By Brother Matt Henson

 

The Christmas celebration occurred a little over one month ago. The memories of families gathered, late-night services to celebrate Jesus’ birth, and the beautiful music of Christmas are still fresh in our minds. Yet, in just over two weeks, we will transition into a season of preparation called Lent, the 40-days leading to Easter. The Lenten season invites us to fast and to contemplate our relationship with God and areas where we need to surrender.

 

The rhythm of the Christian seasons forming our calendar can serve as milestones for growth in our discipleship. Yet, too often, we miss the preparation and contemplation leading to the special days in the calendar. The lack of preparation and contemplation turns these discipleship milestones into religious actions with meaning but no evident transformational growth.

 

In Malachi 3:1-2 we read, “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.” The people have wearied the Lord with their words. They have called evil good and have questioned the Lord about his standing as the God of justice.

 

The Lord responds with the image of a refiner’s fire and a launderer’s soap. The image of fire is an image of power that consumes that which can be consumed and purifies that which cannot be consumed. Consider silver and gold that when brought to a high temperature are purified as the dross separates from the pure metal. The dross is removed and the purity of the precious metal is evident. The launderer’s soap penetrates deeply into the fabric to remove stains. Our hearts are stained with sin when we turn away from God, seeking our own desires and ways of living. The Lord is like the launderer’s soap that penetrates deeply into our hearts to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Consider Isaiah 1:18, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow.”

 

The Lenten season contemplation invites us to consider how we may be wearying the Lord. Have we come to the Lord with the same questions and not awaited the answer? Have we continued to walk in our way instead of walking in the way of the Lord? Have we pushed aside His call for us to leave our comfort to serve Him in more difficult places or to begin a new discipleship practice?

 

As we move toward Lent, I want to invite each of us to place ourselves before the Lord as the fire who will purify us and the soap who will cleanse us. On Ash Wednesday, we will be reminded of David’s words after his sin with Bathsheba when he states, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7). Let us consider the places where we may be wearying the Lord with our words, actions, and lack of action. Begin today to ask the Lord to spotlight those areas of your life in preparation for the Lenten Adventure filled with contemplation, sacrifice, and growth.