The 40 days of Lent are meant to be a time of testing and teaching.

Have you ever noticed how often the number 40 is mentioned in the Bible?

Famous 40s from the Bible

The rains of the great flood fell for 40 days and 40 nights. Before receiving the Ten Commandments, Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights fasting on Mount Sinai. The children of Israel spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Before entering the Promised Land, the spies spent 40 days and 40 nights scouting the land.

Before being killed by David’s slingshot, the giant Goliath spent 40 days taunting God’s people. The prophet Elijah spent 40 days and 40 nights fleeing to Mount Horeb without food. Jesus spent 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness fasting and being tempted by the devil. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples for a period of 40 days before ascending into heaven.

And that’s only a handful of all the 40s found in the Bible.

Even a cursory study of all those 40s reveals a pattern, a common thread among them. They were all times of testing and teaching. They were times when God allowed his people to struggle and face challenges in order to strengthen them and bring them closer to himself.

Time of testing in your life

Right now, we find ourselves in a famous 40 known as the season of Lent.

The first Sunday in Lent is known as Quadragesima, which means “fortieth.” Patterned after the famous 40s in the Bible, the season of Lent comprises the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter—not counting Sundays. Historically, Lent was designed to be a time of fasting and prayer—a time of testing and teaching—to prepare us to remember and celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Lent is a time to strip away all the distractions in our lives and focus on what is truly important. Lent is a time to grow in our understanding of and appreciation for what Jesus did for us. The 40 days of Lent are meant to be a time of testing and teaching.

Right now, I find myself in my own personal 40 days and 40 nights—my own personal Lent and season of testing and teaching. My family is facing health and personal issues the likes of which we have never experienced.

I’ll be honest. It’s hard. I am tired and hurting. And I don’t know how long it is going to last. It could be 40 days or 40 years.

What I do know is that it won’t last forever. The lesson we learn from the famous 40s of the Bible is that they always came to an end. Times of testing and teaching were always temporary. God always got his people through. He used their struggles to strengthen them and bring them closer to himself.

That is my comfort right now. Just as the solemn season of Lent ends with Jesus rising victoriously from the tomb, so I know my story and the story of my family have a happy ending. We will come out of this victorious. Because of Jesus, we can’t lose.

For now, however, we are still in Lent. We are still in our 40 days and 40 nights.

Many of you are as well. If you find yourself in a time of trial, remember that this is only a season of earthly life. It is temporary. God is allowing this for your good. He will get you through.

Easter is coming.

Author: Andrew Schroer
Volume 112, Number 03
Issue: March 2025