Lenten Reflections

During the season of Lent, which began on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday, many people change their eating habits. Some may

give up sweets or meat, while others may engage in some form of fasting. All of this may carry some benefits, but I think for Christians the Lenten season should be more than another opportunity to become a vegan or to lose weight.

Why observe Lent?

The forty days leading up to Easter are an opportune time for prayer and fasting and drawing closer to God. It is a time when we remember the great sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf. He left His splendid home in heaven and came down to earth to die on a cruel Roman cross so that we could spend eternity with Him in heaven. Just thinking about it is enough to make us give up all of our bad habits and re-dedicate our lives to Him. Lent is a time when we attempt to empty ourselves and come bare before the cross to find cleansing and healing. As Jesus suffered and died on Calvary, so we too should be willing to suffer and die (to self) with Him.

Lent should be a period of austerity that prepares us for the grand celebration of Easter. This is the day we commemorate Jesus' resurrection from the dead. Contrary to what some religions teach, Jesus literally died on the cross and He literally rose from the grave on Easter Sunday morning (Matthew 28: 1 - 10).

What should we reflect on during Lent?

Our Lord taught us many lessons while He was here on earth, but during the brief period from His arrest to His crucifixion and resurrection, He showed us many examples that we should follow if we are to be His disciples.

Lenten reflections will continue next week.

If you and your family are looking for cards, gifts and decor to celebrate the Easter season, why not check out the link below? There is something for everyone.

Esther - Woman Of Beauty And Courage

The book of Esther is one of the best known and loved books of the Bible, yet it is the only book that never mentions the name of God. However, from Esther's actions, we can tell that she believed that it was only through God's help that she could overcome the battle that was raging against her and her fellow Jews.

Esther Becomes Queen

Esther was raised by her uncle Mordecai after her parents died. Esther was very beautiful and through Mordecai's initiative, she was presented to King Xerxes who was looking for a wife. The king immediately fell in love with Esther, married her and she became queen. Esther now passed from a season of being a poor orphan to a season of royalty. Who could hope for more? But shortly after becoming queen, her uncle Mordecai sent her a message that Haman, one of the king's aides, was planning to kill him and all the Jews because he, Mordecai, would not bow to him.

Esther's Dilemma

Esther was dumbfounded. As queen she carried a certain amount of influence, but not even she could go into the king's presence uninvited and she had not seen him in thirty days. Furthermore, Xerxes didn't even know she was a Jew. No sooner had she sent this message to Mordecai, than he sent back another one, saying, "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will  escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arrive from another place ... And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4: 12-14).

Esther's Act Of Courage

Mordecai's answer spurred Esther to action and she instructed him to gather all the Jews in Susa to fast for her for three days while she and her maids also fasted, and at the end of that time she would go into the king. She ended with the now famous words, "And if I perish, I perish" (v 16). Esther's actions resulted in Haman being hanged, the king revoking his decree against the Jews and giving them the authority to kill and annihilate any armed forces that attacked them.

Victory Through Fasting

Wasn't that a supernatural victory? There comes a time when beauty, position, wealth or any other resources we may have is not enough to wage war againt the enemy. Esther realized that she needed supernatural strength to enter the king's courts and secure a victory for her and her fellow Jews. And so she used the powerful weapon of fasting. The Bible records other instances where people fasted for spiritual reasons. God Himself says about fasting, "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?" (Isaiah 56: 6). When Jesus' disciples asked Him why they could not cast out a demon from a little boy, Jesus replied, "Because you have so little faith ... Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting" (Matthew 17: 20-21) KJV.

Are you in a spiritual battle? Do you need supernatural strength to wage war against the enemy? Then pray and fast and victory will be yours. You can read more about Esther here in this excerpt from my book Women For All Seasons. And if you subscribe to this blog between now and the end of the year, you can win a copy of the book.