I'm hungry. Really hungry. And to top it all of, my mom and her friends bought pizza. I'll be honest, I wanted a slice (or 10) SO bad. But I resolved to spend the time I would be feasting to feast on God's word, and that's exactly what I did. I read a Psalm, listened to a couple of Lenten hymns, read some of the New Testament, and prayed to God for perseverance. The hunger pangs haven't gone away, but it's fine. It forces me to reflect on Christ and on His tempting in the wilderness. I'm just fasting from dinner, but He did an all-day fast. For 40 days. And He did it for me. That's the crazy thing. These temptations were not not willed by the devil but by God, whose eternal plan called for the Savior to be tempted and to triumph. Jesus met the test as Israel had not (see Ex. 15:25; 20:20). As true man, Jesus experienced genuine temptation. And as true God, He could overcome temptation. This fasting thing is not easy. Even abstaining from one meal is really testing where my loyalty lies. But I'm determined to persevere the entire 40 days. For that to happen, I ask you, dear reader, to pray for me. But of this I'm sure: that although I abstain from physical food, the Lord will sustain me with the spiritual meal of His word. I can honestly say that I cannot wait for Sunday to come, the Lord's Day, for not only the opportunity to let up temporarily on my fast, but for the wonderful privilege to partake of Christ's true Body and Blood for the good of my soul.
Anxiously awaiting Sunday,
Manny Tovar
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