Eve had committed sin against God and their sin led to open rebellion and disobedience. The influence and desire to sin has been fueled through disobedience and rebellion and it has filled the souls of mankind since that day. BUT God has provided each of us a remedy for the aliment of sin and that remedy was nailed to the cross over 2,000 years ago. 

I would encourage you to reflect on the provision of our salvation over the next 40 plus days as we move toward Easter on April 5th. I read the following words in one of my devotionals this morning and I thought they would prove challenging as well as informational this morning. 

For some Christians, Lent has always been a part of their spiritual life, but for others it is unfamiliar. Lent is a season leading up to Easter, a time when Christians have historically prepared their hearts for Easter with reflection, repentance, and prayer. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and proceeds for forty days, excluding Sundays, and culminating with Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Since Sundays are weekly celebrations of the resurrection of Jesus, the six Sundays in Lent are not counted as part of the forty-day season, which focuses on introspection, self examination, and repentance. Many Christians choose to celebrate a fast throughout the season of Lent, but the focus is not on depriving themselves of something as much as it is on devoting themselves to God and His purposes in the world.