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Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb (Deuteronomy 4:9,10).

Today\u2019s text reminds us that we are in the season of Lent. Lent\u2019s purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ\u2014to consider his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial, and resurrection. This 40-day period is based on two episodes of spiritual testing in the Bible: the 40 years of wilderness wanderings by the Israelites and, after his baptism, Jesus\u2019 40 day fast in the wilderness ending with Satan\u2019s temptations.

Moses already understood that self-reflection would be essential to living a faithful life with God. Yesterday, Pastor Anthony reflected on the truth that the law of God is \u201cholistic, relational, and interested in a life of flourishing Shalom for all\u201d. Selfishness and competition for resources get in the way of this vision. Such things come from the human heart, as Jesus said, \u201cFor it is from within, out of a person\u2019s heart, that evil thoughts come\u2014sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly\u201d (Mark 7:21-22).

Such things live in all our hearts. They hide in crevasses, closets, and the dark attic corners of our souls that we don\u2019t visit. Sometimes they slink out of hiding through the back door so that we do not observe them until they are well established patterns in our lives. Other times they jump out so unexpectedly that, before we can stuff them back out of sight, they have caused all sort so damage.

Jeremiah wrote, \u201cThe heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?\u201d (Jeremiah 17:9). This is why Lent is necessary. We need dedicated time to examine our own hearts. Of course, the hope is the 40 days of Lent will create healthy patterns in our lifestyle that stay in place long after it is over.

Early in the church\u2019s history, Christians realized that doing this hard work of examining the heart\u2019s motivations was difficult in the rush of daily life. Thus, a movement developed called the \u201cDesert Mothers and Fathers\u201d. These Christians moved out to the wilderness to be alone with God. They have left us a wealth of wisdom regarding \u2018self-examination\u201d rooted in the prayer, \u201cSearch me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life\u201d (Psalm 139:23-24, NLT).

This is the sort of thing Moses encouraged Israel to engage in as they entered the promised land. They were to remember how they had met God at Mount Horeb, how the thunder had rumbled, and the lightning had flashed. God was impressive, worthy of both worship and obedience. Moses wanted them to remember, but he knew life would get in the way, just as it does for us. We need to \u2018watch ourselves closely\u2019, to ensure that we don\u2019t move subtly from a life of justice to one of injustice, from a life of helping others flourish to one in which we are concerned only about our own flourishing.

And we need to teach this way of life to our children and grandchildren, passing on an ethic of Shalom from one generation to the next. An ethic rooted in the grace and commands of God. God took Israel out of Egypt because they could not flourish there. Egypt was a place of death, not life for Israel. After deliverance came the law. Learning healthy patterns for life, happens best in a community where it is practiced with joy. What better place for this than in families and churches?

Christian families and churches are places in which living is rooted in grace not duty. Paul articulates this when he writes to the Colossians, \u201cTherefore, as God\u2019s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity\u201d (Colossians 3:12-14).

To know ourselves as chosen, holy and dearly loved, is to know ourselves as people safe, secure, and connected to God by the bond of the cross which cannot be broken. Knowing ourselves as such, gives us the safe place to examine our own hearts, offering our failings to God and sometimes to other Christians, knowing that we will be handled with gentleness. We will be uplifted, not beaten down. In such environments, children can safely discover the beauty of God\u2019s law.