The Purpose of Lent

What does the Israelites’ forty years in the desert tell us about
the purpose of Lent? Sure, they both involve the number forty—which
often represents a time of test and trial in the Bible—but what’s
the more important connection? The Israelites’ time in the desert
and our forty-day Lenten fast represent God’s invitation for us to
trust him completely. Fr. Mike explains, the Israelites did not
believe the Lord could bring them into the Promised Land because it
was inhabited by a people much more powerful and larger than
Israel—they didn’t trust him even after he delivered them from
slavery to the largest civilization on the planet, Egypt. We can be
the same way. We think God can’t give us the strength to overcome
this or that sin or habit. But purpose of Lent is to set aside time
for us to trust God completely so we can see that he is all we
need.