The season of Lent begins in the wilderness.  The 40 days of Lent correspond to other places in the Bible where 40 is mentioned; the time on the Ark, the years the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, the days Jesus spent following his baptism in wilderness of temptation.  The wilderness reminds us of the importance of trusting God.  When everything else we depend on is stripped away, we experience what matters most.