27 Now these are the records of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran; and Haran became the father of Lot. 28 Haran died [k]in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah [l]and Iscah. 30 Sarai was barren; she had no child.
31 Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went out [m]together from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran, and [n]settled there. 32 The days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.
We will take a break from Mephibosheth for one day to talk about Lent. As many of you know, today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. The word Lent means to lengthen. It’s a season where God lengthens (stretches) us spiritually. During Lent, at an extravagant level, we allow the Holy Spirit to examine us, and convict us of anything that challenges the Lordship of Christ in our lives. We allow Him to deal with us down to the attitudes of our hearts. During Lent we intentionally fast, expressing our desperate desire to become more like Jesus in our walk. Lent reminds us of how needy we are, and how much we need Him to cleans every part of us so that He, who alone can live the Christian life, can live more freely, and fully through us. In verse 31we are told that instead of making it all the way to Canaan, Terah settled in Haran and died there. The word Haran means “half way.”. This is what Lent is about. It’s about dealing with those things in our lives that would make us settle for half way instead of going all the way into the land of promise where we get to enjoy our full inheritance In Christ. Don’t be afraid to come clean before God in this season, for you won’t find rejection on the other side of owning your stuff. Instead, you will find mercy and forgiveness, healing, and a fresh filling. Lent is to prepare each of us to experience a new personal Easter of resurrection life, overwhelming us in our daily lives. May this Lent issue each of us into a new Chamber closer to the heartbeat of Jesus. Have a great Ash Wednesday, and a Holy Lent.