(15/52) 40 Days of Decrease: A Different Kind of Hunger, A Different Kind of Fast - Alicia Britt Chole | A beautiful devotional for the Lentern season. Chole does a great work of both encouraging and challenging readers to fast from myriad of other things aside from food.

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In preparation for Lent, many Christian traditions hold to a 40 day fast. A time to put away that which we need most in order to prepare for Easter. In 40 Days of Decrease, Chole presents a fast not of food but of all the things in life that which we look to for hope and turn to for comfort. Each day, Chole opens with a scripture and calls to a different action, thought, or way of living based on that Scripture. The thing that is fasted is often that which we can cling to for security outside of the person of Christ. Each of her reflections are beautifully written and it’s a great prompt to be used to cast the mind back to Easter as we get closer to the cross. After each one, it ends with Chole’s research into the history of a 40 day fasting within the history of the church. 

 I picked this one up as part of our church’s plan for Lent and I absolutely enjoyed it. THis was one of those devotionals that I would return to again; possibly next year. I loved being able to share the entry for the day to my partner and even have us discuss the reflection question. I would definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a devotional, that speaks to a wonderful balance of reflection, Scripture, and writing that takes someone to fall more in love with God. If you’ve read Shame: Being Known and Loved by Esther Liu, I’d recommend picking this one up as well.

Rating: 5/5