Scripture
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. (2) After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” Matthew 4:1-2 (NIV)

For forty days and forty nights, Jesus traveled through the desert alone without any food or roadmaps to guide Him. He faced temptation at every corner yet remained true to His purpose: being crucified on the cross as a perfect sacrifice. Talk about love and devotion for us, right? Maybe it doesn’t feel all that challenging to resist the donuts on the snack table at work for a day—but could you do it for forty?

 

Continually resisting temptation is no small feat, which is why Lent is such a special time for us to bond with Jesus. Lent provides us with the opportunity to show Him that we are grateful for the life He has given us. Jesus gave up food for forty days. We make choices to give up steak dinners or caffeinated beverages—the comforts in life that Jesus’s sacrifice has allowed us to have in the first place. What we give up feels insignificant in comparison to what He gave up, yet sacrificing some of our creature comforts by choice shows God we are in awe of His power and glory.

 

Though Lent may leave you feeling physically hungry, you should also feel spiritually hungry⁠—hungry to become a holier version of yourself, hungry to fulfill God’s will and hungry to spend eternity with him. After all, the only thing that can truly satisfy our spiritual hunger is God’s love. Something we can feast on at any time. There is no limit to his love that nourishes the soul because God’s great banquet table is open 24/7.

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