Forty Days

I promise this will be the last blog answering your burning questions about my latest book, “The Christmas Story in 40 Days”. Unless of course, you bombard me with more burning questions and then I will have to acquiesce to your wishes and go back on my word.

I’ve been asked why forty days. Why have I chosen to write forty days of devotions instead of 30 or 75 or 365? Forty just seemed the obvious number. 

“For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth.” Genesis 7:17

“Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.” Exodus 24:18

“At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land.” Numbers 13:25

“For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.” 1 Samuel 17:16

“So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.” 1 Kings 19:8

“And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.” Mark 1:13

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“After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” Acts 1:3

And finally, there are the forty days of Lent, going from Ash Wednesday until Easter. I don’t think that’s in the Bible, I couldn’t find it anyway. Plus for that to equal forty days, you have to take out one day a week, traditionally Sundays were removed. I don’t know exactly how that worked. But no matter how you look at things, God seems kind of fond of forty days. I hope He is fond of my “Forty Days” as well.  

Snow still on the ground the first part of April. But look what happened by the end of forty days.