When 21 Days Turns Into 40

At the end of 21 days, I thought I was done. Wohoo!

By the grace of God, I made it through. He also totally showed up and showed out.

I was already in serious celebration mode and headed for what promised to be a wonderful gourmet coffee to be purchased nearby.

And then He gently asked:

“Will you go 40?”

Uhmmm…. yes?. The caffeine that was so close the I could smell it evaded me yet again. Back to the point at hand.

Forty in Scripture is never random.

Forty represents: Testing. Preparation. Transformation.

Moses. Elijah. Jesus in the wilderness.

Forty days stretches what 21 days reveals.

The second half of the fast wasn’t about giving things up. It was about letting God go deeper still.

Without caffeine, I felt fatigue.

Without rushing, I felt how anxiety would try to creep in.

Without shopping or eating out, I felt my tangible need for comfort.

Without television, I felt the silence.

And in that silence — I met Him differently than ever before.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10

The Call to Action

What would it look like for you and I to extend our obedience beyond momentary comfort?

Don’t quit at breakthrough. Lean into the stretch.

today’s radiant insights:

Surrender doesn’t empty you. It makes room.

When we remove what distracts us, we don’t become deprived.

We become more aware of God’s presence.