Lent is a relatively new practice for me. I grew up in a church that did not follow the liturgical calendar, but I explored the season of Lent on my own in college and since then. I’ve found the practice of Lent to be helpful in focusing my attention to the sacrifice of Jesus.
We often think of Lent as giving something up. Traditionally, it is a fasting season. People fast from meat (hence all the fish sandwich commercials these days), from meals, from social media, from coffee, from TV. Instead of fasting, some people may choose to simply be more intentional during Lent. Perhaps instead of fasting from breakfast, they wake up early to make breakfast, spending time in prayer while cooking eggs. Lent asks us to focus on our Savior in preparation for Easter.
In a world where we are constantly striving for more, Lent gives us the opportunity to rest in God’s abundance.
I love Psalm 130 when thinking about Lent and God’s abundance. It begins with a cry for God’s ear.
Out of the depths I call to You, Yahweh!
Lord, listen to my voice;
let Your ears be attentive
to my cry for help.
There is abundant blessing in a God who hears our cries.
The next stanza is what Easter and Lent are all about.
Yahweh, if You considered sins,
Lord, who could stand?
But with You there is forgiveness,
so that You may be revered.
The one thing we have naturally in abundance is sin. We are constantly disobeying God. Lent teaches us that. Lent is often a magnifying glass for my weakness. When I try to fast or attempt to focus for 40 days and either fail or complain the entire time, I am aware of my need for a Savior who forgives abundantly. With God, there is forgiveness.
Verses 5 and 6:
I wait for Yahweh; I wait
and put my hope in His word.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning—
more than watchmen for the morning.
At the time this psalm was written, the Israelites were waiting for the Messiah. They put their hope in the promises of God. They believed that He would make a way for them to be forgiven. And they waited.
Lent is a time of waiting. While we fast and pray, we wait. We join in with all the believers before us in waiting for Easter. We know our Messiah has come. We know He has died so that we might live so we put our hope in the cross. We also know that He is coming again. We wait for Easter and we wait for the second coming. Like a watchman waiting for the morning, waiting for what we know is sure.
And the last stanza:
Israel, put your hope in the Lord.
For there is faithful love with the Lord,
and with Him is redemption in abundance.
And He will redeem Israel
from all its sins.
With Him is redemption in abundance. We are abundant in sin, but He is abundant in redemption.
Lent begins this Wednesday, February 10. We pray that if you observe Lent this year, you will use it as a time to remember God’s abundance. He is abundant in love, in peace, in life, and in redemption.
We want you to join us for an Abundance event. Join together with women from all walks of life for this two-day event to explore the sufficiency and generosity of Christ through abundance. Authors and teachers like Lisa Harper, Kelly Minter, Lysa TerKeurst, and Annie F. Downs will explore how embracing God’s abundance transforms each area of our lives—in difficult seasons and in high places. More information and how to register here.
Elizabeth Hyndman is a content & production editor and social media strategist for Lifeway Women. You can follow her on Twitter @edhyndman. She also writes at her blog edhyndman.com.
