The number 40 carries some significance in the Bible. The first time we encounter a 40-day period is Genesis 7, which records that during the great flood, the rain fell for 40 days and 40 nights. Noah then waited 40 days after the ark ran aground before releasing the raven. The children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 long years. A period of 40 years in the Bible often represents the passing of one generation to another. The life of Moses is broken into 40-year blocks and some kings and leaders were recorded as ruling for 40 years, including David, Solomon, Eli and Saul.
The prophets don’t miss out on experiencing the number 40 either. Elijah walked for 40 days to get to the mountain to meet with God.
Jonah’s warning to Ninevah also came with a 40-day countdown. They had 40 days to repent of their ways or God would destroy the city. The whole place repented and left Jonah red-faced and angry. These are just a few of the mentions in the Old Testament.
The theme of 40 continues in the New Testament. Jesus goes into the wilderness for 40 days and nights and is tempted by the devil. Jesus then spends 40 days with His disciples before His ascension.
While the number can represent a whole generation as it did in the wilderness it can also represent a time of trial, testing or a specific period of waiting before a transition.
Recently I turned 40. Milestone birthdays always seem to mean a bit more. You spend time reflecting, planning and assessing your life around these milestones. But 40 seems to be a significant number.
Reflecting my own recent milestone, I can see seasons of testing, patience and transition very clearly in my own life. Entering my 40s, it is encouraging to look back and see where God has shown up and how He has led me: in my career, in life, in the big decisions and in the small moments. This decade, we were blessed with the children we thought at one stage we may never have. I’ve achieved some exciting career milestones. I can see seasons of wilderness and challenge that I’ve (relatively successfully) navigated. Once you get to the other side of the wilderness, you can see the cloud that went before, and the manna that fell the whole time. Sometimes, when you’re in those seasons you can’t see God’s hand at work—you just have to be patient. But they say that hindsight is 20/20 and I can see God’s leading clearly looking back at the first 20 years and the second 20.
Not that you asked, but what advice can I give you from the lofty vantage point of 40 years? I’ve learned some lessons—some of them the hard way.
There is a profound promise in the verse Matthew 6:33 that our family has claimed—if we put God’s kingdom first, everything else we need will be added. It’s true. God has seen us through the ups and downs and continues to provide the things we don’t immediately know we need.
Another lesson is that even in the dark and difficult times of life, when God seems silent, He is working in the background. James 1:2–4 reminds us that testing times produce perseverance and eventually maturing. This decade I’ve walked with my wife through infertility and mental health challenges, skated close to burnout and wrestled with isolation. But I’ve survived, coming out a more compassionate and faith-filled person.
Finally, I’ve started to realise that people are the most important thing you can gain. Achievements, careers, milestones are only as important as the people you share them with. It is hard to prioritise people out of love and not what we can gain from them. It is hard to put family first when work (even work for the Lord) feels like an identity. As Christians we should be the first to love and to serve others but not for what we get out of the relationships. People are lonely. Life is hard. Community is crucial. We need each other. I need you and you need me.
Thank you, Lord, for 40 years and for this Adventist community in the South Pacific. As flawed and fractious as we might be, we are better together.
