"A TENDER PREPARATION"
Jesus presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3)
Luke considered especially sacred the interval between the resurrection of Christ and his ascension into heaven. He framed the period in terms of the sacred number forty, writing about a visible ascension of Jesus after forty days.
For the ancient Israelites and for Jesus himself, forty symbolized a time of intense training and groundwork for a great mission. The Israelites, in preparation for entry into the Promised Land, spent forty years in the wilderness. Moses fasted on Mount Sinai for forty days when receiving the Ten Commandments.
According to the gospels, Jesus fasted in the desert for forty days before he was led by the Spirit to return to Galilee and begin his ministry there. Similarly, before his ascension, Jesus spent forty days preparing the apostles to be guided by the Spirit at Pentecost and to begin their ministry to the ends of the earth.
Each of us has experienced a personal forty days —- periods in which we waited for God's guidance, for answers to prayer, or for an opportunity to accomplish something of lasting value. For some of us, the periods were painful times in which we trusted God to untangle knots from our foolish decisions or to clear away fallout from serious wrongs.
The temptation during our personal forty days is to resentfully grumble the time away or to forge ahead unrestrained. Sadly, that seems to be our nature. We would be wise, though, to pray for insight and discernment, for patience, and for an attitude of expectation.
When I reflect on the forty-day occurrences in my life, I appreciate that the most difficult ones turned out to be periods of tender preparation for something very special. I suspect it is the same for you. One thing is certain. Our forty-day experiences have all manner of purposes, but they are never a cruel testing of our faith. Our God is kind and loving. He sacrificed His son for us. What more could Our Creator do to assure us of His love?
Luke considered especially sacred the interval between the resurrection of Christ and his ascension into heaven. He framed the period in terms of the sacred number forty, writing about a visible ascension of Jesus after forty days.
For the ancient Israelites and for Jesus himself, forty symbolized a time of intense training and groundwork for a great mission. The Israelites, in preparation for entry into the Promised Land, spent forty years in the wilderness. Moses fasted on Mount Sinai for forty days when receiving the Ten Commandments.
According to the gospels, Jesus fasted in the desert for forty days before he was led by the Spirit to return to Galilee and begin his ministry there. Similarly, before his ascension, Jesus spent forty days preparing the apostles to be guided by the Spirit at Pentecost and to begin their ministry to the ends of the earth.
Each of us has experienced a personal forty days —- periods in which we waited for God's guidance, for answers to prayer, or for an opportunity to accomplish something of lasting value. For some of us, the periods were painful times in which we trusted God to untangle knots from our foolish decisions or to clear away fallout from serious wrongs.
The temptation during our personal forty days is to resentfully grumble the time away or to forge ahead unrestrained. Sadly, that seems to be our nature. We would be wise, though, to pray for insight and discernment, for patience, and for an attitude of expectation.
When I reflect on the forty-day occurrences in my life, I appreciate that the most difficult ones turned out to be periods of tender preparation for something very special. I suspect it is the same for you. One thing is certain. Our forty-day experiences have all manner of purposes, but they are never a cruel testing of our faith. Our God is kind and loving. He sacrificed His son for us. What more could Our Creator do to assure us of His love?
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