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Good morning. A few years ago I did a High Ropes course with one of our sons. Thirty feet above the ground, I was terrified! I managed pretty well all the way round by the simple technique of holding on to the guide rope with all my strength. The problem came at the end of the course, when I had to get down off the high planks on a zip wire. Here, with no option to hold onto anything, the instructions were simply to step out into empty space and trust that my harness would bring me safely down to the ground. Now, had I employed my rational mind, I would have seen straight away that it was far more sensible to trust in a steel harness than in my own weak and feeble hand and arm muscles. But there is something innate in many of us which makes us want to rely on our own strengths and resources, even though we may know how limited they are. 
I often recall my experience on those high ropes at this time of year. We are in the first week of Lent, traditionally a time when many Christians practise disciplines such as fasting, abstinence and prayer recalling the 40 days in the desert when Jesus fasted and prayed. It’s a conscious effort on the part of many Christians to imitate Jesus’ reliance on the provision of His Father in heaven.  And it’s an opportunity for us to shift our focus away from our own limited strengths and gifts to God - the source of all love. 
Like my high ropes course, Lent can challenge our own self-sufficiency, but I believe that if we seek to walk with God and trust in God’s strength and faithfulness, then it can be a joyful and rewarding journey.  God of power and love, we thank you for your constant faithfulness in our lives. When our own resources are insufficient, give us the courage to rely on you. Amen.