Fat Tuesday
Entering Lent With Psalm 1
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Today is a unique day, known as Fat Tuesday, a day of indulgence and revelry before the Lenten season begins. It's a day when many people indulge in excess before spending time fasting in preparation for Easter. However, Fat Tuesday is far from being a holy day. It stands in stark contrast to being Christ-like.
I've been spending time memorizing Psalm 1, which begins with: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the council of the ungodly, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD and on his law he meditates day and night
. . .”
Do you notice the progression, or should I say the regression, of walking, standing, and sitting? There's a slowing down that occurs, much like when we are tempted to sin. We first stop and pay attention to the temptation, then we may find ourselves giving in to it. However, the righteous do not pause to entertain temptation.
This reminds me of the Apostle Paul's advice to Timothy: flee from lustful passions. Don't give temptation your attention, don't slow down—run! And indeed, when we’re tempted, God promises a way of escape, but we must take it!
Delighting in the law of the LORD has an immense blessing. It allows us to become like a fruitful tree planted by streams of water. It leads to a righteous life that God watches over and blesses!
As we transition into the Lenten season, let us keep our minds focused on Jesus and the sacrifice he made for us. May our hearts echo the prayer of our LORD in the garden of Gethsemane: Not my will, but yours be done.
Over the next forty days, let's look forward with anticipation to Resurrection Sunday. During this time,
let us indulge in ways to honor our LORD with our words and actions. This season is an opportunity for us to become more like the blessed man in Psalm 1, who delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on it day and night.
Let us endeavor to be like the fruitful tree, deeply rooted in God's word, running towards righteousness. And may this Lenten season be a time of spiritual growth and renewal as we draw closer to our LORD. Amen?
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