Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Breaking Bread: Lent, a spiritual preparation for Easter

27/03/2023

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.

--

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.

--

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.

--

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.

How much of a rugby fanatic
LINK: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/culture/christian-connect/it-is-writte...
See more stories from thesouthafrican

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

13/02/2026

L3Harris Successfully Completes First Phase of P25 Transition for Florida SLERS

The upgrade to a Project 25 network provides state agencies communicating on the Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System flexibility to tailor the network to the...

13/02/2026

Riedel Opens Kuala Lumpur Office to Strengthen Global 24...

Riedel Communications has officially opened a new office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, marking a strategic expansion of its global Customer Success and IT software...

13/02/2026

ES Broadcast Hire duo celebrate 10-year anniversary with...

Two of ES Broadcast Hire's longest-serving employees recently celebrated a decade working for the company. Annie Breislin, Operations Manager, and Charles ...

13/02/2026

Disguise Opens Experience Center and Office in Atlanta

Disguise, the award-winning technology company powering global experiences, today unveils a new 8,000-square-foot office and Experience Center in Atlanta, creat...

13/02/2026

Mavis Expands External Camera Support with Accsoon SeeMo...

At BSC Expo 2026, Mavis announced full support for the Accsoon SeeMo series of iOS camera adapters across Mavis Camera and Mavis Monitor apps. This new integrat...

13/02/2026

Butcher Bird Studios Keeps Signals Flowing Seamlessly Acr...

Executing technically ambitious live streams, virtual productions, and immersive media today requires talent, creativity, and the right supporting technology. L...

13/02/2026

LTN makes key appointments and introduces new Technology...

Michal Miskin-Amir, Jonathan Stanton and Bobby Bond to lead technical advances amid surge in demand for LTN's IP video transport services as satellite capac...

13/02/2026

NATO Upgrades Broadcast Studio with Grass Valley Cameras

Grass Valley, the pioneering media and entertainment technology innovator, has won a competitive NATO-wide tender to provide the new camera system for NATO'...

13/02/2026

Digital Azul strengthens remote production strategy with...

Wireless IP intercom underpins agile, multi-location live production workflows Digital Azul, the independent production powerhouse specialising in complex liv...

13/02/2026

Actus Digital Sets a New Standard for QA Monitoring and C...

Actus Digital, a LiveU company, will unveil major new enhancements to its Actus X Intelligent Monitoring Platform at NAB Show (LiveU booth N1740), reinforcing i...

13/02/2026

FA Cup goes IP with Pitch International plus Synamedia an...

Globecast, a worldwide leader in broadcast services, and leading video software provider, Synamedia, today announced that Pitch International (Pitch), the leadi...

13/02/2026

Rai Selects Imagine Selenio Network Processor for IP Migration

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

13/02/2026

CIMM Details Research Plans for 2026 and New Board Appointments

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

13/02/2026

Teradek Unveils RF-A Auto Switcher

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

13/02/2026

Spectrum Launches 'Invincible Wifi'

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

13/02/2026

Actus Digital to Introduce Actus X Platform Enhancements At NAB Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

13/02/2026

Sennheiser Wireless Spectera Solution Tackles Super Bowl LX With Ease

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

13/02/2026

Nate Bargatze to Receive 2026 NAB Television Chairman's Award

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

13/02/2026

New RT series tells stranger-than-fiction stories of Irish con artists

New RT series tells stranger-than-fiction stories of Irish con artists Swindlers airs Wednesday 18 February, 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player Swindlers, a...

12/02/2026

Chyron Merges Live Web Content and CG Graphics with PRIME 5.3

Chyron unveils PRIME 5.3, the latest software release of the company's powerful engine for live production graphics. PRIME 5.3 delivers the first official i...

12/02/2026

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Interra Systems' Anupama Anantharaman on Protecting Live Sports Quality Across IP and OTT Workflows

The vendor's VP of Product Management explains how quality assurance, monito...

12/02/2026

LTN Makes Key Appointments and Introduces New Technology Organization

LTN announces the appointment of three experienced executives to lead its new Technology organization: Michal Miskin-Amir as EVP and Head of Technology, Jonatha...

12/02/2026

Riedel Opens Kuala Lumpur Office to Strengthen Global 24/7 Software and IT Support

Riedel Communications has officially opened a new office in Kuala Lumpur, Malays...

12/02/2026

NATO Upgrades Brussels HQ Broadcast Studio with Grass Valley LDX 135 Cameras

Grass Valley has won a competitive NATO-wide tender to provide the new camera system for NATO's main broadcast studio at its Brussels headquarters. The proj...

12/02/2026

Canon Announces Big Game Broadcast Lens Use Data

Canon U.S.A announces that the vast majority of broadcast lenses utilized on the NBC live broadcast for the Big Game between New England and Seattle on Sunday w...

12/02/2026

Three-Time Grammy-Winner Ludacris to Headline Performances at NBA All-Star 2026 in LA

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and NBC Sports announce the entertainm...

12/02/2026

IOC Awards Broadcast Rights in Middle East and North Africa to beIN MEDIA GROUP

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announces that beIN MEDIA GROUP ( beIN ), the leading global sports, entertainment and media organisation, has secured...

12/02/2026

Big 12 Conference Unveils ASB GlassFloor for Upcoming Tournaments in March

The Big 12 Conference and ASB GlassFloor introduces a full LED video sports floor that will debut at the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's and Women's Baske...

12/02/2026

TNDV Showcases Aspiration35 at National Religious Broadcasters Convention 2026

Continuing its commitment to serving the faith-based broadcast and live event community, mobile production company TNDV, a division of Live Media Group, will hi...

12/02/2026

Marshall Electronics POVs Power Hidden-Camera Investigations on German TV Series, ACHTUNG ABZOCKE

The production team of the long-running German investigative series Achtung Abz...

12/02/2026

Vizrt Launches Sports Production Bundles to Empower US Students to Produce Like the Pros

Vizrt announces the launch of four Campus Stadium Production Bundles, designed t...

12/02/2026

LiveU Spotlights Three Broadcast Priorities with Digital-First, Workflow Automation, IP Contribution Resilience

At NAB Show, LiveU will showcase its broadest IP-video EcoSystem to date, design...

12/02/2026

Follow the Money, Episode 5: Analyzing Sports Media Deals With Sam McCleery and PwC's Lori Bistis

Welcome to the Sports Video Group's new interview series, Follow the Money, ...

12/02/2026

NBC Sports Engineers a Super Bowl Transmission Plan That Reached From Alcatraz to Stamford - and Out Onto San Francisco Bay

400 Gbps of bandwidth, layered redundancy, and mobile-first connectivity powered...

12/02/2026

5 Ideas for Bringing the Music You Love Into Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day often comes with a soundtrack. In fact, Spotify data shows that more people used Blend, our shared playlist feature, on February 14, 2025, t...

12/02/2026

Prompted Playlist in Beta Coming to Premium Listeners in More Markets

Some days you want your music to reflect a specific feeling, memory, or vibe that goes beyond a single artist or genre. You want to do more than listen. You wan...

12/02/2026

Our Medicine S2: Frontline Medicine Through A Blak Lens

Our Medicine S2: Frontline Medicine Through A Blak Lens 12 February, 2026 Media releases A Bigger, Bolder Second Series showcasing First Nations Frontline ...

12/02/2026

L3Harris' VAMPIRE System Successfully Fires Thales' Belgian-Made 70 mm Rockets

L3Harris' VAMPIRE system fires Thales Belgian-made 70 MM rocket from an FZ60...

12/02/2026

LTN Names 3 Executives to Lead Technology Group

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

12/02/2026

On the Ice, There's a Third Team at Work

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

12/02/2026

Mo Rocca to Receive the 2026 LABF Insight Award at NAB Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

12/02/2026

Marshall Electronics POVs Power Hidden Camera Investigat...

The production team of the long-running German investigative series Achtung Abzocke recently upgraded its cameras for the show's 12th season. The objectiv...

12/02/2026

Bitmovin Appoints Ian Baglow as Co-Chief Executive Office...

Leading provider of video streaming solutions, Bitmovin, has appointed Ian Baglow as Co-CEO alongside existing CEO and Co-Founder Stefan Lederer. Under this str...

12/02/2026

Vizrt Launches Sports Production Bundles to Empower US St...

Vizrt, a leading viewer engagement platform and a trusted expert in live production technologies, today announces the launch of four Campus Stadium Production B...