I grew up in the 1990s, and I still remember the excitement of the day my dad brought home our first PC. This was before home internet access was common, so the computer’s uses were limited—but it did come with a few basic games. One of my favorites was Hugo 3: Jungle of Doom, a point-and-click adventure that my dad and I spent hours playing together.
For those unfamiliar, the game follows Hugo as he searches for a spider venom antidote to save his girlfriend, Penelope, after their plane crashes in a South American jungle. The game requires players to collect various objects—some of which seem strange at first—but later turn out to be essential for progress. For example, at one point, you need a blowgun, a mouse, and a cage to tranquilize an elephant, which then falls over and blocks a waterfall, allowing you to cross a ravine.
Believe it or not, there’s a reason I’m sharing this story beyond my personal nostalgia. I believe the life of faith is a bit like a 1990s point-and-click adventure game—especially during Lent. Following Jesus is a lifelong journey where we collect wisdom, experiences, and spiritual disciplines that might not seem immediately useful, but later prove vital.
Jesus’ Preparation in the Wilderness
In Luke 4 we see the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. After his baptism, the Holy Spirit leads him into the wilderness for 40 days, where he faces a time of testing. Three times, the devil tempts him, and each time, Jesus resists by quoting Scripture.
What’s striking here is that Scripture is not just something Jesus knows—it’s deeply ingrained in him. In moments of weakness and pressure, the right words naturally spring to his mind. But how did that happen?
Yes, Jesus is God, but he is also fully human. It’s a mystery we wrestle with, but an essential truth of our faith. His temptations reveal his humanity—he was tired, hungry, and vulnerable. But we also know that before this moment, Jesus had spent years preparing. In Luke 2:41-52, we see 12-year-old Jesus in the temple, deeply engaged with Scripture. Luke sums up those formative years by saying, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52)
Though the Gospels don’t detail the years between ages 12 and 30, we can infer that they were filled with learning and spiritual discipline. When the time came for testing, the preparation he had put in bore fruit.
The Things We Store Up Matter
This principle is true in our own lives. The things we repeatedly take in—whether scripture, prayers, songs, or spiritual practices—shape us, even if we don’t always feel their impact in the moment.
When I was training for ordination, I visited an Alzheimer’s ward. Many residents struggled with memory loss, but when we read familiar passages from the King James Bible or the Book of Common Prayer, something lit up in their eyes. These words, stored up over a lifetime, still resonated.
My 93-year-old grandmother had to recite 1 Corinthians 13 every week in Sunday school. At the time, she found it annoying, but now, 80 years later, she can still recall the entire chapter.
For me, it was Christian music. During long commutes, I would listen to certain worship songs repeatedly. I wasn’t always consciously focused on them, but those lyrics stuck with me. Years later, a half-remembered song lyric was the nudge I needed to step forward in my calling to ministry.
What we put into our hearts and minds matters. The scriptures Jesus had studied all his life came to him in his moment of trial. And if we intentionally store up the right things, we will find them
coming back to us when we need them most.
Lent: A Time to Invest in Spiritual Discipline
Lent is a season for precisely this kind of preparation. It’s a time to make space for Scripture, prayer, and spiritual practices. Many of us join Lent groups to study the Bible together. Some give up distractions to refocus on God, while others take up new habits that draw them closer to him. It might not always feel deeply spiritual in the moment, but the discipline of returning to Scripture and prayer will bear fruit in the end.
Just like Hugo 3: Jungle of Doom required players to pick up odd objects for later use, we are called to store up spiritual treasures, even when they don’t seem immediately relevant. Some scriptures or prayers might feel routine or unimportant now, but at some point, they will become exactly what we need to get through a trial or challenge.
So, this Lent, let’s be intentional about what we put in here—because one day, it will come out when we need it most.
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