Breaking Bread: Lent, a spiritual preparation for Easter

Breaking Bread: Lent, a spiritual preparation for EasterThe time of Lent is a call to renew a commitment grown dull by a life filled with routine rather than reflection.

by Vernon Cloete

27-03-2023 10:00

in It Is Written

Give it to God and rest. Trusting God. Photo: PEXELS/Tara Winstead

It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. What a profound truth! A realisation that eases the grip of life on man - surrendering to God in all things. Partake in this feast as we consume food for the soul, nourishing the spirit in Breaking Bread. It is Monday, 27th March 2023.

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Lent is a season of spiritual preparation by Christians before Easter. It usually starts on Ash Wednesday. As Christians we go through a period of fasting, repentance, self-denial and spiritual discipline for 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter. This is remind-full of Israel's 40 years in the wilderness before they arrived in the Promised land. It is also a reminder of the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness before His public ministry began.

The purpose of lent is to set aside time to focus on Jesus Christ to do a reflection on Jesus Christ by looking at His suffering, sacrifices and His life, death and resurrection.

The thoughts of our hearts lead to actions. The concentrations of the meditation of our hearts should therefore be committed to Him during this Lenten season. As Jude said once: contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.'' All of us strive to recognise our need and desire to meet with God, but remember He strives more faithfully to empower us.

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We should therefore live in such a way that proclaims our faith in Christ- No matter the pressure of society, no matter the dangers we face in life.

We should remember the following things during this Lenten season:

God is always calling us to a deeper union with Him

He invites us during this period to search our hearts

God wants us to uncover our hidden faults, to tear down our idols and walls which prevent His presence to dwell inside us

We must lengthen our hearts to make room for God to dwell in and to secure His presence in our hearts

We need to leave Egypt behind like the Israelites- In other words we need to leave our past behind and sin no more.

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Now, we should begin a journey of becoming a new creation in Jesus Christ. We are all destined to experience the presence and the pleasure of the Lord in our lives forever. So, let us take the first step into the wilderness this Lenten season remember, there is no other path that leads to the Promised Land. Whatever we give up during this Lenten period of 2023 as a sacrifice to remember the Cross, death and resurrection of Jesus, let it not be for the sake of Lent, but let this strengthen our relationship with God and result in us being new creations in Christ.

PRAYER Dear Lord, may Your light guide us during this period of sacrifice and may Your Spirit bring us everlasting peace. May our sacrifices of this Lenten period remind us of our dependence on You for all the blessings that we enjoy. Lord, all we want is to be faithful to You in our lives, but we fail so often. Guide us to the life we want to share with You. Amen.

ALSO READ: Breaking Bread: The Lord is our good Shepard.

Lent was deel van die praktyk van die kerk vir eeue. Die kalender van die Christen het seisoene soos Advent, Kersfees, Paasfees en Pinkster. Dit is tye wanneer ons fokus op die koms, dood, opstanding van Jesus en die uitstorting van die Heilige Gees. Ons fokus egter in hierdie oordenking op die 40 dae tydperk (Lent) vanaf As Woensdag tot by Paasfees. Christene word gedurende hierdie tydperk dwarsdeur die wereld aangemoedig om aan n 40 dae voorbereidingstyd deel te neem in aanloop tot die Paasgebeure.

40 is ook nie n toevallige getal nie. Die getal verteenwoordig n geloofsgeskiedenis, n tydperk van intense geestelike voorbereiding. Moses was 40jaar lank in die woestyn voordat God hom geroep het tot nasiebou en mensebevryding. Jesus het 40 dae lank in die woestyn met die bose geworstel voordat Hy met Sy openbare bediening begin het. Met ons deelname aan Lent deel ons saam met ons Christen broers en susters dwarsoor die wereld aan hierdie geloofsgeskiedenis.

Hoekom moet ons Lent ernstig opneem:

Ons word deur hierdie Lent periode die geleentheid gegee om oor ons lewens te besin;

Gedurende die Lent periode sien ons ook die wegdryf van ons geloof raak;

Ons kry ook die geleentheid om meer intensioneel in ons navolging van Christus te word gedurende Lent;

Lent berei ons voor om Paasfees, die herdenking van die dood en opstanding van Jesus, dieper te beleef;

Kom ons deel deel hierdie Lent-reistog met iemand of met n groepie mense. Die gedagte is om op hierdie manier, nie mekaar te fix'' nie maar om mekaar aan te moedig en te ondersteun. Ek deel hierdie reistog met my vrou, Bonita, en ek kan u almal verseker dit is die moeite werd. Dit hou ons naby God en laat beleef ons opnuut die krag van die Evangelie en hoe dit lei tot die vestiging van n nuwe mens'' in Christus.

Ons moet altyd onthou dat die doel van Lent is om na te dink oor die lewe,dood en opstanding van Jesus Christus. Wat ons ookal opgee gedurende hierdie tyd, moet die resultaat inhou van die versterking van ons geloofverhouding met God.

So laat ons die eerste stap gee na die woestyn hierdie Lent- seisoen want dit is die enigste pad wat lei tot die Beloofde Land.

GEBED Dankie Here vir U liefde en omgee vir ons as U skape. Dankie dat U gesterf het aan die Kruis sodat ons U vrede kan ervaar en aanneem in ons families. Here, help ons om maniere te vind om U vrede te soek veral wat ons verhoudinge met andere betref gedurende die lent-seisoen 2023. Help ons ook om ons lewens af te le vir ander. Amen.

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