Lent is about letting go of stuff, not being captivated or held hostage by something, perhaps something from the past … it’s really about symbolically participating in the mystery of Jesus Christ … moving on from desires for comfort and convenience, moving on from any addiction to things that make us temporarily feel good, brushing off the decay and rust and getting ready to shine.

We do that at Lent … because the best holiday of the year, Easter and Resurrection Sunday is only 40 Lenten days [of special fasting and almsgiving] away … Sundays are not counted, since they are treated as days of celebration … but the number of 40 for fast days has all kinds of significance. The number 40 especially signifies different periods of testing or preparation in the Bible, but the most important [in a Lenten sense] context or narrative might be the 40 days Jesus spent fasting and being tempted in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11). It was also 40 days after the Resurrection until the Ascension. There are plenty of other mentions, the 40 days/nights of rain in the Flood; also goes back to Moses spending 40 days/40 nights on Mount Sinai recieving the Ten Commandments, or Moses’s 40 years in the desert as a shepherd before leading the Hebrews on the Exodus and then, the Hebrews spending 40 more years in the wilderness before Joshua led them into the Promised Land.

The 40 days of Lent are an especially special opportunity for Christians, but it is this 40 day period of more intense contemplation of what Jesus’s sacrifice was to mean … and, Christians can soak this in every year in the 40 days before Easter, or for the season of Lent [while getting the celebrations on Sunday] … the gains come out of what is taken away … so Lent is thus a period of more intense reflection and spiritual adoration of Jesus Christ. Adoration of Jesus Christ and contemplation of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ begins with the symbolism of letting go of the past, letting go of the rust and decay and past desires, moving on to becoming better disciple of Christ.

100 Bible Verses About Letting Go of the Rust

Forgetting What Lies Behind

Philippians 3:13-14 - “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Paul acknowledges that he is still TRYING to do this, but not yet fully able. Forgetting what is behind involves a deliberate, conscious decision to TRY to let go of past failures, sins, desires, wants, and even past achievements that are hindering one’s progress.
Isaiah 43:18-19 - “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” The Creator is at work, continually producing new hope, restoration, and renewal for the faithful who keep the covenant.
2 Corinthians 5:17 - “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Job 8, especially verse 7 - “And though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great.” Those who doubt and laugh at what you believe is still possible will be proven wrong and even your greatest expectations of what is to come will be exceeded.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 - “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”

God’s Forgiveness

Psalm 103:12 - “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”
Isaiah 1:18 - “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”
Isaiah 43:25 - “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”
Micah 7:19 - “He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”
Hebrews 8:12 - “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”
1 John 1:9 - “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Jeremiah 31:34 - “For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Forgiving Others

Ephesians 4:31-32 - “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Matthew 6:14-15 - “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Colossians 3:13 - “Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
Mark 11:25 - “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Luke 6:37 - “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.” This is first of four laws that affect our everyday lives: the law of reciprocity (Luke 6:37–38), the law of leadership (verses 39–40), the law of perspective (verses 41–42), and the law of the harvest (verses 43–45).

Renewing the Mind

Romans 12:2 - “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Ephesians 4:22-24 - “To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Philippians 4:8 - “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Moving Forward with Hope

Jeremiah 29:11 - “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Romans 8:28 - “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Proverbs 4:25 - “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 - “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.”
Joshua 1:9 - “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

God’s Guidance

Psalm 32:8 - “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 - “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Psalm 37:23-24 - “The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.”
Isaiah 30:21 - “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.”
Psalm 48:14 - “For this God is our God forever and ever; he will guide us forever.”

Restoration and Redemption

Joel 2:25 - “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.”
Job 42:10 - “And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.”
Psalm 71:20-21 - “You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.”
Isaiah 61:7 - “Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy.”
Zechariah 9:12 - “Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.”

God’s Faithfulness

Lamentations 3:22-23 - “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 - “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Psalm 91:4 - “He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.” Psalms has so many images evocative of superpowers or special powers like this … pinions are the outer part of a angel’s wing, which include the flight feathers … when we cut off the pinions of an earthly bird, eg a hawk or eagle being trained, it completely takes away the ability to fly [and fight as aggressively] until the pinions regrow … in angels, the pinions are the root of the special powers, abilities to fly, to fight, etc – so it’s not just about hiding under the shield or built-in buckler.
2 Timothy 2:13 - “If we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.”
1 Corinthians 1:9 - “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Finding Peace

John 14:27 - “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Philippians 4:6-7 - “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Isaiah 26:3 - “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
Psalm 34:14 - “Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”
Romans 15:13 - “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Overcoming Adversity

Romans 8:37-39 - “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
James 1:12 - “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 - “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.”
Psalm 30:5 - “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
Isaiah 40:31 - “But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Trusting God in Difficult Times

Psalm 56:3-4 - “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”
Nahum 1:7 - “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.”
Psalm 9:10 - “And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.”
Psalm 62:8 - “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.”
Proverbs 29:25 - “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.”

God’s Provision and Blessings

Philippians 4:19 - “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Matthew 6:33 - “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Psalm 84:11 - “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
Malachi 3:10 - “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”
2 Corinthians 9:8 - “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

Spiritual Growth

2 Peter 3:18 - “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
Colossians 2:6-7 - “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”
Galatians 5:22-23 - “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
1 Peter 2:2 - “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.”
James 1:2-4 - “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Finding Strength in Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 - “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Isaiah 41:10 - “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Psalm 73:26 - “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Exodus 15:2 - “The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”
Habakkuk 3:19 - “GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.”

Renewal and Transformation

Titus 3:4-5 - “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”
Ezekiel 36:26 - “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
Psalm 51:10 - “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
2 Corinthians 4:16 - “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.”
Colossians 3:9-10 - “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

God’s Promises

Joshua 21:45 - “Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.”
2 Corinthians 1:20 - “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”
Hebrews 10:23 - “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
Numbers 23:19 - “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”
2 Peter 1:4 - “By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

Spiritual Freedom

John 8:36 - “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Galatians 5:1 - “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
Romans 6:6-7 - “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.”
2 Corinthians 3:17 - “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Psalm 119:45 - “And I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts.”

Finding Joy

Psalm 16:11 - “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Nehemiah 8:10 - “Then he said to them, ‘Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.’”
John 15:11 - “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
Romans 14:17 - “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
James 1:2-3 - “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

Perseverance and Endurance

James 1:12 - “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”
Galatians 6:9 - “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
Romans 5:3-5 - “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
Hebrews 10:36 - “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.”
1 Corinthians 15:58 - “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

God’s Love

Romans 8:38-39 - “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Jeremiah 31:3 - “The LORD appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”
1 John 4:16 - “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
Zephaniah 3:17 - “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”
Ephesians 3:17-19 - “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”