First Sunday in Lent - Spiritual Discipline

Goes along with Adult Devotion of the same title.

Jesus trained himself to focus on God. We can do that, too.

Read Matthew 4:1-11.

Bible Focus: “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” -Matthew 4:1-2

When Jesus was baptized, it was a big deal. He was dunked in a river, and when he came out of the water, the heavens opened, the Holy Spirit came down on him like a dove, and the voice of God the Father told the watching crowds that Jesus was his Son, and he was very pleased with him!

After such an exciting event, wouldn’t you think that Jesus would start preaching and performing miracles?

He didn’t do either of those things. Instead, as today’s reading explains, he immediately went out into the desert by himself to fast for 40 days and 40 nights.

To be clear, Jesus wasn’t out there racing around the desert. He was fasting, which means he was not eating during the day. Rather than obeying the rumblings of his stomach, he was training, or disciplining, himself to focus on God. 

Jesus had a difficult job ahead of him. He had to live a perfect life until he died for us on the cross. With that in mind, it made perfect sense for him to fast. He needed to prepare himself for all the temptations to sin that were going to come.

Just like Jesus, we are tempted to sin all the time. We are not always able to avoid sin, and we need to confess our sin and receive forgiveness every day. However, practice makes progress, and the more we train, or discipline, ourselves to obey God, the better we will become with God’s help.

Your challenge this week:

Consider fasting, or giving something up, for Lent. It could be anything, from chocolate to soda to YouTube. Only give it up if it will help you focus on God.

Please pray:

Dear Jesus, you were tempted to sin, but you didn’t. I confess that I give in to temptation every day. Thank you for always forgiving me and showing me a better way. I ask that you would help me to focus on you. In Your name I pray, Amen.