By Elizabeth Crawford

O Lord, throughout these forty days

You prayed and kept the fast;

Inspire repentance for our sin,

And free us from our past.

(LSB 418, stanza 1)

The hymn “O Lord, throughout these Forty Days” is a call for Christians to remember their sins as we enter into the season of Lent: a time of penitence and reflection. All sins are painful for us to remember, but some sins are especially difficult to dwell on:

Abortion.

Addiction.

Suicide.

And the list goes on and on.

The devil likes to remind us of our sins and also use anything he can against us, even our emotional state. And this constant prowling can easily fill anyone with despair. Struggles include:

Mental health issues.

Grief.

Anxiety.

Depression.

Lent is associated with darkness and death, which can evoke unpleasant thoughts for the struggling Christian. These negative thoughts and valiant struggle may become prevalent during this time of the church year, especially as we approach the remembrance of Christ’s death.

However, the beautiful words of this hymn reminds us that there is hope today and at the end of the forty days of Lent. Christ strove for us and won. He defeated sin, death, and the devil.

Lent is a time of penitence and prayer, but this does not mean we must dwell in the dark past caused by our sinful nature. Instead, we remember our Baptism where our old Adam was put to death. Because of Jesus, we not only died to sin but also rose to life. Each day we rise again, a new man, and we prayerfully anticipate the hope of the Resurrection to come on Easter morning.

The hymn shows us how to turn to Christ for strength as we cry out to Him in prayer. “Lend us your nerve, your skill and trust, In God’s eternal Word” (LSB 418, stz. 2). We are helpless in our sins, but God’s word gives us strength. The message of hope through Jesus’ death and resurrection is found there.

During Lent, the devil will try to throw every sin at you, attempting to convince you that you are alone, worthless, and unlovable.

But that is a lie.

Christ loved you enough to die on the cross for you. He carried all of your sins because of his incredibly powerful love for His creation, His people. He fought Satan and won. Because of that great love and sacrifice we are free. Your sins – yes, ALL of them – are forgiven. During these forty days, deny the lies of the devil and cling to the saving love of Christ.

Our life is the most precious gift we’ve ever been given, a gift from our Savior alone. And He sacrificed everything to ensure that we would one day spend eternal life with Him. Throughout this Lenten season, it is good for us to remember that we are indeed poor miserable sinners, but we are also Christ’s beloved, the bride He died for.

I encourage you to meditate on this hymn, especially verse 4, which is a strong prayer for the Christian to use and remember.

Be with us through this season, Lord,

And all our earthly days,

That when the final Easter dawns,

We join in heaven’s praise.

Soli Deo Gloria, Amen.

Elizabeth Crawford is a sophomore at Concordia University, Nebraska, where she is double majoring in elementary education and music. She is an active member of Bulldogs4Life, the Y4Life team on campus. She dreams of one day serving as a Lutheran Kindergarten teacher and professional musician.

All hymn texts taken from the Lutheran Service Book (2006).